MOT cost .
Fiat Panda
MOT 2023
Wikimedia

Fiat

Panda

117,602 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Pandas pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 3.5 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

72.2%

Pass-after-fix

4.4%

Fail

22.9%

Avg miles

60,394

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Fiat Panda at 72% — Suspension and Tyres Dominate

With a 72.21% pass rate across 117,602 tests, the Panda sits near the bottom of city car MOT performance. Tyre tread, suspension pin and bush wear, and shock absorber bush deterioration are all in the top three failures at an average of 60,394 miles. The TwinAir engine carries a known oil specification requirement: using the wrong grade causes documented problems, and Fiat-specified Selenia oil is non-negotiable. A cabin smell on Dualogic models sometimes traces to perished rubber breather hoses on the 1.2 engine — a £50 fix, but only if you know to look for it. Check suspension bushes and tyres closely, and verify correct oil grade history on TwinAir examples.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    4,989 occurrences · 4.2% of tests

  2. 02

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    4,985 occurrences · 4.2% of tests

  3. 03

    A shock absorber bush excessively worn

    3,919 occurrences · 3.3% of tests

  4. 04

    A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

    2,991 occurrences · 2.5% of tests

  5. 05

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    2,712 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  6. 06

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    2,612 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  7. 07

    Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    2,198 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  8. 08

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    2,123 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  9. 09

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    2,062 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  10. 10

    The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

    2,012 occurrences · 1.7% 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 3 failures

£160–£380

If every one of this Panda'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 →

Try the calculator

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

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

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.

Recent owner-reported faults

  1. 8 Jul 2018

    MUST use correct Fiat specified Selenia oil in the TwinAir or will lead to problems. Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB In Moonstone | Verizon (With 36 Monthly Installment Payments + Plan)Meet the new status pro. Pixel 10 Pro is the ultimate Pixel experience, featuring advanced AI with Gemini, unbelievable camera quality, i...Verizon Wireless Ask a Pro: "How Long Does $2.5M Last in Retirement?"This quiz matches nearly 50,000 people each month with vetted financial advisors.SmartAsset Learn More [![Image 24: Missed the April 15 Tax Deadline? The IRS Still Offers Debt Forgiveness [See How to Qualify]](https://images.outbrainimg.com/transform/v3/eyJpdSI6ImM5NTFiY2UwOTE0MjYyMDllNjFjNDJkNzFhYWY4NmU2YzNkNjFiODFlY2Y2MjEyZWEzNjViZDFjMmFhZGFkMDIiLCJ3Ijo0MDAsImgiOjMwMCwiZCI6MS4wLCJjcyI6MCwiZiI6NH0.webp)Missed the April 15 Tax Deadline? The IRS Still Offers Debt Forgiveness [See How to Qualify]freshstartinfo.org](https://freshstartinfo.org/tax-relief-options/?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=programmatic&utm_campaign=Monthly+Deadline&utm_content=0040c3af2b90b0947883aaa6a2c344c348&camp_id=0096ea30c26a360a1fc372308e87d6d6d7&creative_id=0040c3af2b90b0947883aaa6a2c344c348&brand=FSI&source=OUT&adset_id={{section_id}}&obcid=0096ea30c26a360a1fc372308e87d6d6d7&obOrigUrl=true) Top 5 Mouse Repellents for 2026 Expert Product Review Learn More Why AI Brings Speech Clarity That Old Hearing Aids Just Can’t Match Understand speech in noise effortlessly AudioNova Stop Wasting Groceries: The Fridge Mistake Most Households Make Consumer Check [![Image 28: Find Senior Women Who Bring The Spark [See Who's Online]](https://images.outbrainimg.com/transform/v3/eyJpdSI6ImUzNDY5NWJhMzA0NzRhODZiMzJlYzFmNTJkNTM3ZDIxMzZiMWM1MTMzZTBhNDVkNTJkZjQ0ZWFhZDQ2ZTY3YWIiLCJ3Ijo0MDAsImgiOjMwMCwiZCI6MS4wLCJjaCI6LTc1NDE0MjE0NiwiY3MiOjAsImYiOjR9.webp)Sponsored Find Senior Women Who Bring The Spark [See Who's Online] Read more It all starts with a message.amorelation.com](https://amorelation.com/land/sp/17f2ebbb?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=ua&utm_campaign=OBN_Amorelation_USA_All_Native_EU2_NewU_aOBX25_WL-exclude2_Creo-t_Text-t_mua_20Apr&campaign_id=004aea76c4e6e4694169bd0cc89a5ab731&utm_content=Find+Senior+Women+Who+Bring+The+Spark+%5BSee+Who%27s+Online%5D&partner=outbrain_datingsmatch&OutbrainClickId={{ob_click_id}}&subid={{ob_click_id}}&ad_id=00b3c19bfc65a0cbf37f87168b7a2dc38a&publisher_name={{publisher_name}}&section_name={{section_name}}&publisher_id={{publisher_id}}&ad_name={{ad_name}}&obOrigUrl=true) Sponsored Stop Wasting Money on Plumbers: This Simple Foam Fixes Any Drain Trending Deal Journal Sponsored Has Hyundai hit the mark with the new Palisade? Take a look!caffeinecommons.com Click Here Sponsored North Charleston: AudioNova is giving free 30-minute hearing checks complete this short quiz to schedule your free hearing test AudioNova Sponsored Top 5 Binoculars for 2026 Expert Product Review Learn More * Terms and Conditions * Privacy * Cookies * Advertise on this site * Contact * Mobile) Website of the Year 2016, 2017 & 2018

