84.2%
Fiat 124
Fiat 124 MOT pass rate and common problems
The Fiat 124 passed 84.2% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 11.9 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was position lamp not working.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the 124 compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
67.7%
Fiat average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The 124 runs 16.5 points ahead of the Fiat average. It is 1st of the 15 Fiat models in the data. The average 124 arrived at its test 8.4 years old with 33,377 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
124 MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years (small sample) | 9 | 77.8% | 5.5 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years | 2,788 | 84.3% | 12 pts above |
| 11 years and over (small sample) | 50 | 76% | 3.7 pts above |
Too few tests fall into some age groups to compare them reliably. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where 124 failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on Fiat 124 cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes together account for 53.9% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common 124 MOT failures
Specific items recorded on Fiat 124 cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 62.5% of everything testers recorded against failed Fiat 124 cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a 124
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: position lamp not working, headlamp aim too high and registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps. 23.4% of failure items.
2
Visibility
Recorded most often: wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively and washers provides insufficient washer liquid. 14% of failure items.
3
Brakes
Recorded most often: brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick and service brake performance excessively binding. 11.1% of failure items.
4
Suspension
Recorded most often: coil spring fractured or broken and pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn. 10.7% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific 124 has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used Fiat 124 buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Fiat 124 MOT FAQs
What is the Fiat 124 MOT pass rate?
84.2% of Fiat 124 cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 2,847 tests. That is 11.9 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 136th of 575 models.
What does a Fiat 124 most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on Fiat 124 cars failing their 2025 MOT was position lamp not working, on 14.4% of failure items. Next were wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (9.4%) and brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (7.6%).
Which area causes the most Fiat 124 MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment at 34.4%, followed by brakes at 19.4%.
Does this mean every Fiat 124 has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every Fiat 124 that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific Fiat 124's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.