Know Your MOT
34.9%fail rate

Alfa Romeo Alfa common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 261 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 34.9% of MOT tests recorded on the Alfa Romeo Alfa in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 49.5% of the Alfa Romeo Alfa's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, exhaust & emissions, other. 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

Lamps & electrical49.5% 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.

Brakes30.8% 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.

Exhaust & emissions26.4% 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.

Other20.9% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Suspension20.9% 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/wipers18.7% 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.

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 lamps & electrical failure: Alfa Romeo Alfa headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo Alfa headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo Alfa headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Alfa Romeo Alfa brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo Alfa brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo Alfa brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Alfa Romeo Alfa exhaustSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo Alfa exhaustaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo Alfa exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Alfa Romeo Alfa suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo Alfa suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo Alfa suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Alfa Romeo Alfa wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Alfa Romeo Alfa wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Alfa Romeo Alfa wiper blades 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 ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain