MOT data
Alfa Romeo 159 MOT fail rate by age and year
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 14,049 MOT tests · Updated
At 15 years, 41.3% of Alfa Romeo 159 MOT tests ended in a fail (adjusted to typical mileage), against 42.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 15 (3,246 MOT tests) [1].
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- Brakes: fails 1.4–1.6× as often as cars the same age at 15 years, 524 of 3,246 MOT tests
- Mileage: median 118,609 miles at 15 years against 100,157 for all class 4 vehicles, 3,246 MOT tests
- Before the mileage adjustment: 43.7% of MOT tests at 15 years ended in a fail, 3,246 MOT tests
Which engine and year a car has decides which of these apply. Check the reg first.
Figures are for the model, not one car, and compare with all class 4 vehicles tested at 15 in the same test year.
- Fail rate at 15 years, typical mileage
- 41.3%
- vs 42.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 15
- 3,246 MOT tests
- Fail rate at 15 years, raw
- 43.7%
- vs 42.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 15
- 3,246 MOT tests
- Median mileage at 15 years
- 118,609 mi
- vs 100,157 mi for all class 4 vehicles
- 3,246 MOT tests
Alfa Romeo 159 MOT fail rate by age
Each line follows the cars first used in one year across the ages they were tested at from 2022 to 2025, so a line never mixes a 2005 car with a 2015 one. 14k DVSA MOT tests in all (14,049).
| Age | Raw | Typical mileage | All class 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 41.1% | 37.2% | 37.6% |
| 13 | 42.8% | 39.1% | 39.3% |
| 14 | 41.9% | 39.5% | 40.9% |
| 15 | 43.7% | 41.3% | 42.0% |
| 16 | 42.0% | 40.2% | 42.8% |
| 17 | 45.9% | 45.0% | 43.1% |
About average: 43.7% raw · 41.3% at typical mileage, against 42.0% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 15, 3,246 MOT tests. Which years? See the full verdict
What fails on an Alfa Romeo 159 at 15 years
3 of 11 parts fail clearly more or less often than on cars the same age, with the same direction at 3 or more ages up to 18 years and no mixed picture.
| Part | Per 100 | All class 4 | Compared | Most common fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 16.1 | 10.7 | fails 1.4–1.6× as often as cars the same age | Parking brake efficiency below requirements (MOT fail) |
| Emissions and leaks | 8.5 | 5.7 | fails 1.3–1.7× as often as cars the same age | Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (MOT fail) |
| Lights and electrics | 13.6 | 19.5 | fails less often than cars the same age (0.6–0.8×) | Position lamp not working (MOT fail) |
| Suspension | 21.2 | 16.7 | about average for cars the same age | Coil spring fractured or broken (MOT fail) |
| Tyres | 9.3 | 7.5 | about average for cars the same age | Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (MOT fail) |
| Body and structure | 7.3 | 6.7 | about average for cars the same age | Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases (MOT fail) |
Buying an Alfa Romeo 159? Check that exact car before the viewing.
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- Model risks for this year and fuel
- What similar cars did at their next MOT
- Repairs ahead
- Viewing checklist
Check one Alfa Romeo 159, not the average
The figures here describe Alfa Romeo 159 cars as a group. A registration shows one car's own DVSA record: its MOT tests, the mileage at each test and the recall flag.
- Check an Alfa Romeo 159's MOT history Every MOT test, fail item, advisory and mileage reading DVSA holds for that registration.
- Mileage check on an Alfa Romeo 159 The odometer reading from each MOT, with drops, jumps and long gaps flagged.
- Check an Alfa Romeo 159 for an outstanding recall Whether DVSA's MOT record flags an outstanding safety recall for that registration.
More Alfa Romeo 159 data
Alfa Romeo 159 recalls
4 DVSA recalls list this model by name [2]. Vehicles are DVSA's count of affected Alfa Romeo 159 vehicles. The latest:
- R/2009/028 Also covers the Alfa Romeo 159: Reduction of braking assistance may occur (100 vehicles of this model), built Nov 2006 to Nov 2007. From the recall's stated risk: “Brake pedal could be stiff to depress requiring more input from the driver to stop as a result of insufficient brake assistance caused by low vacuum at low…”
- R/2007/174 Also covers the Alfa Romeo 159: Brakes may fail (687 vehicles of this model), built Oct 2007 to Nov 2007. From the recall's stated risk: “Due to the possibility of a fault in the production process the flexible rubber brake hoses may not have been correctly vulcanised.”
- R/2007/092 Also covers the Alfa Romeo 159: Possible loss of vehicle control (610 vehicles of this model), built Mar 2005 to Feb 2007. From the recall's stated risk: “Oil may leak from the Power Take Off Unit which may cause the unit to seize and possible loss of vehicle control.”
Ask the seller for proof the work was done. Check any car on GOV.UK
Alfa Romeo 159 against similar cars at 15 years
Same class and fuel, all tested at 15 years, at typical mileage.
| Model | Fail rate | 95% range | MOT tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfa Romeo 159 | 41.3% | 39.3% to 43.2% | 3,246 |
| BMW 3 Series MOT fail rate | 30.6% | 30.3% to 30.9% | 106,407 |
| Ford Mondeo MOT fail rate | 39.0% | 38.6% to 39.5% | 64,190 |
| Audi A4 MOT fail rate | 31.9% | 31.4% to 32.4% | 62,585 |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class MOT fail rate | 34.7% | 34.3% to 35.1% | 59,517 |
| Volkswagen Passat MOT fail rate | 34.7% | 34.1% to 35.4% | 46,183 |
| BMW 5 Series MOT fail rate | 26.0% | 25.4% to 26.7% | 33,196 |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class MOT fail rate | 28.9% | 28.3% to 29.4% | 29,281 |
| Vauxhall Vectra MOT fail rate | 45.0% | 44.3% to 45.6% | 26,907 |
Other Alfa Romeo models
More Alfa Romeo 159 data
Years
Running costs
By part
- Alfa Romeo 159 suspension problems
- Alfa Romeo 159 brakes problems
- Alfa Romeo 159 lights and electrics problems
- Alfa Romeo 159 steering problems
- Alfa Romeo 159 body and structure problems
- Alfa Romeo 159 exhaust and emissions problems
- Alfa Romeo 159 seat belts and airbags problems
- Alfa Romeo 159 windscreen and wipers problems
- Alfa Romeo 159 tyres problems
Problems, recalls and costs
Questions people ask
How often does an Alfa Romeo 159 fail its MOT at 15 years?
41.3% of MOT tests at 15 years ended in a fail at typical mileage (43.7% as tested), from 3,246 MOT tests, against 42.0% for all class 4 vehicles the same age; the BMW 3 Series was at 30.6%.
What fails most on an Alfa Romeo 159 at 15 years?
16.1 in 100 MOT tests at 15 years failed on brakes, most often "parking brake efficiency below requirements", then emissions and leaks (8.5) and lights and electrics (13.6), from 3,246 MOT tests.
How does the Alfa Romeo 159 compare with the BMW 3 Series?
At 15 years the Alfa Romeo 159 failed 41.3% of MOT tests at typical mileage, the BMW 3 Series 30.6% and the Ford Mondeo 39.0%, from 3,246, 106,407 and 64,190 MOT tests.
What mileage does an Alfa Romeo 159 have at 15 years?
A median of 118,609 miles at the MOT test at 15 years, against 100,157 for all class 4 vehicles the same age, from 3,246 MOT tests.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 14,049 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Vehicle safety recalls data. DVSA recall data. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
Cars tested at 15 years are compared only with vehicles tested at 15 years in the same year, adjusted to typical mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data.