Know Your MOT
13.2%fail rate

Fiat Primero common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 453 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 13.2% of MOT tests recorded on the Fiat Primero 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 33.3% of the Fiat Primero's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, visibility/wipers, other, brakes. 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 & electrical33.3% 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.

Visibility/wipers10.0% 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.

Other6.7% of failures

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

Brakes5.0% 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.

Tyres1.7% 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.

Registration plate1.7% of failures

A missing, damaged, dirty or incorrectly-spaced number plate, or one using the wrong font, will fail. A replacement plate is inexpensive.

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: Fiat Primero headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Fiat Primero headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Fiat Primero headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Fiat Primero wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Fiat Primero wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Fiat Primero wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Fiat Primero brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Fiat Primero brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Fiat Primero brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Fiat Primero tyresSearch Amazon for Fiat Primero tyresaffiliate searchFind Fiat Primero tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the registration plate failure: Fiat Primero number plateSearch Amazon for Fiat Primero number plateaffiliate searchFind Fiat Primero number plate on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Fiat Punto MOT failures31.5% failure rateFiat 500 MOT failures23.2% failure rateFiat Ducato MOT failures24.8% 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