Alfa Romeo 4C MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Alfa Romeo 4C MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Alfa Romeo 4C passed on its first attempt in 93.0%, and its overall record sits +12.4 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Alfa Romeo 4C in the 2023–2025 data: 1,299 tests across 5 model years (2014–2018). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Alfa Romeo 4C MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Alfa Romeo 4C, the Identification of the vehicle section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Alfa Romeo 4C's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Alfa Romeo 4C DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Alfa Romeo 4C, each with how many of the model's 1,299 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements" (Major) — noted on about 15 Alfa Romeo 4C tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 12 Alfa Romeo 4C tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 12 Alfa Romeo 4C tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Washers provides insufficient washer liquid" (Major) — noted on about 11 Alfa Romeo 4C tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 10 Alfa Romeo 4C tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 9 Alfa Romeo 4C tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Alfa Romeo 4C Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Alfa Romeo 4C model year on record is 2015 (94.6% across 204 tests), and the weakest is 2018 (84.0%). The gap between them is 10.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Alfa Romeo 4C reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Alfa Romeo 4C Owners

These checks follow this Alfa Romeo 4C's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Alfa Romeo 4C.

• the number plates — “registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements”

  Check both plates are present, legible and correctly spaced, with the postcode of the supplier and the BS AU 145e mark. A private plate in the wrong style is a fail before the car is even looked at.

• the suspension joints — “ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”

  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.

• the exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits”

  Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Alfa Romeo 4C. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Alfa Romeo 4C MOT & Reliability