Fiat Panda, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
78,142 Fiat Pandas are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 64.1% of initial MOT tests, 8.2 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Panda? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Fiat Panda at the MOT
64.1% of 84,817 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Panda 445th of 575 models. Fiat Pandas aged 3 to 5 years passed 83.6% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 58.5%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Fiat Panda tests in 2025.
Where Pandas fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Fiat Panda tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (6%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5%) and shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (4.3%).
The MOT page lists every common Panda MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Panda'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.29.6% of Panda 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.20.8% of Panda 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.14.5% of Panda failure items
Fiat Pandas in the UK
78,142 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 2nd most of any Fiat. The number licensed has fallen 17% since the end of 2014, and 26% from its peak of 105,388 at the end of 2017.
- Change since 2014
- −17%from 94,505 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2012half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2012 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 7against 8,289 in 2015
- Declared off the road
- 7,9839.3% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Fiat Pandas since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 94,505 |
| End of 2015 | 100,810 |
| End of 2016 | 103,952 |
| End of 2017 | 105,388 |
| End of 2018 | 104,372 |
| End of 2019 | 103,200 |
| End of 2020 | 100,914 |
| End of 2021 | 97,841 |
| End of 2022 | 94,690 |
| End of 2023 | 91,165 |
| End of 2024 | 86,464 |
| End of 2025 | 81,020 |
| End of June 2026 | 78,142 |
How old they are
Licensed Fiat Pandas by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 1,936 were first used before 2005.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 408 | 422 |
| 2023 | 822 | 846 |
| 2022 | 681 | 716 |
| 2021 | 1,096 | 1,148 |
| 2020 | 1,730 | 1,788 |
| 2019 | 2,481 | 2,617 |
| 2018 | 2,587 | 2,744 |
| 2017 | 3,420 | 3,644 |
| 2016 | 4,664 | 5,000 |
| 2015 | 7,607 | 8,289 |
| 2014 | 7,557 | |
| 2013 | 6,997 | |
| 2012 | 5,906 | |
| 2011 | 4,798 | |
| 2010 | 7,562 | |
| 2009 | 8,350 | |
| 2008 | 3,590 | |
| 2007 | 3,730 | |
| 2006 | 2,812 | |
| 2005 | 2,097 |
7,607 Pandas first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 92% of the 8,289 first registered that year.
Panda engines and fuel
1.2 litre engines made up 60% of Fiat Panda MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.1 litre at 20%. Petrol accounts for 94% of licensed Pandas and diesel for 5.8%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 84,804 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Pandas
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 73,555 | 94% |
| Diesel | 4,502 | 6% |
| Hybrid electric | 74 | 0.1% |
| Gas | 11 | <0.1% |
Fiat Panda recalls
15 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Fiat Panda. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Panda is affected.
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Mar 2025 R/2023/313
Incorrect information on the registration document and CoC (certificate of Conformity)
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles incorrect data has been entered on the registration document and correspondingly the Certificate of Conformity (CoC).
- Remedy
- The registration document must be amended and a new CoC issued.
-
Jun 2024 R/2024/144
Reverse gear switch not functioning as intended
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the reversing gear switch is not according to specification. This could result in a failure to illuminate the rear light of the vehicle during a reversing manoeuvre.
- Remedy
- Check the reversing gear switch and replacement if required
-
Dec 2023 R/2023/282
Side airbag/head airbag crash sensor not correctly connected
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles fitted with the side airbag/head airbag may not have the side crash sensor connected correctly which may in a worst-case scenario result in non-deployment of the airbag in a side impact/crash.
- Remedy
- To check the correct engagement/connection of the side crash sensor.
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Apr 2019 R/2019/096
Non-conformity of the height adjustment mechanism of the steering column
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The steering column height adjustment mechanism could accidentally release.
- Remedy
- Replace the steering column mechanism.
-
Aug 2018 R/2018/208
Engine suspension reaction bracket not fitted on the transmission side
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Some vehicles were assembled without the engine suspension reaction bracket fitted on the transmission side. The vehicles must be repaired by fitting the missing components (transmission reaction bracket and washer). The defect can be detected by noise and vibration being emitted from the front area of the vehicle. If ignored a possible consequence is a failed differential box resulting in oil leakage and in some cases the drive shaft could become disengaged and drop below the vehicle whilst in motion.
- Remedy
- Fit the missing components (transmission reaction bracket and washer).
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Oct 2016 R/2016/225
Transmission mount may fail
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that due to a nonconformity in the transmission casing mount material there is a possibility that the casting may fail. This may affect the control of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Recall all affected vehicles to check and if required replace the mounting with new quality assured item.
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Dec 2015 R/2015/229
Headlights may fail
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- In some circumstances the headlights can switch off without warning which will increase the risk of an accident.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and update the Body Computer with new improved software.
-
Apr 2015 R/2015/076
Front seatbelts may not function as intended
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that the front seatbelt anchorage links may not have been manufactured to the correct specification. If the link is subjected to an abnormal force then it may not perform as required.
- Remedy
- Recall all the affected vehicles to check the link and if required replace it.
Other Fiat models
The most-tested Fiat models in 2025, against the Panda's 64.1% MOT pass rate.
Fiat Panda FAQs
How many Fiat Pandas are there in the UK?
78,142 Fiat Pandas were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 7,983 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Fiat Panda 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 64.1% first-time pass rate for the Fiat Panda across 84,817 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Fiat Panda had any recalls?
15 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Fiat Panda. The most recent was published in March 2025. 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 Fiat Panda?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes. 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 a Fiat Panda'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 Panda?
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 Fiat history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Fiat 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.