Fiat Tipo Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the Fiat Tipo fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 20,296 MOT tests across 6 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: small family car | Fuel: Diesel, Petrol
82%
Fiat Tipo pass rate
83%
Fiat average
82%
All-model average
The Fiat Tipo has an average MOT pass rate of 82%, which is 1 point below the Fiat average and equal to the average across all models in our data. Newer Fiat Tipos pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 7 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the Fiat Tipo Fails Its MOT On
Of the 3,460 MOT tests on the Fiat Tipo that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Suspension
41%Cars and vans the same age: 23% (the Tipo fails on this more often) · Typical repair £150-£600
Lights and electrics
27%Cars and vans the same age: 27% · Typical repair £15-£200
Tyres
26%Cars and vans the same age: 29% · Typical repair £50-£300
Brakes
18%Cars and vans the same age: 19% · Typical repair £80-£450
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
16%Cars and vans the same age: 16% · Typical repair £10-£350
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Coil spring: fractured or broken (19% of failed tests, suspension)
- Tyre tread depth below the 1.6mm limit (12% of failed tests, tyres)
- Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (12% of failed tests, suspension)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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Fiat Tipo Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each Tipo year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
Passed more often than cars their age
No year passed 3 or more points more often than other cars of the same age.
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
Fiat Tipo Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
Fiat Tipo Running Costs
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Fiat Tipo FAQ
What are the most common Fiat Tipo problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the Fiat Tipo that failed at the first attempt most often failed on suspension (41% of the 3,460 failed tests), lights and electrics (27%) and tyres (26%). The single most common fault was "Coil spring: fractured or broken" (19%). Across 20,296 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 82% ended in a pass.
Is the Fiat Tipo reliable?
The Fiat Tipo has an average MOT pass rate of 82%, from 20,296 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed 6 points less often on average, so check the history of any example carefully.
Which Fiat Tipo years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 2017 (80% of 10,163 tests passed, against 87% for all 2017 cars), the 2018 (82% of 3,379 tests passed, against 89% for all 2018 cars) and the 2019 (86% of 2,565 tests passed, against 91% for all 2019 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common Fiat Tipo faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a Fiat Tipo typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other Fiat Models
Common problems pages for other Fiat models