Pass rate
68.6%
Below average — 4.5 pts behind the 73.1% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 2,550 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £55–£141
2008 Alfa Romeo 159 MOT pass rate
- 2008
- typical 125,290 mi
Check your postcode
Most common fault
Suspension
27.0% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2012 74.8% pass
- Avoid 2006 67.6% pass
Across the 7 years on record, a spread of 7.2 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 59.6%
- Typical mileage
- 125k mi
The 2008 Alfa Romeo 159 MOT pass rate is 68.6% of its MOT tests — 4.5 points behind what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 27.0% of what testers record.
Expert verdict
Suspension: 1.3× the national share
Suspension accounts for 27.0% of everything recorded on the 2008 Alfa Romeo 159, against 21.0% nationally — 6.0 points above. Ask for the front and rear suspension to be checked on a ramp before you buy — worn bushes and broken springs are cheap to look at and expensive to discover at test time.
- Falls short of its own age and mileage. Like-for-like, cars this age and mileage expect about 73.1%; this one manages 68.6% — 4.5 points below. Age is a fair excuse; this is not age.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 19% of this model’s typical repairs come in under £30 in parts — the failures here tend to be the kind that need a garage rather than a bulb.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Alfa Romeo 159? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2008 Alfa Romeo 159 compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 73.1%, so this figure is 4.5 points behind what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 59.6%. The median 2008 Alfa Romeo 159 in this dataset had covered 125,290 mi.
The most common fuel recorded here is Diesel — 86% of tests, with a 68.3% pass rate. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 69.4% of the time, April–September 67.6%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements", noted on 7.41% of tests.
- 2,550 recorded tests behind this page.
- 68.6% overall pass rate, 59.6% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Alfa Romeo 159, the average is 69.9% — best year 2012 (74.8%), worst 2006 (67.6%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 2,550
- Typical mileage (median)
- 125,290 mi
- Make and model
- Alfa Romeo 159
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Brake Discs and Pads Set
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the 159 MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 58% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Diesel is the most common here (86% of tests).
Where the Alfa Romeo 159 is most common
Across all 159 model years on record (2006–2012): 5,777 Alfa Romeo 159 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 13,282 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 236 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.
| # | Postcode area | Cars | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham (B) | 236 | 78.3% |
| 2 | Sheffield (S) | 122 | 75.0% |
| 3 | Coventry (CV) | 116 | 72.0% |
| 4 | Crawley (RH) | 113 | 71.1% |
| 5 | Reading (RG) | 112 | 71.0% |
| 6 | Southampton (SO) | 103 | 64.7% |
| 7 | Peterborough (PE) | 101 | 66.8% |
| 8 | Portsmouth (PO) | 96 | 65.9% |
| 9 | Leicester (LE) | 96 | 72.7% |
| 10 | Ashford (TN) | 96 | 68.0% |
| 11 | Bristol (BS) | 94 | 59.7% |
| 12 | Ipswich (IP) | 93 | 70.1% |
| 13 | Nottingham (NG) | 92 | 66.1% |
| 14 | Norwich (NR) | 87 | 65.8% |
| 15 | Oxford (OX) | 86 | 64.1% |
| 16 | Northampton (NN) | 85 | 66.3% |
| 17 | High Wycombe (HP) | 85 | 71.1% |
| 18 | Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) | 82 | 73.1% |
| 19 | Poole (BH) | 79 | 65.7% |
| 20 | Doncaster (DN) | 76 | 68.5% |
The twenty areas with the most Alfa Romeo 159 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →
Regional pass rates for the 159
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 559 | 71.2% |
| South West | 347 | 61.1% |
| East of England | 330 | 69.1% |
| West Midlands | 300 | 72.7% |
| North West | 242 | 70.7% |
| Scotland | 189 | 63.0% |
| East Midlands | 171 | 63.7% |
| Yorkshire | 168 | 72.0% |
| Wales | 84 | 64.3% |
| North East | 82 | 72.0% |
| London | 78 | 78.2% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2008 159
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2008 159
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the windscreen 5.8% of tests
“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.
