Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 11,838 tests

Pass rate climbs 2.4 points across the cohorts — newer Swift examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 5,667

Pass

88.9%

Fail

7.6%

PRS

2.9%

Avg mileage at test

20,464 mi

2018–2020 cohort 5,432

Pass

91.2%

Fail

4.4%

PRS

3.8%

Avg mileage at test

14,329 mi

2021+ cohort 739

Pass

91.3%

Fail

4.3%

PRS

2.4%

Avg mileage at test

9,839 mi

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

The picture

Swift: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 6,909 MOT tests, the Swift returns 90.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is wipers that don't clear the screen. A defective wiper blade and a lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 15,044, 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

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

132 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
02

Wiper blade defective

107 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
03

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

101 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
04

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

90 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
05

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

78 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
06

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

67 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
07

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

63 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
08

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

44 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
09

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

40 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
10

A lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning

30 occurrences · 0.3% 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

£48–£125

If every one of this Swift'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 2.4-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Fiat Swift makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

91.3%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 91.3% — a 2.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 9,839 miles — roughly 11K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not clear the windscreen effectively, buckle missing — 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

88.9%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 88.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: warning lamp indicates a fault, not working, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 20,464 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (91.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (88.9% pass). That's a 2.4-point spread across 5,667 older tests and 739 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

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

Item 02 · 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

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

Hycote

Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Fiat Broom Yellow 12.5ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Fiat Capri Blue Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Fiat Black Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Fiat Red Orange Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

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 Swift?

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 Swift 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.