The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Fiat Swift common problems

What fails on the Fiat Swift at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 7,979 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Fiat Swift's most common MOT problems are bulbs and lamps, wiper blades and washers, airbags, recorded in 41.8%, 26.4% and 14.8% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2019 cars pass most often (91.5%) and 2017 cars least (88.8%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Fiat Swift that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 7,979 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Swift

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Fiat Swift 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.Bulbs and lamps

    41.8% of failed tests

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

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained14.1%
    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained7.1%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained3.7%
    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained3.7%

    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

  2. 2.Wiper blades and washers

    26.4% 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” — explained20.3%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained4.2%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.8%

    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

  3. 3.Airbags

    14.8% of failed tests

    The warning lamp lit is a failure; usually a seat sensor, a connector under the seat or a clock spring.

    • “An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction” — explained14.8%

  4. 4.Tyres

    13.0% 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.

    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained5.5%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.4%
    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained1.8%
    • “A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber” — explained1.3%

    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

  5. 5.Parking brake

    12.6% 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” — explained7.5%
    • “Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment” — explained1.8%
    • “Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value” — explained1.6%
    • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained1.6%

  6. 6.Engine management

    7.9% of failed tests

    The MIL lamp lit is a failure in itself, whatever the stored code; the fault codes section explains what lies behind it.

    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained6.0%
    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained1.8%

  7. 7.Headlamp aim

    7.0% of failed tests

    Aim drifts with sagging suspension, a knocked lamp or a botched bulb change; adjustment, not a part.

    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained4.6%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained1.5%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained0.9%

  8. 8.Brake servo and performance

    3.7% of failed tests

    A servo or master cylinder fault shows as a hard pedal or poor overall efficiency on the tester; rare, and a fault rather than wear.

    • “Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained3.7%

By registration year

Swift problems by year

MOT pass rate for Fiat Swift 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. No single step here is large enough to point at a generation change.

201789%
201891%+1.7
201991%+0.9

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 Swift owners about

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

Go deeper

The rest of the Swift file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Fiat Swift?
Going by what fails the MOT, bulbs and lamps (recorded in 41.8% of failed tests), wiper blades and washers (recorded in 26.4% of failed tests), and airbags (recorded in 14.8% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 7,979 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Fiat Swift year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Fiat Swift cars registered in 2019 do best at 91.5% and 2017 cars do worst at 88.8%. 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.
Is the Fiat Swift reliable?
The Fiat Swift passes 89.7% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. 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 Fiat Swift?
Start with what fails most: bulbs and lamps, wiper blades and washers, tyres. 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.

Analysis built from DVSA data of