Alfa Romeo Spider
From 6,094 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Spiders fare better: 2010 models pass at 84% vs 71.2% for 1999.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, a suspension pin and bush or joint excessively worn. The top issue, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, caused 277 failures in 2024. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 277 |
| service brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 158 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 125 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 111 |
| emissions levels exceed default limits | 111 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 104 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 102 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 101 |
| exhaust system leaking or insecure | 98 |
| the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 97 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 23.8% of Spider failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 31.3% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £145.
Alfa Romeo Spider on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 115 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 13 newly registered, a net loss of 102. At this rate, roughly 62 years until none remain. Now at 88.6% of its peak (6,722 in 2009 Q2).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 3,349 | 2,607 | +6 | -10 | -4 |
| 2025 Q2 | 3,415 | 2,545 | +3 | -0 | +11 |
| 2025 Q1 | 2,886 | 3,063 | +1 | -13 | -12 |
| 2024 Q4 | 2,887 | 3,074 | +3 | -92 | -89 |
| 2024 Q3 | 3,495 | 2,555 | +4 | -0 | +34 |
| 2024 Q2 | 3,558 | 2,458 | +3 | -0 | +159 |
| 2024 Q1 | 3,147 | 2,710 | +1 | -232 | -231 |
| 2023 Q4 | 3,088 | 3,000 | +5 | -42 | -37 |
15 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spider | Petrol | 662 | 21% |
| 2000 Spider Veloce | Petrol | 427 | 14% |
| Spider Jts | Petrol | 427 | 14% |
| Spider Jts Le | Petrol | 259 | 8% |
| Spider T Spark 16 V | Petrol | 256 | 8% |
| Spider Jtdm | Diesel | 167 | 5% |
| Spider Lusso T-Spark 16V | Petrol | 147 | 5% |
| Spider 2.0 | Petrol | 135 | 4% |
| Spider T.Spark Lusso | Petrol | 121 | 4% |
| 4C Tbi Spider S-A | Petrol | 105 | 3% |
| Spider Jts Lusso | Petrol | 92 | 3% |
| Spider Jts V6 Q4 | Petrol | 88 | 3% |
| Spider V6 | Petrol | 82 | 3% |
| Giulia Spider | Petrol | 77 | 2% |
| 1750 Spider Veloce | Petrol | 65 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2009 | 84.7% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2008 | 78.4% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 2007 | 78.6% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
13 earlier years
| 2005 | 81% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits |
| 2003 | 67.6% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2002 | 75.3% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2001 | 79.6% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2000 | 70.7% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 1999 | 71.2% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, service brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 1998 | 68.4% | service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 1997 | 70.7% | service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
| 1996 | 71.5% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1992 | 77.7% | windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1991 | 74.8% | windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1990 | 81.6% | windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, a direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 1989 | 78.7% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
Typical mileage
Half of all Spiders tested had between 50,752 and 110,058 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 75,546 median miles, the Spider has 0.032 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Alfa Romeo models
| Alfa Romeo Giulietta | 75.7% |
| Alfa Romeo Mito | 72.1% |
| Alfa Romeo Giulia | 90% |
| Alfa Romeo 159 | 68.1% |
| Alfa Romeo Stelvio | 91.6% |
Common questions
What is the Alfa Romeo Spider MOT pass rate?
The Alfa Romeo Spider has a 75.9% MOT pass rate based on 6,094 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Alfa Romeo Spider?
The most common MOT failure on the Alfa Romeo Spider is parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, which caused 277 failures. Other common issues include service brake efficiency below minimum requirement.
How many Alfa Romeo Spiders are on UK roads?
There are 3,349 Alfa Romeo Spiders currently licensed on UK roads, with 2,607 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Alfa Romeo Spider at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Alfa Romeo Spider is 75,546 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 50,752 and 110,058 miles.
Buying a used Spider?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 75.9% pass rate and an average repair bill of £145 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.