Common problems
Alfa Romeo GT common problems
What MOT testers find on the Alfa Romeo GT: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 4,219 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 16 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- Body and structure fails show up on 15.2 of every 100 MOTs of a Alfa Romeo GT at 16 years old (n=1,437), against 7.6 for all cars of that age (n=4,858,625).
- The fail item testers record most often at 16 years: side/position light not working, on 8.3 per 100 MOTs (all cars 5.9).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge, on 18.5 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 16 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lights and electrics | 22.5 | 20.4 | 9.0 | 15.3 |
| Suspension | 22.1 | 17.1 | 35.0 | 33.7 |
| Body and structure | 15.2 | 7.6 | 22.5 | 12.6 |
| Brakes | 12.2 | 11.6 | 27.6 | 29.5 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 10.5 | 6.2 | 12.7 | 12.0 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 10.0 | 6.8 | 3.3 | 5.7 |
| Tyres | 9.6 | 7.5 | 26.6 | 28.4 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 7.2 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| Steering | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.6 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 4.8 |
| Road wheels | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 1.5 |
What testers fail most on the GT at 16 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side/position light not working | Lights and electrics | 8.3 | 5.9 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Suspension arm bush worn | Suspension | 8.1 | 2.2 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
| Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength | Suspension | 7.8 | 1.5 | |
| Seat belt prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced | Seat belts and airbags | 5.7 | 0.6 | |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 5.3 | 3.0 | £16 to £39 per car (rough guide) |
| Handbrake too weak | Brakes | 4.9 | 2.5 | |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 4.9 | 2.3 | £2 to £14 per car (rough guide) |
| Suspension ball joint worn | Suspension | 3.5 | 2.5 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Tyre with cords exposed | Tyres | 3.2 | 1.8 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases | Body and structure | 3.2 | 1.8 | £182 to £263 per section |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 16 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 18.5 | 18.2 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 16.9 | 11.2 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Suspension arm pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | Suspension | 10.4 | 8.7 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
| Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive | Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 10.4 | 10.7 | |
| Coil spring: corroded | Suspension | 7.7 | 7.4 | |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened | Suspension | 7.3 | 5.3 | |
| Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases | Body and structure | 7.1 | 4.6 | £182 to £263 per section |
| Exhaust system: mounting defective | Body and structure | 7.1 | 1.7 | £28 to £108 per car (rough guide) |
| Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | Tyres | 5.2 | 9.5 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Suspension arm ball joint: ball joint has slight play | Suspension | 5.2 | 2.3 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Lights and electrics | Suspension | Body and structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 years | 1,422 | 22.6 | 22.8 | 13.4 |
| 16 years | 1,437 | 22.5 | 22.1 | 15.2 |
| 17 years | 1,360 | 19.3 | 20.5 | 14.0 |
What to check on a viewing
On the Alfa Romeo GT, testers most often record side/position light not working; suspension arm bush worn; component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Lights and electrics
- With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
- Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
- Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.
Suspension
- Listen for knocks or clonks over speed bumps and rough roads on the test drive.
- Push down hard on each corner: the car should settle at once rather than keep bouncing.
- Look behind the wheels for broken or heavily rusted coil springs and split rubber bushes.
- Check that the car sits level and that no tyre is worn on one edge only.
Body and structure
- Look underneath at the sills, floor, subframes and jacking points for corrosion, or for fresh underseal that may hide it.
- Check that doors, bonnet and boot open, close and latch properly.
- Look for loose trim, sharp edges or damage around the bumpers and wheel arches.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the Alfa Romeo GT?
At 16 years, the age with the most MOT tests (1,437), the fail items testers record most often on the Alfa Romeo GT are side/position light not working (8.3 per 100 MOTs), suspension arm bush worn (8.1 per 100 MOTs), component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (7.8 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (18.5) and brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (16.9).
Which parts of the Alfa Romeo GT fail more often than on other cars?
At 16 years: body and structure (15.2 per 100 MOTs against 7.6 for all cars); seat belts and airbags (7.2 per 100 MOTs against 2.1 for all cars); suspension (22.1 per 100 MOTs against 17.1 for all cars). Compared with 4,858,625 MOTs of all cars the same age.
Alfa Romeo GT problems by area
More on the Alfa Romeo GT
Other Alfa Romeo models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a Alfa Romeo GT?
These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.
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Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
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