Pass rate, every year
71.2% Below average
7,147 tests across 9 model years, 2001–2009.
−9.8 pts vs the national average
Alfa Romeo 147 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2003 76.0%
The strongest of the 9 years on record. See the 2003 page →
Worst year to buy
2006 67.7%
8.3 points below the 2003 peak. See the 2006 page →
The Alfa Romeo 147 MOT pass rate is 71.2%, −9.8 percentage points below the UK average. That is 7,147 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2001 and 2009. This page lists the most common Alfa Romeo 147 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
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Alfa Romeo 147 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The Alfa Romeo 147 passed on its first attempt in 63.2%, and its overall record sits −9.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Alfa Romeo 147 in the 2023–2025 data: 7,147 tests across 9 model years (2001–2009). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 7,147 |
| Overall pass rate | 71.2% |
| Passed on first attempt | 63.2% |
| Average mileage at test | 94,691 mi |
| Model years covered | 2001–2009 (9 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −9.8 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common Alfa Romeo 147 MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Alfa Romeo 147, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 32% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 21% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 15% |
| Visibility | 13% |
| Brakes | 10% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 6% |
| Steering | 1% |
Shares are over the Alfa Romeo 147's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Suspension
Around 32% of the recorded Alfa Romeo 147 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (5.7%), "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (2.9%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (2.6%) among the Alfa Romeo 147's suspension faults.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Around 21% of the recorded Alfa Romeo 147 failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (2.2%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (1.7%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (1.7%) among the Alfa Romeo 147's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Body, chassis, structure
Around 15% of the recorded Alfa Romeo 147 failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (3.7%), "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (1.6%), "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (0.1%) among the Alfa Romeo 147's body, chassis, structure faults.
Top Recorded Alfa Romeo 147 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Alfa Romeo 147, each with how many of the model's 7,147 tests it was noted on.
- "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 408 Alfa Romeo 147 tests, 5.7% of the model's MOT record.
- "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 264 Alfa Romeo 147 tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
- "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 250 Alfa Romeo 147 tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
- "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (Major) — noted on about 208 Alfa Romeo 147 tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 205 Alfa Romeo 147 tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
- "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 188 Alfa Romeo 147 tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
Best and Worst Alfa Romeo 147 Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest Alfa Romeo 147 model year on record is 2003 (76.0% across 783 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (67.7%). The gap between them is 8.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 147 | 719 | 72.3% |
| 2008 147 | 1,475 | 70.0% |
| 2007 147 | 1,177 | 68.2% |
| 2006 147 | 882 | 67.7% |
| 2005 147 | 744 | 71.8% |
| 2004 147 | 692 | 75.6% |
| 2003 147 | 783 | 76.0% |
| 2002 147 | 482 | 71.8% |
| 2001 147 | 193 | 72.0% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Alfa Romeo 147 Owners
These checks follow this Alfa Romeo 147's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Alfa Romeo 147.
-
the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
-
corrosion — “component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”
Look under the sills, around the jacking points and where the suspension mounts meet the body. Flaking, holed or crumbly metal fails; a brown stain on sound metal does not.
-
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Alfa Romeo 147. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: Alfa Romeo 147 MOT & Reliability
What is the Alfa Romeo 147 MOT pass rate?
71.2% of the 7,147 recorded Alfa Romeo 147 MOT tests ended in a pass, −9.8 percentage points below the national average. 63.2% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which Alfa Romeo 147 model years pass the MOT most often?
2003 is the strongest Alfa Romeo 147 year on record at 76.0%, while 2006 is the weakest at 67.7%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common Alfa Romeo 147 MOT failures?
The most recorded Alfa Romeo 147 failures are "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" and "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" — together around 9% of tests, mostly in the Suspension section.