How reliable is the Alfa Romeo 156 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Alfa Romeo 156, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 63.0% across 1,008 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Alfa Romeo 156?

The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 16.9% of failed Alfa Romeo 156 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Alfa Romeo 156?

The most common advisory is "Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured", noted on 21.3% of all Alfa Romeo 156 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Alfa Romeo 156 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 101,845 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Alfa Romeo 156 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Alfa Romeo 156 cars tested, 82% are petrol, 18% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Alfa Romeo 156 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 1,008 recorded MOT tests of the Alfa Romeo 156, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 1,008 MOT tests, 63.0% of Alfa Romeo 156 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Alfa Romeo 156 fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which appears in 16.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 101,845 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

63.0%unadjusted, not comparable1,008 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the 156. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 1,008 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Alfa Romeo 156 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements16.9%
53 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
2.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 repaired12.7%
40 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn12.1%
38 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc11.8%
37 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
5.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired11.1%
35 occurrencesSeat belt anchorage corroded or weakened explained
6.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.2%
32 occurrencesLamp not working explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn9.2%
29 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen8.9%
28 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
9.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction7.6%
24 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
10.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction7.6%
24 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Alfa Romeo 156 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured21.3%
215 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened19.7%
199 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements18.2%
183 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users15.2%
153 tests
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.8%
139 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged12.9%
130 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded10.1%
102 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
8.Exhaust system leaking or insecure7.1%
72 testsExhaust leaking or insecure explained

What gets tested

The 156 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 101,845
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol82.2%
Diesel17.7%

Check a specific Alfa Romeo 156

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Alfa Romeo models

Alfa Romeo Giulietta — 69.8% adjusted
Alfa Romeo Mito — 61.6% adjusted
Alfa Romeo Giulia — 85.7% unadjusted
Alfa Romeo Stelvio — 87.7% unadjusted
Alfa Romeo Spider — 71.4% unadjusted
Alfa Romeo 159 — 57.5% unadjusted
All Alfa Romeo models

Common questions

How reliable is the Alfa Romeo 156 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Alfa Romeo 156, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 63.0% across 1,008 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Alfa Romeo 156?: The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 16.9% of failed Alfa Romeo 156 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Alfa Romeo 156?: The most common advisory is "Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured", noted on 21.3% of all Alfa Romeo 156 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Alfa Romeo 156 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 101,845 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Alfa Romeo 156 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Alfa Romeo 156 cars tested, 82% are petrol, 18% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.