Is the Fiat Qubo reliable?

On MOT evidence the Fiat Qubo is well below average. It passes 62.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 67% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Fiat Qubo?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 22.7% of failed Fiat Qubo 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 Fiat Qubo?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.1% of all Fiat Qubo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Fiat Qubo usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 69,746 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.

Does a Fiat Qubo get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 72.7% of Fiat Qubo tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 56.7%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Fiat Qubo models petrol or diesel?

Of the Fiat Qubo cars tested, 78% are diesel, 22% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Fiat Qubo MOT pass rate & common failures

From 4,033 recorded MOT tests of the Fiat Qubo, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Fiat Qubo passes 62.5% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well below average. Based on 4,033 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which appears in 22.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 69,746 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

62.5%national average72.3%unadjusted63.1%range covered67%

The Qubo is 9.8 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well below average. The unadjusted figure is 63.1%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened22.7%
291 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.A shock absorber bush excessively worn21.8%
279 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
3.A tyre cords visible or damaged13.0%
166 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.2%
143 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.9%
88 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
6.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements6.7%
86 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
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 repaired5.7%
73 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
8.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play5.6%
72 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
9.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc5.6%
72 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
10.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage5.4%
69 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements27.1%
1,093 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged16.0%
645 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured11.1%
447 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened10.1%
406 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users9.7%
391 tests
6.A shock absorber bush excessively worn7.1%
288 testsShock absorber defective explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.7%
270 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm4.9%
196 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

6–8 yrs73%

9–11 yrs70%

12–14 yrs62%

15+ yrs57%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Qubo fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 69,746
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel78.4%
Petrol21.6%

Check a specific Fiat Qubo

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

Compare within the range

Other Fiat models

Fiat 500 — 65.3% adjusted
Fiat Panda — 65.2% adjusted
Fiat Ducato — 73.4% adjusted
Fiat Punto — 56.5% adjusted
Fiat Doblo — 65.4% adjusted
Fiat 500X — 75.2% adjusted
All Fiat models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Ssangyong Rexton — 67.6% adjusted, ranked 200
Lexus GS — 87.8% adjusted, ranked 9
Nissan Serena — 76.5% adjusted, ranked 92
Vauxhall Movano — 67.7% adjusted, ranked 198

Common questions

Is the Fiat Qubo reliable?: On MOT evidence the Fiat Qubo is well below average. It passes 62.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 67% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Fiat Qubo?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 22.7% of failed Fiat Qubo 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 Fiat Qubo?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.1% of all Fiat Qubo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Fiat Qubo usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 69,746 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.
Does a Fiat Qubo get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 72.7% of Fiat Qubo tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 56.7%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Fiat Qubo models petrol or diesel?: Of the Fiat Qubo cars tested, 78% are diesel, 22% are petrol. 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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.