Fiat Panda MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Fiat Panda MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Fiat Panda passed on its first attempt in 70.0%, and its overall record sits −4.7 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Fiat Panda in the 2023–2025 data: 329,104 tests across 20 model years (2003–2022). 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 Fiat Panda MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Fiat Panda, the Suspension 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 Fiat Panda's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Fiat Panda DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Fiat Panda, each with how many of the model's 329,104 tests it was noted on.

• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 10,514 Fiat Panda tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (Major) — noted on about 6,673 Fiat Panda tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush" (Major) — noted on about 6,536 Fiat Panda tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 6,271 Fiat Panda tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 6,088 Fiat Panda tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 5,545 Fiat Panda tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Fiat Panda Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Fiat Panda model year on record is 2022 (92.7% across 150 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (67.8%). The gap between them is 24.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Fiat Panda reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.5 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 Fiat Panda Owners

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

• 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.

• the shock absorbers — “shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak”

  Press down hard on each corner of the car and let go. It should settle in one bounce; if it keeps rocking, or you can see oil weeping down a shock absorber, that is the fault a tester will find.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Fiat Panda MOT & Reliability