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MOT data by first-use year

2007 Alfa Romeo 159: MOT fail rate and common problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 1,113 MOT tests · Updated

42.7% of 2007 Alfa Romeo 159 cars failed their MOT at 15 years (2022), against 42.4% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 15 years in 2022 (1,113 MOT tests) [1].

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Engine, fuel and mileage decide where one vehicle sits within these figures. Check the reg first.

Figures are for 2007 Alfa Romeo 159 cars as a group, not for one car.

Fail rate at 15 years (2022)
42.7%
vs 42.4% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 15 years in 2022
1,113 MOT tests
Gap to all class 4, same age and year
+0.2 pts
at 15 years
1,113 MOT tests
MOT tests of 2007 cars
1,113
tested 2022, 1 age with 1,000+ tests
1,113 MOT tests

No neighbouring first-use year of the Alfa Romeo 159 has 1,000 MOT tests at the same ages, so this year is compared only with all class 4 vehicles the same age.

Every Alfa Romeo 159 year against all class 4 vehicles the same age

Alfa Romeo 159 first-use years against all class 4 vehicles the same ageEach first-use year of the Alfa Romeo 159 as percentage points above or below all class 4 vehicles the same age, averaged over the ages it was tested at, with 95% intervals. 2007: +0.2 pts. 2007: +0.2 pts (−2.7 to +3.1) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 15, 1,113 MOT tests2007+0.22008: +0.5 pts (−2.5 to +3.5) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 14, 1,053 MOT tests20082009: +5.5 pts (+2.5 to +8.6) against all class 4 vehicles the same age, ages 13, 1,013 MOT tests2009 −8.60+8.6 pts
Percentage points above (right) or below (left) all class 4 vehicles the same age, tested in the same year, 2022 to 2025, each year averaged over the ages it was tested at. Lines show the 95% range.

2007 Alfa Romeo 159 fail rate at each MOT

2007 Alfa Romeo 159 cars had one MOT age with at least 1,000 tests in the data: 15 years, in 2022.

Test yearAgeFail rate95% rangeMOT testsAll class 4, same age and yearGap
202215 years42.7%39.8%–45.6%1,11342.4%+0.3 pts

All class 4: every class 4 vehicle (cars and light vans) tested at that age in the same test year.

What fails on an Alfa Romeo 159 at 15 years

All Alfa Romeo 159 MOTs at 15 years, cars first used 2007–2010 (3,246 MOT tests; DVSA item counts are not split by first-use year). The most common fail items: handbrake too weak (9.3 per 100 MOT tests), coil spring broken (6.8 per 100 MOT tests) and component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (4.9 per 100 MOT tests).

Coil spring broken: fails 1.5–1.9× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age, across at least 3 ages.

Road tax for a 2007 Alfa Romeo 159

The Vehicle Certification Agency lists 20 petrol and diesel versions of the Alfa Romeo 159 in its May 2008 data, from 157 to 288 g/km CO2 [3]. A car first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 is taxed by CO2 band, so that is 5 bands from G to M: from £275 to £790 a year at the 2026/27 rates [2].

2007 Alfa Romeo 159: CO2 bands of the listed versions, 2026/27 rates
Band12 monthsCO2 g/kmPetrol versionsDiesel versions
G£275157–15902
I£360179–18322
J£410187–19404
K£445208–22022
M£790260–28860

Versions listed, not cars sold: this does not say how common each band is. The CO2 figure on the car's V5C log book decides its band. Car tax calculator for a 2007 car

Car tax and ULEZ for a 2007 car

A car first registered in the UK in 2007 was issued a 56 (January–February), 07 (March–August) or 57 (September–December) plate, unless it was registered in Northern Ireland (no age identifier) or has since moved to a private plate. An imported one is plated when first registered here, so its plate can be newer than its first-use year. 07 plates

A 2007 car is taxed by its CO2 emissions band (A to M), shown on the V5C logbook. [2]

For the London ULEZ, a 2007 petrol usually meets Euro 4, and a 2007 diesel usually does not meet Euro 6. The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. [4] ULEZ checker

Buying an Alfa Romeo 159? Check that exact car before the viewing.

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Other Alfa Romeo 159 years

  • 2007
  • 2008
  • 2009

Every Alfa Romeo 159 first-use year

Questions people ask

What is the MOT fail rate of a 2007 Alfa Romeo 159?

42.7% at 15 years (tested 2022), from 1,113 MOT tests, against 42.4% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 15 years in 2022.

At what ages were 2007 Alfa Romeo 159 cars MOT tested in the data?

1 age with at least 1,000 MOT tests: 15 years, tested 2022, 1,113 MOT tests in all.

What fails most on an Alfa Romeo 159 at 15 years?

9.3 in 100 MOT tests failed on handbrake too weak, the most common fail item. From 3,246 MOT tests of Alfa Romeo 159 cars first used 2007–2010, not only 2007.

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 1,113 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rates. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
  3. Vehicle Certification Agency, Car fuel and emissions data. VCA data, Open Government Licence v3.0.
  4. Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.

Cars tested at 15 years are compared with every class 4 vehicle tested at 15 years in the same test year. These rates are not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare