Common problems
Fiat Tipo brake problems
How often MOT testers find brake faults on the Fiat Tipo at each age, against all cars of the same age, and which items come up most. From 49,704 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 6 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- At 6 years, 5.6 of every 100 MOTs of the Fiat Tipo found a brake fail (n=11,077), against 3.5 for all cars of that age (n=10,382,720).
- It is above the all-car rate at 6 of the 7 ages with at least 1,000 tests.
- The gap is widest at 5 years: 5.2 per 100 MOTs against 2.8 for all cars.
- The brake fail item recorded most often at 6 years: brake pads under 1.5 mm, on 3.4 per 100 MOTs.
- The most common brake advisory or minor defect: brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened, on 11.0 per 100 MOTs.
Brakes fails by age
Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.
| Age | Tests (n) | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 4,231 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 10.5 | 8.8 |
| 4 years | 5,845 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 15.9 | 12.0 |
| 5 years | 11,055 | 5.2 | 2.8 | 21.5 | 15.1 |
| 6 years | 11,077 | 5.6 | 3.5 | 21.9 | 16.9 |
| 7 years | 9,260 | 6.2 | 4.1 | 22.9 | 17.9 |
| 8 years | 7,114 | 6.1 | 4.8 | 23.8 | 19.1 |
| 9 years | 1,122 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 27.5 | 20.3 |
Brakes fail items at 6 years
| Item | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | 3.4 | 1.9 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn | 0.8 | 0.4 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Parking brake control lever: has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment | 0.3 | 0.1 | £23 to £306 per car (rough guide) |
Brakes advisories and minor defects at 6 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 | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | 11.0 | 7.3 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | 10.9 | 9.3 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively | 3.6 | 2.5 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively | 0.9 | 0.4 | £55 to £267 per wheel (rough guide) |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material | 0.5 | 0.5 | £137 to £392 per car (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.
What to check on a viewing
On the Fiat Tipo, the brake items testers fail most are brake pads under 1.5 mm; brake discs: significantly and obviously worn; parking brake control lever: has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment.
- On the test drive the car should stop in a straight line without pulling, juddering or grinding.
- Look at the discs through the wheels for a deep lip, heavy rust or scoring.
- Check that the handbrake or electronic parking brake holds the car on a slope.
- Ask when the pads, discs and brake fluid were last changed, and for the receipts.
Ask for the car's MOT history: a brake advisory that repeats from year to year has not been fixed. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the common brake problems on the Fiat Tipo?
At 6 years (11,077 MOTs), the brake fail items testers record most often are brake pads under 1.5 mm (3.4 per 100 MOTs), brake discs: significantly and obviously worn (0.8 per 100 MOTs), parking brake control lever: has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (0.3 per 100 MOTs). The most common brake advisories or minor defects are brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (11.0) and brake pads: wearing thin (10.9).
Does the Fiat Tipo have more brake problems than other cars?
At 6 years it has 5.6 brake fails per 100 MOTs against 3.5 for all cars of the same age (2.1 more). It is above the all-car rate at 6 of the 7 ages with enough tests.
What does a brake repair cost on the Fiat Tipo?
For brake pads under 1.5 mm, an independent garage estimate is £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide). This is a guide built from the national median garage labour rate and estimated labour hours, not a quote.
More on the Fiat Tipo
Brake problems on other Fiat models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a Fiat Tipo?
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.
See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record
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