Piaggio
2,240 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Mp3s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 8.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
85.8%
Pass-after-fix
2.9%
Fail
8.5%
Avg miles
14,033
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,201 tests
Pass rate climbs 6.8 points across the cohorts — newer Mp3 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
84.7%
Fail
9.1%
PRS
3.0%
Avg mileage at test
14,704 mi
Pass
91.4%
Fail
5.5%
PRS
2.5%
Avg mileage at test
11,722 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,796 MOT tests, the Mp3 returns 84.9% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 13,053, 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.
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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
35 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value
31 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
25 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
18 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
16 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
15 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
12 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Steering head bearings have excessive wear or play
11 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
10 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A lamp not securely attached
10 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.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£158–£370
If every one of this Mp3'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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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 6.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy Piaggio Mp3 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
91.4%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 91.4% — a 6.8-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.0mm, less than 1.5 mm thick — 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
84.7%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 84.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: efficiency less than 50% of the required value, tread depth below requirements of 1.0mm, and less than 1.5 mm thick. Average mileage on test for this band is 14,704 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (91.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (84.7% pass). That's a 6.8-point spread across 1,839 older tests and 362 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
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
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
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Click Mechanic · affiliate
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.
Recall history
The Mp3 has 6 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 Mp3 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.
