Know Your MOT
38.9%fail rate

Alfa Romeo 145 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Alfa Romeo 145 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 29,005 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 38.9% of MOT tests recorded on the Alfa Romeo 145 in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 48.7% of the Alfa Romeo 145's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, exhaust & emissions, suspension. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Brakes48.7% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Lamps & electrical46.3% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Exhaust & emissions29.5% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Suspension27.7% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Visibility/wipers21.7% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Tyres20.6% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

199444.6% fail · 184 tests
199541.5% fail · 2,144 tests
199638.6% fail · 4,202 tests
199740.1% fail · 6,017 tests
199839.3% fail · 5,650 tests
199939.2% fail · 5,192 tests
200036.3% fail · 5,179 tests
200133.2% fail · 328 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the brakes failure: Alfa Romeo 145 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo 145 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo 145 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Alfa Romeo 145 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo 145 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo 145 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Alfa Romeo 145 exhaustSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo 145 exhaustaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo 145 exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Alfa Romeo 145 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo 145 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo 145 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Alfa Romeo 145 wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo 145 wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo 145 wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Alfa Romeo 145 tyresSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo 145 tyresaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo 145 tyres on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Alfa Romeo 156 MOT failures33.9% failure rateAlfa Romeo 147 MOT failures31.1% failure rateAlfa Romeo Giulietta MOT failures21.8% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain