How reliable is the Fiat Swift compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Fiat Swift, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 89.7% across 7,979 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 Fiat Swift?

The item recorded most often is "Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen", which appears in 20.3% of failed Fiat Swift 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 Swift?

The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 12.3% of all Fiat Swift tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 18,840 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 Swift get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.9% of Fiat Swift tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 65.1%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

Fiat Swift MOT pass rate & common failures

From 7,979 recorded MOT tests of the Fiat Swift, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 7,979 MOT tests, 89.7% of Fiat Swift tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Fiat Swift 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 wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, which appears in 20.3% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 18,840 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

89.7%unadjusted, not comparable7,979 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Swift. 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 7,979 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen20.3%
111 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
2.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction14.8%
81 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained
3.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning14.1%
77 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement7.5%
41 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
5.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.1%
39 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction6.0%
33 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged5.5%
30 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements4.6%
25 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
9.A tyre seriously damaged4.4%
24 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
10.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen4.2%
23 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.A tyre seriously damaged12.3%
980 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.7%
216 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured1.6%
128 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn1.4%
108 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm0.8%
63 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn0.4%
32 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
7.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users0.4%
31 tests
8.Nail in tyre0.4%
30 tests

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs90%

6–8 yrs90%

9–11 yrs88%

15+ yrs65%

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

What gets tested

The Swift fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 18,840
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel100.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (25)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

SWIFT EDGE 412
SWIFT EDGE 412 S-A
SWIFT EDGE 464
SWIFT EDGE 464 S-A
SWIFT EDGE 466
SWIFT EDGE 466 S-A
SWIFT EDGE 476
SWIFT EDGE 476 S-A
SWIFT EDGE 486
SWIFT EDGE 486 S-A
SWIFT EDGE 494
SWIFT EDGE 494 S-A
SWIFT EDGE MOTORHOME
SWIFT MOTOR HOME
SWIFT MOTORHOME
SWIFT SELECT 174
SWIFT SELECT 174 S-A
SWIFT SELECT COMPACT 205
SWIFT SELECT COMPACT 205 S-A
SWIFT SELECT COMPACT 404
SWIFT SELECT COMPACT 404 S-A
SWIFT SELECT COMPACT 500
SWIFT SELECT COMPACT 500 S-A
SWIFT SELECT COMPACT 502
SWIFT SELECT COMPACT 502 S-A

Check a specific Fiat Swift

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

Common questions

How reliable is the Fiat Swift compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Fiat Swift, 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 89.7% across 7,979 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 Fiat Swift?: The item recorded most often is "Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen", which appears in 20.3% of failed Fiat Swift 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 Swift?: The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 12.3% of all Fiat Swift tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Fiat Swift usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 18,840 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 Swift get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.9% of Fiat Swift tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 65.1%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

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.