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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2001 Fiat Ducato MOT fail rate and common faults

How Fiat Ducato cars first used in 2001 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 7,843 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 24 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 24 (n=1,902)41.0%
All cars at 24 years (n=428,815)37.8%
Difference+3.2 pts
MOT tests of 2001 cars, 2022 to 20257,843

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 24 years old, Fiat Ducato cars first used in 2001 failed 41.0% of MOTs (1,902 tests), 3.2 points above the 37.8% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 21 to 24 years old, the fail rate moved from 39.2% to 41.0%.
  • Fiat Ducato cars first used a year earlier, in 2000, failed 38.9% at the same age of 24 years (1,600 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Fiat Ducato at 24 years, is component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength, at 6.4 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 4.1).

MOT fail rate by test year

Fiat Ducato cars first used in 2001: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
202221 years39.2%2,02842.1%−2.9 pts
202322 years38.7%1,98841.0%−2.3 pts
202423 years37.9%1,92539.6%−1.8 pts
202524 years41.0%1,90237.8%+3.2 pts

Most common faults at 24 years

These figures cover all Fiat Ducato MOTs at 24 years: cars first used 1998 to 2001, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=6,226). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength6.44.1
Horn: not working Wear5.41.0
Wipers not clearing screen Wear4.53.3
Side/position light not working Wear4.03.8
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded3.12.0
Service brake performance: excessively binding3.11.3
Integral vehicle structure condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced3.01.1
Washers: not working Wear2.61.3
Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements2.61.2
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear2.51.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=6,226). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Wheel bearings: has slight play23.43.5
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material17.214.7
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive9.115.1
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear8.49.8
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened7.59.2
Exhaust system: mounting defective6.81.5
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive5.94.2
Integral vehicle structure condition: is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced5.82.9
Pipes and hoses: slightly corroded5.80.6
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear5.44.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=6,226). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 24 years

These figures cover all Fiat Ducato MOTs at 24 years: cars first used 1998 to 2001, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=6,226). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Diesel98.3%39.5%6,12140.2%62,321 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 24 years

These figures cover all Fiat Ducato MOTs at 24 years: cars first used 1998 to 2001, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=6,226). At 24 years, Fiat Ducato cars at 60,000 to 90,000 miles failed more often (41.9%, n=2,327) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (37.7%, n=2,533). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles37.7%2,53331.2%
60,000 to 90,000 miles41.9%2,32736.8%

Car tax rules for a 2001 car

  • Cars first registered before 1 March 2001 are taxed by engine size: one annual rate for engines up to 1,549cc and a higher rate above that.
  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.
  • A car first used in 2001 can fall under either rule, so the registration date on the logbook decides.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2001 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Fiat Ducato

More on the Fiat Ducato

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2001 Fiat Ducato cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.