Alfa Romeo 147: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Alfa Romeo 147 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 15 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,856 individual Alfa Romeo 147 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 61.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 38 in every 100 Alfa Romeo 147s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Alfa Romeo 147 tested had covered 95,806 miles and was built around 2006.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Alfa Romeo 147 sits 15 points below the national average, ranked 1,924 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Alfa Romeo 147 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Alfa Romeo 147s at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Alfa Romeo 147

1. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 3% of tests (11.31x the national rate for this defect)
2. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 2.7% of tests (6.52x the national rate for this defect)
3. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 5.9% of tests (6.28x the national rate for this defect)
4. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 2.3% of tests (5.59x the national rate for this defect)
5. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 7.1% of tests (4.19x the national rate for this defect)
6. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 4.7% of tests (3.65x the national rate for this defect)
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 7.7% of tests (3.28x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 16.2% of tests (3.22x the national rate for this defect)
9. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3% of tests (2.93x the national rate for this defect)
10. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 2.8% of tests (2.29x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,854 DVSA-tracked Alfa Romeo 147 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.37% of these flagged Alfa Romeo 147 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Alfa Romeo 147

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Alfa Romeo 147 before it actually fails on it.

1. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 11.4% of tests (4x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 15.2% of tests (3.22x the national rate for this advisory)
3. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 4.1% of tests (2.7x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 13.7% of tests (2.65x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 3.2% of tests (2.56x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 2.6% of tests (2.39x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 12.8% of tests (2.31x the national rate for this advisory)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 30% of tests (2.24x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
9. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.9% of tests (2.09x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 24.9% of tests (2.04x the national rate for this advisory)

From 1,854 DVSA-tracked Alfa Romeo 147 tests, 2024.

Alfa Romeo 147 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Alfa Romeo 147 year:

• 2003 Alfa Romeo 147 - 68.4% first-time pass, 206 tests
• 2006 Alfa Romeo 147 - 55.6% first-time pass, 223 tests
• 2007 Alfa Romeo 147 - 57% first-time pass, 298 tests
• 2008 Alfa Romeo 147 - 60.7% first-time pass, 379 tests

Alfa Romeo 147 by fuel type

The Alfa Romeo 147's two most-tested fuel types split by 6.6 points: petrol passes first time 64.6% of the time (1,211 tests) against 58% for diesel (626 tests).

• Petrol Alfa Romeo 147 - 64.6% first-time pass, 1,211 tests
• Diesel Alfa Romeo 147 - 58% first-time pass, 626 tests

Other Alfa Romeo models

• Alfa Romeo Giulietta - 71.9%
• Alfa Romeo Mito - 66.8%
• Alfa Romeo Giulia - 86.9%
• Alfa Romeo 159 - 60.1%
• Alfa Romeo Spider - 72.9%
• Alfa Romeo Stelvio - 89%
• Alfa Romeo Brera - 68.8%
• Alfa Romeo GT - 60.5%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Isuzu Rodeo - 61.8%
• Mitsubishi Shogun Sport - 61.8%
• Vauxhall Signum - 61.8%
• Renault Clio - 61.6%
• Renault Trafic - 61.6%
• Peugeot 406 - 61.6%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate