MOT failures by make
Fiat MOT failures for “Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush”
Fiat cars failed their MOT on “Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush” in 1.87% of 1,581,922 tests in 2023–2024 (29,566 tests) — 10.9 times as often as comparable cars of the same age, mileage and fuel, which would have failed on it in about 0.17% of tests. It is the number 10 most common failure item on Fiats.
Data to 2024-12-30 · Page updated 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
- Fiat tests failing on it
- 1.87%
- 29,566 of 1,581,922 tests, 2023–2024
- Comparable cars
- 0.17%
- national rate at the same age, mileage and fuel
- Observed ÷ expected
- 10.88×
- 73 Auto analysis · rank #10 for Fiat
How unusual this is for the make
Across all MOT failures, Fiats fail 1.16× as often as comparable cars. On this item the gap is 9.36× wider than that overall level, so it is a genuine Fiat pattern rather than a reflection of how often the make fails in general. It is a major defect in the suspension part of the test. Nationally it appears on 0.14% of MOT tests.
Fiat models and “Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush”
The Fiat 500 is most affected (16.87× comparable cars); the Fiat 500X least (0.02×). Not every model follows the make: the pattern is concentrated in some models. Model rows compare with cars of the same age and fuel.
| Model | Tests | Failed on it | vs similar cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiat 500 | 702,906 | 3.04% | 16.87× |
| Fiat Panda | 182,599 | 2.94% | 15.36× |
| Fiat Doblo | 95,744 | 1.08% | 7.63× |
| Fiat Punto | 133,137 | 0.33% | 1.67× |
| Fiat Grande Punto | 14,230 | 0.10% | 0.47× |
| Fiat 500L | 35,150 | 0.05% | 0.35× |
| Fiat Ducato | 145,780 | 0.05% | 0.15× |
| Fiat Scudo | 17,782 | 0.03% | 0.13× |
| Fiat 500X | 69,885 | 0.00% | 0.02× |
By age at test
The difference is largest at 5-6 years old: 0.77% of Fiat tests against 0.04% for comparable cars.
| Age (years) | Fiat tests | Fiat | Comparable cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 136,771 | 0.09% | 0.01% |
| 5-6 | 198,442 | 0.77% | 0.04% |
| 7-8 | 273,886 | 2.69% | 0.16% |
| 9-10 | 270,626 | 2.70% | 0.22% |
| 11-12 | 194,724 | 3.38% | 0.29% |
| 13-15 | 258,221 | 1.96% | 0.22% |
| 16+ | 206,679 | 0.77% | 0.22% |
Other Fiat MOT faults that stand out
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn · 2.81× comparable cars
- Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak · 2.56× comparable cars
- Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements · 2.05× comparable cars
- Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases · 1.92× comparable cars
Limitations
Official data: DVSA's anonymised MOT results (2023–2024), class 4 initial tests, cars at least 2.5 years old. 73 Auto analysis: the comparison rate applies the national rate of this item for each test's own age, mileage band and fuel to the Fiat tests. An MOT result reflects maintenance, mileage and how a car is used as well as its design, so this is not a measure of which make is most reliable. The wording of the defect is DVSA's.
Has this Fiat failed on it before?
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UK number plate or 17-character VIN
Where these figures come from
- Anonymised MOT tests and results (2023 and 2024) — Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Open Government Licence v3.0.
Figures labelled as 73 Auto estimates are our own analysis of these sources, set out in the methodology and data sources. To report a factual error, see corrections.