Pass rate, every year
73.3% Below average
4,035 tests across 8 model years, 2000–2007.
−7.7 pts vs the national average
Alfa Romeo 156 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2006 76.3%
The strongest of the 8 years on record. See the 2006 page →
Worst year to buy
2007 68.3%
8.0 points below the 2006 peak. See the 2007 page →
The Alfa Romeo 156 MOT pass rate is 73.3%, −7.7 percentage points below the UK average. That is 4,035 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2007. This page lists the most common Alfa Romeo 156 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 156 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The Alfa Romeo 156 passed on its first attempt in 66.7%, and its overall record sits −7.7 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Alfa Romeo 156 in the 2023–2025 data: 4,035 tests across 8 model years (2000–2007). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 4,035 |
| Overall pass rate | 73.3% |
| Passed on first attempt | 66.7% |
| Average mileage at test | 103,075 mi |
| Model years covered | 2000–2007 (8 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −7.7 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common Alfa Romeo 156 MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Alfa Romeo 156, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 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 |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 33% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 20% |
| Suspension | 18% |
| Visibility | 12% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 9% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 5% |
| Brakes | 2% |
| Tyres | 0% |
Shares are over the Alfa Romeo 156's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Around 33% of the recorded Alfa Romeo 156 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" (3.6%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (2.6%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (2.3%) among the Alfa Romeo 156's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Body, chassis, structure
Around 20% of the recorded Alfa Romeo 156 failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (4.7%), "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (1.9%), "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (0.4%) among the Alfa Romeo 156's body, chassis, structure faults.
Suspension
Around 18% of the recorded Alfa Romeo 156 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (3.0%), "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (1.7%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (1.1%) among the Alfa Romeo 156's suspension faults.
Top Recorded Alfa Romeo 156 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Alfa Romeo 156, each with how many of the model's 4,035 tests it was noted on.
- "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 191 Alfa Romeo 156 tests, 4.7% of the model's MOT record.
- "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 146 Alfa Romeo 156 tests, 3.6% of the model's MOT record.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 144 Alfa Romeo 156 tests, 3.6% of the model's MOT record.
- "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 119 Alfa Romeo 156 tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 104 Alfa Romeo 156 tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
- "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 101 Alfa Romeo 156 tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
Best and Worst Alfa Romeo 156 Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest Alfa Romeo 156 model year on record is 2006 (76.3% across 93 tests), and the weakest is 2007 (68.3%). The gap between them is 8.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Alfa Romeo 156 reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.0 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 156 | 104 | 68.3% |
| 2006 156 | 93 | 76.3% |
| 2005 156 | 621 | 71.7% |
| 2004 156 | 762 | 71.8% |
| 2003 156 | 851 | 75.4% |
| 2002 156 | 654 | 75.8% |
| 2001 156 | 548 | 74.8% |
| 2000 156 | 402 | 68.4% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Alfa Romeo 156 Owners
These checks follow this Alfa Romeo 156's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Alfa Romeo 156.
-
the lights — “headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
-
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.
-
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.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Alfa Romeo 156. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: Alfa Romeo 156 MOT & Reliability
What is the Alfa Romeo 156 MOT pass rate?
73.3% of the 4,035 recorded Alfa Romeo 156 MOT tests ended in a pass, −7.7 percentage points below the national average. 66.7% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which Alfa Romeo 156 model years pass the MOT most often?
2006 is the strongest Alfa Romeo 156 year on record at 76.3%, while 2007 is the weakest at 68.3%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common Alfa Romeo 156 MOT failures?
The most recorded Alfa Romeo 156 failures are "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" and "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" — together around 8% of tests, mostly in the Body, chassis, structure section.