Alfa Romeo Spider, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
2,683 Alfa Romeo Spiders are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 71.4% of initial MOT tests, 0.9 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Spider? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Alfa Romeo Spider at the MOT
71.4% of 3,143 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Spider 327th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where Spiders fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Alfa Romeo Spider tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (7.2%), service brake performance efficiency below requirements (4%) and coil spring fractured or broken (3.6%).
The MOT page lists every common Spider MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Spider's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
-
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.25.8% of Spider failure items
-
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.18.6% of Spider failure items
-
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.15.5% of Spider failure items
Alfa Romeo Spiders in the UK
2,683 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 33% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −33%from 3,988 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2002half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2002 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 2,46248% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Alfa Romeo Spiders since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 3,988 |
| End of 2015 | 3,891 |
| End of 2016 | 3,670 |
| End of 2017 | 3,468 |
| End of 2018 | 3,295 |
| End of 2019 | 3,135 |
| End of 2020 | 2,883 |
| End of 2021 | 2,753 |
| End of 2022 | 2,615 |
| End of 2023 | 2,481 |
| End of 2024 | 2,271 |
| End of 2025 | 2,171 |
| End of June 2026 | 2,683 |
How old they are
Licensed Alfa Romeo Spiders by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 905 were first used before 2000.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4 | 25 |
| 2018 | 6 | 25 |
| 2017 | 43 | 24 |
| 2016 | 43 | 27 |
| 2015 | 25 | 21 |
| 2014 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 14 | |
| 2010 | 79 | |
| 2009 | 75 | |
| 2008 | 379 | |
| 2007 | 315 | |
| 2006 | 7 | |
| 2005 | 36 | |
| 2004 | 35 | |
| 2003 | 51 | |
| 2002 | 45 | |
| 2001 | 104 | |
| 2000 | 65 |
Spider engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 52% of Alfa Romeo Spider MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.2 litre at 26%. Petrol accounts for 94% of licensed Spiders and diesel for 6.4%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 3,141 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Spiders
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,511 | 94% |
| Diesel | 172 | 6% |
Alfa Romeo Spider recalls
4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Alfa Romeo Spider. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Spider is affected.
-
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.
-
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 1996 R/1996/026
Security of seat belt
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- A number of the subject vehicles have been fitted with seat belts manufactured by TRW the attachment systems of which may not remain secure in an accident situation.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles check the date of production on the seat belt buckles and replace those within the critical batch.
-
Mar 1996 R/1996/020
Rear brake hose may chafe suspension
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- When fully loaded the rear brake hoses may contact the anti roll-bar upper attachments and a plastic shield. This could damage the hoses and cause fluid loss with a consequent reduction in braking efficiency.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles for rerouting of the rear brake hoses. Any hose found to be damaged will be replaced.
Other Alfa Romeo models
The most-tested Alfa Romeo models in 2025, against the Spider's 71.4% MOT pass rate.
- Alfa Romeo Giulietta
- Alfa Romeo Mito
- Alfa Romeo Giulia
- Alfa Romeo Stelvio
- Alfa Romeo 159
- Alfa Romeo Brera
Alfa Romeo Spider FAQs
How many Alfa Romeo Spiders are there in the UK?
2,683 Alfa Romeo Spiders were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 2,462 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Alfa Romeo Spider 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 71.4% first-time pass rate for the Alfa Romeo Spider across 3,143 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Alfa Romeo Spider had any recalls?
4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Alfa Romeo Spider. The most recent was published in December 2007. 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 Spider?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension. 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 Spider'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 Spider?
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.