Alfa Romeo Mito common problems

By component

What wears out on a Mito

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Alfa Romeo Mito tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

1. 1.Tyres

   25.3% of failed tests

   Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

   • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained8.8%
   • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained7.0%
   • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.5%
   • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained3.6%

   Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

2. 2.Coil springs

   23.1% of failed tests

   Springs fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.

   • “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained23.1%

   Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last

3. 3.Parking brake

   16.8% of failed tests

   Cables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.

   • “Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained10.2%
   • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained4.3%
   • “Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value” — explained2.2%

4. 4.Bulbs and lamps

   16.2% of failed tests

   Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

   • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained7.8%
   • “An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained3.2%
   • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained3.0%
   • “A reversing lamp inoperative” — explained2.3%

   Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

5. 5.Wiper blades and washers

   11.7% of failed tests

   Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

   • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained5.5%
   • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained4.4%
   • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.9%

   Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

6. 6.Suspension bushes

   11.0% of failed tests

   Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

   • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained4.3%
   • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained2.7%
   • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained2.2%
   • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained1.9%

   Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

7. 7.Exhaust system

   10.7% of failed tests

   Silencers and pipes rust through from the inside on short-trip cars; rubber hangers perish.

   • “Exhaust system leaking or insecure” — explained8.8%
   • “An induction or exhaust leak that could affect emissions levels” — explained1.9%

   Across all cars, exhaust system failures climb 104-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long exhaust system last

8. 8.Brake discs

   9.4% of failed tests

   Discs thin with each pad set and pit or corrode when lightly used; failure is for significant wear, fracture or insecurity, advisory for surface condition.

   • “Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn” — explained5.3%
   • “Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured” — explained2.2%
   • “Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.” — explained1.9%

   Across all cars, brake discs failures climb 3-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long brake discs last

By registration year

Mito problems by year

MOT pass rate for Alfa Romeo Mito cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2016, up 5.5 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn Mito owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Alfa Romeo Mito tests carrying an advisory for each.

• Tyres48.6% of tests
• Brake discs28.9% of tests
• Coil springs25.1% of tests
• Suspension arms and mountings16.7% of tests
• Suspension bushes10.5% of tests

Go deeper

The rest of the Mito file

• Alfa Romeo Mito: pass rate, ranking and the full failure record
• Is a Mito's mileage high for its age?
• Every Alfa Romeo model compared
• Check a specific car's MOT history

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Alfa Romeo Mito?

Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 25.3% of failed tests), coil springs (recorded in 23.1% of failed tests), and parking brake (recorded in 16.8% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 17,225 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.

Which Alfa Romeo Mito year is the most reliable?

By MOT pass rate, Alfa Romeo Mito cars registered in 2016 do best at 67.0% and 2009 cars do worst at 55.1%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2016, up 5.5 points on 2015.

Is the Alfa Romeo Mito reliable?

Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Alfa Romeo Mito passes 61.6% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.

What should I check when buying a used Alfa Romeo Mito?

Start with what fails most: tyres, coil springs, bulbs and lamps. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.