Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 1,766 tests

Pass rate climbs 8.5 points across the cohorts — newer Burstner examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 967

Pass

86.5%

Fail

10.2%

PRS

2.2%

Avg mileage at test

26,897 mi

2018–2020 cohort 582

Pass

91.1%

Fail

3.4%

PRS

5.2%

Avg mileage at test

14,624 mi

2021+ cohort 217

Pass

94.9%

Fail

2.3%

PRS

2.3%

Avg mileage at test

10,612 mi

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

The picture

Burstner: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 864 MOT tests, the Burstner returns 88.7% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a lamp out. An airbag warning light and a weak handbrake round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 19,647, 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 4–22

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

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

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

01

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

21 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
02

An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction

19 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
03

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

15 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
04

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

13 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
05

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

12 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
06

Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

12 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
07

A tyre seriously damaged

11 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
08

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

9 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
09

Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement

8 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
10

Wiper blade defective

7 occurrences · 0.4% 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.

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 8.5-point gap between bands means the year you buy Fiat Burstner has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

94.9%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 94.9% — a 8.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 10,612 miles — roughly 16K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, with a multiple light source up to… — 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

86.5%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 86.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 94.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: not working, warning lamp indicates a fault, and ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt. Average mileage on test for this band is 26,897 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (94.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (86.5% pass). That's a 8.5-point spread across 967 older tests and 217 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

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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Hycote

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Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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Buying or keeping a Burstner?

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 Burstner 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.