The picture
Giulietta: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 32,981 MOT tests, the Giulietta returns 74.4% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. A broken or weak spring and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 80,810, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,180 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 02
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
1,161 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,079 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 04
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,024 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 05
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
863 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 06
A tyre cords visible or damaged
751 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 07
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
698 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 08
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
622 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 09
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
466 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 10
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
418 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£228–£610
If every one of this Giulietta's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
This technology, combined with an electronically controlled variable geometry turbocharger, guarantees excellent torque delivery: 350 Nm at just 1750 rpm (with the D.N.A. selector in Dynamic position) and 320 Nm at 1500 rpm (in Normal) – giving it the highest torque in its class compared to similarly efficient and powerful engines.
Where it falls short
| | | Basic Price £ | | VAT £ | | Retail Price £ | | OTR Charges £ | | Total OTR £ | |
Buying or keeping a Giulietta?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Giulietta and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.