Does the Fiat Panda fail the MOT on body, chassis and structure more than it should?
The Fiat Panda records 5.35 body, chassis and structure failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 6.30 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−0.95, 95% interval −1.01 to −0.88). It ranks 385 of 663 models on body, chassis and structure (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on body, chassis and structure · check a Fiat Panda by registration
What exactly fails on body, chassis and structure?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Fiat Panda is “Exhaust system leaking or insecure”, recorded 13,250 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Exhaust system leaking or insecure | 13,250 | 2.33 |
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated | 3,645 | 0.64 |
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 2,640 | 0.46 |
| Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced | 2,243 | 0.39 |
| A door will not open using the relevant control or close properly | 1,921 | 0.34 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 568,508 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Fiat Panda gets a body, chassis and structure advisory, how often does it fail next time?
10.3% of Fiat Panda MOTs with a body, chassis and structure advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 4,027 miles later (30,764 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 30,764 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Fiat Panda 2003 · Fiat Panda 2004 · Fiat Panda 2005 · Fiat Panda 2006 · Fiat Panda 2007 · Fiat Panda 2008 · Fiat Panda 2009 · Fiat Panda 2010 · Fiat Panda 2011 · Fiat Panda 2012 · Fiat Panda 2013 · Fiat Panda 2014 · Fiat Panda 2015 · Fiat Panda 2016 · Fiat Panda 2017 · Fiat Panda 2018 · Fiat Panda 2019 · Fiat Panda 2020 · Fiat Panda in Finland · Fiat Panda in the Netherlands · Fiat Panda by postcode area · Fiat Panda brakes failures · Fiat Panda vehicle identification failures · Fiat Panda lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Fiat Panda noise, emissions and leaks failures · Fiat Panda road wheels failures · Fiat Panda seat belts and airbags failures · Fiat Panda steering failures · Fiat Panda suspension failures · Fiat Panda tyres failures · Fiat Panda visibility failures