MOT cost .
Alfa Romeo 156
MOT 2023
Wikimedia

Alfa Romeo

156

1,806 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where 156s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 9.8 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

65.9%

Pass-after-fix

5.6%

Fail

27.2%

Avg miles

103,927

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

156: a below-average pass rate worth digging into

Across 1,806 MOT tests, the 156 returns 65.9% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is headlamp aim out of spec. A split CV-joint boot and a lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 103,927, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    103 occurrences · 5.7% of tests

  2. 02

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    87 occurrences · 4.8% of tests

  3. 03

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    80 occurrences · 4.4% of tests

  4. 04

    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 repaired

    72 occurrences · 4.0% of tests

  5. 05

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    68 occurrences · 3.8% of tests

  6. 06

    The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

    68 occurrences · 3.8% of tests

  7. 07

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    63 occurrences · 3.5% of tests

  8. 08

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    62 occurrences · 3.4% of tests

  9. 09

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    56 occurrences · 3.1% of tests

  10. 10

    An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction

    50 occurrences · 2.8% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures

£18–£115

If every one of this 156's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a 156?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a 156 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.