Fiat
Bravo
10,165 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Bravos pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 14.8 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
62.8%
Pass-after-fix
4.7%
Fail
31.1%
Avg miles
98,623
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
Bravo: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 8,931 MOT tests, the Bravo returns 63.2% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a broken or weak spring. A defective headlamp lens and a split CV-joint boot round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 96,059, 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 10–18
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 →
10–18
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
623 occurrences · 6.1% of tests
- 02
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
507 occurrences · 5.0% of tests
- 03
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
383 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
- 04
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
375 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 05
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
333 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 06
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
319 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 07
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
309 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
- 08
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
290 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 09
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
283 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 10
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
278 occurrences · 2.7% 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 4 failures
£250–£800
If every one of this Bravo'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.
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
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Book a mobile mechanic
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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
Roomy cabin and big boot. Five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating. Excellent 1.4 T-Jet petrol. Strong MultiJet diesels.
Recent owner-reported faults
- 1 Jan 0001
'Sport' versions built before September 2007 come with tyrefit puncture repair kit. Post September 2007 they get a space saver and jack [![Image 20: Stop Wasting Groceries: The Fridge Mistake Most Households Make](https://images.outbrainimg.com/transform/v3/eyJpdSI6ImVjOGJlNDA2
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 1 reports indexed
Buying or keeping a Bravo?
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 Bravo 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.