Fiat Swift years to avoid? MOT pass rate by year

7,174 initial MOT tests in 2025 on cars first used 2017–2021 · DVSA data · For guidance only · How we count

All 5 Fiat Swift years have MOT pass rates above the average for vehicles first used in the same year.

Below the average for their first-use yearNone
Above the average for their first-use year2017–2021
Can't be told apart from averageNone

The MOT pass rate is one signal, not the whole story. An MOT checks safety and emissions on the day of the test. It doesn't record gearbox or engine faults, and a pass rate also reflects mileage and upkeep, so the table shows median mileage too. Whatever the year, the car in front of you matters more than its model's average.

90.2%passed first time

First-time pass rate, all years together: initial tests passed with no repairs. 95% range 89.5% to 90.8%.

Fiat Swift, all years90.2%
Same-age average, all vehicles82.7%

In 2025, 90.2% of the 7,174 initial MOT tests on Fiat Swift cars were passed with no repairs. The same-age average, for all vehicles first used in the same years, was 82.7%. That is 7.4 points above the same-age average.

Check a specific Swift

Its own MOT history, free.

Fiat Swift MOT pass rate by year

Year is when the car was first used. Older vehicles fail more often, so each year is compared with all vehicles first used that year.

Year	Testsmedian miles	Passed first time	Against all vehicles that year
2021age 4	1,09110,900	89.6%±2.0	+2.4 ptsall: 87.2%
2020age 5	1,18612,500	89.8%±1.9	+3.8 ptsall: 86.0%
2019age 6	1,66614,400	91.6%±1.5	+8.1 ptsall: 83.5%
2018age 7	1,68516,700	90.6%±1.5	+9.7 ptsall: 80.9%
2017age 8	1,54618,700	88.9%±1.7	+10.7 ptsall: 78.2%

Tests are initial MOT tests in 2025, not retests. Median miles is the middle odometer reading at the test: half had more, half had less. ± is the 95% margin of error in points (Wilson interval): a difference smaller than that could be chance. Years without a link have fewer than 10,000 tests, so they are listed here but don't have their own page.

When a car's mileage doesn't add up

Most common MOT failures on the Fiat Swift

The defects recorded most often at the 705 failed initial tests on Fiat Swift cars, all years together, in the DVSA's own words. Each share is of failed tests, and a failed test can have more than one defect.

Defect	Share of failed tests	All vehicles, same age
Wiper does not clear the windscreen effectivelyWindscreen, wipers, mirrors	24.7%174 tests	10.6%
SRS malfunction indicator lamp warning lamp indicates a faultSeat belts and airbags	10.8%76 tests	0.9%
Headlamp aim too lowLights and electrics	8.9%63 tests	4.2%
Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunctionNoise, emissions, leaks	7.5%53 tests	5.3%

These are failures recorded at initial MOT tests in 2025. Retests are not counted. "All vehicles, same age" is the same defect's share of failed tests for all vehicles first used in the same years, weighted by the Swift's failed tests in each year. How we count

Fiat Swift questions

Which Fiat Swift years have lower MOT pass rates?

Compared with all vehicles first used in the same year, no model year is clearly below average. Above average: 2017–2021. A pass rate is one signal: it also reflects mileage and upkeep, and doesn't record engine or gearbox faults.

Is the Fiat Swift reliable?

MOT results show only part of the picture. In 2025, 90.2% of initial MOT tests on Fiat Swift cars were passed with no repairs, against a same-age average of 82.7%. That is 7.4 points above average. An MOT checks safety and emissions on the day of the test. It doesn't measure breakdowns, engine or gearbox faults, or repair costs.

What mileage is normal for a 5-year-old Fiat Swift?

At their 2025 MOT tests, Fiat Swift cars first used in 2020, about 5 years old, had a median of 12,500 miles. Half had more and half had less.

How do I check a specific Swift's MOT history?

Enter its registration in our free check. It lists that car's own MOT results, the faults and advisories recorded and the mileage at each test, and flags repeated advisories and mileage that goes down.

Check a car's MOT history for free

What MOT data can't tell you about any Fiat Swift

Outstanding finance, write-offs, theft and plate changes aren't in MOT records. For a particular car, you need a history check.

Compare history checks What MOT history doesn't show

Other Fiat models

Points above (+) or below (−) the same-age average for all vehicles.

All 13 Fiat models Cars ranked by MOT pass rate, by age

Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests, 2025. For guidance only: these figures describe all Fiat Swift cars tested, not the one you're looking at. How we count