Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 4,896 tests

Pass rate climbs 2.6 points across the cohorts — newer 595c examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 1,902

Pass

85.7%

Fail

12.0%

PRS

1.9%

Avg mileage at test

35,834 mi

2018–2020 cohort 2,294

Pass

87.8%

Fail

9.0%

PRS

3.0%

Avg mileage at test

25,138 mi

2021+ cohort 700

Pass

88.3%

Fail

6.6%

PRS

4.6%

Avg mileage at test

16,558 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

595c: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 1,982 MOT tests, the 595c returns 85.7% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. A tyre with the cords showing and a defective wiper blade round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 25,553, 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.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 18–26

Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

18–26

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

85 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
02

A tyre cords visible or damaged

57 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
03

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

57 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
04

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

54 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
05

A shock absorber bush excessively worn

53 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
06

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

44 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
07

Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

34 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
08

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

32 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
09

A tyre seriously damaged

29 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
10

A tyre seriously damaged

28 occurrences · 0.6% 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

£200–£430

If every one of this 595c'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.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.6-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Abarth 595c makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

88.3%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 88.3% — a 2.6-point improvement. Tests in this band average 16,558 miles — roughly 19K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, has a tear, caused by separation or… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

85.7%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 85.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: pin or bush excessively worn, has an excessively worn bush, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 35,834 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (88.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (85.7% pass). That's a 2.6-point spread across 1,902 older tests and 700 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Denso

Denso W14E Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16EX-U Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16FSR Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W9LM-US Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Buying or keeping a 595c?

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 595c 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.