Fiat
5,198 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where 124s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 10.0 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
87.5%
Pass-after-fix
2.9%
Fail
9.5%
Avg miles
30,768
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 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 5,198 tests
Pass rate climbs 1.3 points across the cohorts — newer 124 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
87.2%
Fail
10.1%
PRS
2.6%
Avg mileage at test
32,095 mi
Pass
88.5%
Fail
7.5%
PRS
3.9%
Avg mileage at test
26,283 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 3,113 MOT tests, the 124 returns 87.6% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. Wipers that don't clear the screen and a defective wiper blade round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 26,231, 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
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. 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 →
4–22
out of 50
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A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
89 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
87 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Wiper blade defective
75 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
67 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
44 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
43 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
42 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
39 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
31 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
25 occurrences · 0.5% 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
£128–£285
If every one of this 124'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
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.3-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Fiat 124 makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
88.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 88.5% — a 1.3-point improvement. Tests in this band average 26,283 miles — roughly 6K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
87.2%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 87.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.5 mm thick, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and does not clear the windscreen effectively. Average mileage on test for this band is 32,095 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (88.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (87.2% pass). That's a 1.3-point spread across 4,011 older tests and 1,187 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
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
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · 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
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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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 124 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.