-
Check the coil springs 5.5% of tests
“coil spring fractured or broken”
Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.
-
Check corrosion 4.3% of tests
“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.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2008 159 through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £55–£141 — and 19% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £55–£141
- Cheapest common item: malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or…
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: component mounting prescribed areas…
- £180–£450
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 60%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 19%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 2,550 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the 159, side by side
7 model years on record, from 2006 to 2012. Across them the pass rate runs from 67.6% to 74.8% — a spread of 7.2 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2006 67.6% rbt (sp) efficiency below…
- 2007 68.9% rbt (sp) efficiency below…
- 2008 68.6%rbt (sp) efficiency below…
- 2009 70.3% rbt (sp) efficiency below…
- 2010 70.3% rbt (sp) efficiency below…
- 2011 72.1% rbt (sp) efficiency below…
- 2012 74.8% coil spring fractured or broken
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2008 Alfa Romeo 159 with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2008 cars with a similar record
- Citroen C4 68.6%
- Nissan X-Trail 68.5%
- Renault Megane 68.7%
- Renault Scenic 68.7%
- Peugeot Bipper 68.7%
- Volkswagen Sharan 68.4%
Closest pass rates among 2008 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2008 Alfa Romeo 159 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 6,957 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 1,904 | 27.00% | 20.98% | +6.02 |
| Brakes | 1,358 | 19.30% | 20.89% | −1.59 |
| Tyres | 1,010 | 14.30% | 19.76% | −5.46 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 657 | 9.30% | 12.21% | −2.91 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 648 | 9.20% | 5.52% | +3.68 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 611 | 8.70% | 5.57% | +3.13 |
| Visibility | 295 | 4.20% | 4.97% | −0.77 |
| Steering | 203 | 2.90% | 2.57% | +0.33 |
| Non-component advisories | 166 | 2.40% | 4.18% | −1.78 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 105 | 1.50% | 1.76% | −0.26 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements Brakes | Major | 7.4% | £45–110 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 5.8% | £80–200 |
| Coil spring fractured or broken Suspension | Major | 5.5% | £25–65 |
| Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | Major | 4.3% | £180–450 |
| Ball joint excessively worn Suspension | Major | 3.7% | £18–45 |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 3.0% | £5–20 |
| Service brake performance excessively binding Brakes | Major | 2.4% | £60–150 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 2.3% | £5–25 |
| Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated Body, chassis, structure | Minor | 2.2% | £80–250 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 2.2% | £3–12 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 25.1% | £45–95 |
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 15.8% | £200–700 |
| Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened Suspension | Advisory | 12.0% | £180–450 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 11.3% | £45–110 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 8.2% | £40–150 |
| Service brake performance excessively binding Brakes | Advisory | 7.4% | £60–150 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 13 | 76.9% | 21,563 mi |
| 30-60k | 63 | 77.8% | 47,531 mi |
| 60-90k | 339 | 73.2% | 77,847 mi |
| 90-120k | 705 | 69.9% | 106,327 mi |
| 120k+ | 1,429 | 66.4% | 151,573 mi |
Source: 2,550 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2008 159 MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2008 Alfa Romeo 159?
68.6% of the 2,550 2008 Alfa Romeo 159 tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 73.1% for cars first used in 2008. First-attempt pass rate: 59.6%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2008 Alfa Romeo 159?
The three most recorded items are rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (7.41%), windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (5.76%), coil spring fractured or broken (5.45%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2008 Alfa Romeo 159 MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 76.9% of the time, falling to 66.4% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2008 Alfa Romeo 159 in this dataset had covered 125,290 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2008 Alfa Romeo 159?
Diesel: 68.3% pass rate across 2,185 tests. Petrol: 70.7% pass rate across 365 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2008 Alfa Romeo 159 MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 69.4% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 67.6%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.