Alfa Romeo 159, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
2,072 Alfa Romeo 159s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 57.5% of initial MOT tests, 14.8 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific 159? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Alfa Romeo 159 at the MOT
57.5% of 2,812 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 159 516th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where 159s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Alfa Romeo 159 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (6.9%), coil spring fractured or broken (5.9%) and component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.8%).
The MOT page lists every common 159 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The 159's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.26.5% of 159 failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.18.9% of 159 failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.18.2% of 159 failure items
Alfa Romeo 159s in the UK
2,072 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 77% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −77%from 9,074 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2009half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2009 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 1,65344% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Alfa Romeo 159s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 9,074 |
| End of 2015 | 8,809 |
| End of 2016 | 8,431 |
| End of 2017 | 7,853 |
| End of 2018 | 7,181 |
| End of 2019 | 6,444 |
| End of 2020 | 5,723 |
| End of 2021 | 4,997 |
| End of 2022 | 4,315 |
| End of 2023 | 3,539 |
| End of 2024 | 2,798 |
| End of 2025 | 2,238 |
| End of June 2026 | 2,072 |
How old they are
Licensed Alfa Romeo 159s by year of first use.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 68 |
| 2011 | 338 |
| 2010 | 490 |
| 2009 | 456 |
| 2008 | 390 |
| 2007 | 344 |
| 2006 | 112 |
159 engines and fuel
1.9 litre engines made up 51% of Alfa Romeo 159 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.4 litre at 18%. Diesel accounts for 73% of licensed 159s and petrol for 27%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 2,809 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed 159s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 565 | 27% |
| Diesel | 1,507 | 73% |
Alfa Romeo 159 recalls
4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Alfa Romeo 159. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 159 is affected.
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Apr 2009 R/2009/028
Reduction of braking assistance may occur
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Brake pedal could be stiff to depress requiring more input from the driver to stop as a result of insufficient brake assistance caused by low vacuum at low engine speed while at high altitude immediately after starting.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to fit an electric vacuum pump to supplement the engine vacuum system.
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Dec 2007 R/2007/174
Brakes may fail
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to the possibility of a fault in the production process the flexible rubber brake hoses may not have been correctly vulcanised. As a consequence may partially or totally restrict the internal flow of the brake hydraulic fluid. Should this happen a reduction in efficiency during braking would occur.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the hoses checked to identify if they are within the affected batch. If this is the case they will be replaced with quality assured items.
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Jul 2007 R/2007/092
Possible loss of vehicle control
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Oil may leak from the Power Take Off Unit which may cause the unit to seize and possible loss of vehicle control.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to apply sealant to the core plug and to fit a retaining clip.
-
Mar 2007 R/2007/026
Roof bars may fail
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that certain after market roof cross rails (not supplied by Alfa Romeo) could set up resonance frequencies within the rail that could in time lead to breakage of the longitudinal roof rails.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will be fitted with a new set of longitudinal roof rails.
Other Alfa Romeo models
The most-tested Alfa Romeo models in 2025, against the 159's 57.5% MOT pass rate.
- Alfa Romeo Giulietta
- Alfa Romeo Mito
- Alfa Romeo Giulia
- Alfa Romeo Stelvio
- Alfa Romeo Spider
- Alfa Romeo Brera
Alfa Romeo 159 FAQs
How many Alfa Romeo 159s are there in the UK?
2,072 Alfa Romeo 159s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 1,653 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Alfa Romeo 159 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 57.5% first-time pass rate for the Alfa Romeo 159 across 2,812 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Alfa Romeo 159 had any recalls?
4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Alfa Romeo 159. The most recent was published in April 2009. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Alfa Romeo 159?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, brakes and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check an Alfa Romeo 159's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a 159?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Alfa Romeo history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Alfa Romeo VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.