78,471 tests in 2025
Fiat Panda reliability and MOT pass rate
69.4% passed first time. The 30.6% fail rate is 8.0 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 13 years old with 58,740 miles.
Pass rate
69.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 30.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
58,740 mi
13 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 3,292 | 11.3% |
| 6-9 years | 12,362 | 18.5% |
| 10-13 years | 26,957 | 27.7% |
| 14+ years | 35,840 | 38.7% |
What the Panda fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension671 dangerous55.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment101 dangerous27.4%
- Brakes2,003 dangerous26.2%
- Tyres6,060 dangerous21.1%
- Body, chassis, structure187 dangerous16.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks23 dangerous15.4%
- Visibility2 dangerous13.7%
- Steering60 dangerous6.8%
Is the Panda getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.7 points to 31.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (4.1 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 95,055 | 11 | 28.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 92,612 | 12 | 28.9% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 75,561 | 12 | 30.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 76,459 | 13 | 31.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Panda at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Panda in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn3,108 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,650 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken2,323 tests
- 4Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak2,283 tests
- 5Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn2,131 tests
- 6Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush2,118 tests
- 7Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements1,971 tests
- 8Position lamp: not working1,945 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Panda collects 3.06 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm15,110 tests
- 2Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened11,392 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn8,008 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened7,389 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure7,338 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine5,780 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases5,499 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak4,465 tests
Questions
What is the Fiat Panda MOT pass rate?
69.4% of the 78,471 Fiat Panda first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 30.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Fiat Panda usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded on 3,108 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, suspension appears in 55.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 27.4% of failures, brakes appears in 26.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 11.3%; at 14+ years it was 38.7%. The median Fiat Panda tested in 2025 was 13 years old with 58,740 miles.
Is the Fiat Panda getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.7 points to 31.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (4.1 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Panda trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 15 safety recalls naming the Fiat Panda: Fiat Panda recalls.
Other Fiat models
Checking a particular Panda?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.