Alfa Romeo
Spider
7,284 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Spiders pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 2.2 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
75.3%
Pass-after-fix
3.0%
Fail
20.6%
Avg miles
77,811
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
The picture
Spider: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 4,334 MOT tests, the Spider returns 73.6% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a weak handbrake. A broken or weak spring and service brake efficiency below minimum requirement round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 76,872, 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 18–28
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 →
18–28
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
304 occurrences · 4.2% of tests
- 02
Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement
166 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 03
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
149 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 04
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
121 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 05
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
118 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 06
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
118 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 07
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
112 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 08
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
105 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 09
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
95 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 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
86 occurrences · 1.2% 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 2 failures
£88–£275
If every one of this Spider'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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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.
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Parts & supplies for this fix
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Summit
Summit ADRG-238 Alfa Romeo Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£8.79
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Summit
Summit ADRG-380 Alfa Romeo Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
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Summit
Summit ADRG-381 Alfa Romeo Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£12.09
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Summit
Summit ADRG-383 Alfa Romeo Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£12.09
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Recall history
4 UK recalls on record.
The Spider has 4 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Buying or keeping a Spider?
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 Spider 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.