Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 4,887 tests

Pass rate climbs 5.2 points across the cohorts — newer Talento examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 2,150

Pass

73.6%

Fail

21.3%

PRS

3.8%

Avg mileage at test

92,859 mi

2018–2020 cohort 1,554

Pass

77.9%

Fail

17.6%

PRS

2.2%

Avg mileage at test

69,646 mi

2021+ cohort 1,183

Pass

78.8%

Fail

16.0%

PRS

4.4%

Avg mileage at test

47,746 mi

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

The picture

Talento: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 2,541 MOT tests, the Talento returns 74.0% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A worn steering ball joint and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 71,576, 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 20–28

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 →

20–28

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

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

01

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

298 occurrences · 6.1% of tests
02

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

193 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
03

A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

177 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
04

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

149 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
05

A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

121 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
06

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

104 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
07

Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction

98 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
08

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

94 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
09

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

72 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
10

Obligatory mirror or device slightly damaged or loose

60 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 3 failures

£168–£435

If every one of this Talento'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 5.2-point gap between bands means the year you buy Fiat Talento has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

78.8%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 78.8% — a 5.2-point improvement. Tests in this band average 47,746 miles — roughly 45K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, less than 1.5 mm thick — 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

73.6%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 73.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 78.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, ball joint has excessive play, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 92,859 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (78.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (73.6% pass). That's a 5.2-point spread across 2,150 older tests and 1,183 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

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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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 Talento?

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 Talento 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.