  2. 3 Feb 2018

    Report that cabin smell in a Fiat Panda Dualogic might not be a failing clutch. The rubber breather/circulation hoses on the 1.2 engine perish. Cost abouty £50 for a fresh pair of hoses.

  3. 18 Jun 2017

    Complaint of clunking noise from LH to RH brake conversion on RHD Fiat Panda.

  4. 1 Feb 2017

    Poor starting reported from Panda TwinAir in cold, wet conditions. Suspect condensation getting into the coil packs.

  5. 30 Apr 2016

    Clutch failed on 2015 Panda TwinAir at 7,185 miles. Slave cylinder, pipe and hydraulic valve replaced under warranty. Later clutch burned out. Dealer blamed 'driver error'. Fiat paid for clutch under goodwill, but owner had to pay labour. Clutch returned to owner shows oil contamination, so up to him to get an engineer's report and sue the dealer for return of the labour charge.

  6. 8 Mar 2016

    Battery discharge problems with 2012 Panda after software upgrade 5958. Car bought used in April 2015. Software upgrade 5958 on 12-2-2016 after which radio stopped working and battery discharged. Battery replaced 21-2-2016 and discharged by 1-3-2016. Fiat dealer found faults with both battery and radio and wanted £600 to replace. Battery supplier tersted battery and found it okay. Dealer is legally obliged to fix the problem it caused.

  7. 13 Jun 2015

    Noises heard from engine of pre-reg 15 plate Panda after 1,100 miles. Dealer found noise was coming from block, swarf in oil, etc. Fiat delayed fitting of new engine for for further tests. Reader advised that if car was not fitted with new engine immediately he should reject it for a full cash refund.

  8. 27 Mar 2015

    Reader reports that an official fix for the 1,242cc EU6 engine problem in FIAT Pandas and 500s has finally reached dealers from Fiat.

  9. 11 Mar 2015

    Report of recently purchased used 2014 Fiat Panda 1.2 (assumed to be EU6) lacking power on hills and suffering from a sticking throttle that resulted in a crash.

  10. 2 Oct 2014

    Software fix available from Fiat dealers that restores the performance of EU6 1.2 Panda and 500 engines.

  11. 30 Sep 2014

    Fiat acknowledged four recorded customer complaints of 2,600 EU6 Panda 1.2 sold, all from owners who had the EU5 engine before and expected the EU6 to perform the same.

  12. 11 Aug 2014

    Complaint of sluggish performance in 1st and 2nd gear of EU6 Fiat Panda 1.2 Lounge purchased in April 2014. Hesitation when pulling away in 1st and 2nd gears due to a device fitted to the clutch to reduce emissions. "Feels very unsafe, when trying to pull out into traffic." See **Fiat Forum**

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 12 reports indexed

Buying or keeping a Panda?

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 Panda 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.