Fault File
All models / All cars / Superminis / Alfa Romeo MiTo

Alfa Romeo MiTo

All generations and engines together · 15,981 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 48k

Reliability verdict
EBy age
DBy miles

Graded against its peers

One of the worst superminis to buy at this age, and worse than most per mile driven. Watch suspension and steering. A risky used buy. Check the MOT history for repeating suspension advisories before you go.

First-time failure at age 7
29.3%
Across 550 tests. The average for superminis is 23.3%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
34.6%
Across 1,748 tests. The average for superminis is 28.9%.
Rank in its class
17 of 27
1 = lowest failure rate among the 27 superminis we can rank.
Typical mileage at age 7
48k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

MultiAir engine oil leaks and misfires

Emerging

1.4 MultiAir petrol engines can weep oil from around the cam cover, and it tracks down onto a spark plug, causing a rough-running misfire that takes a while to trace. Honest John's owner reports put this appearing from around three years old, often just as the warranty runs out, and in the worst cases the whole engine has needed replacing. No recall or TSB turned up for it, so how bad it gets seems to depend on servicing history.

Reported from around 3 years old, out of warranty · sources: Honest John (MiTo review and owner reports)

TCT dual-clutch automatic gearbox

Confirmed patternAutomatics only

The TCT robotised twin-clutch box fitted to automatic MiTos gets consistently poor write-ups: hesitant take-up from a standstill, jerkiness at low speed, and a reputation for costly clutch-pack or mechatronic repairs once out of warranty. Honest John's own advice on the model is to avoid the TCT gearbox, and Auto Express separately flagged it as hindering the car rather than helping it. Manual MiTos use a conventional clutch and aren't affected.

Applies to TCT automatics only · sources: Honest John, Auto Express

Electrical gremlins and blown fuses

Emerging

A recurring complaint is odd electrical faults, including a specific report of a 5A fuse (F51) that kept blowing and took out the main beam, air con and Bluetooth together, plus general niggles with warning lights and driver aids. Auto Express's review separately flags the electrics as more likely to cause trouble than on rivals like the Mini or Audi A1. It rarely strands you, but it's the sort of fault that comes back after a dealer clears it.

Reported across the range, various ages · sources: Honest John, Auto Express

EPAS electric power steering motor failure

Emerging

The electric power steering motor can fail outright or cut in and out, leaving the steering suddenly heavy. Honest John records more than one case, including a 2011 MiTo Sprint quoted around £700 for a replacement motor and a separate intermittent failure on a 2010-plate car. It doesn't look tied to one engine or trim, and there's no manufacturer campaign covering it.

Repair around £700 · sources: Honest John owner reports

1.3 MultiJet diesel: timing chain and DPF smoke

Disputed1.3 MultiJet diesel only

Diesel MiTos have their own list: a reported timing chain snapping on a 2011 1.3 MultiJet 95PS, turbo bearing oil seals that make it smoke on a cold start, and at least one owner chasing clouds of white smoke on DPF regeneration that turned out to be a leaking injector or head gasket rather than the filter itself. Costs range from a few hundred pounds for injectors to well over a thousand for a chain or head gasket. Petrol MiTos aren't affected.

Diesel-specific · sources: Honest John review, Honest John forum/Ask HJ

Trim quality and early corrosion

Disputed

Interior plastics and trim fit come in for regular criticism, with Auto Express noting sharp edges and panels that had been fettled to fit properly at the factory. Separately, Honest John logged one report of both front wheelarches separating from the body on a 2014 car. Owners disagree on how widespread this is versus normal wear, and it's more a value and annoyance issue than something that strands you.

Cosmetic and durability, not safety-critical · sources: Auto Express, Honest John

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this model On full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 12.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%
Coil springsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 11.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.3%
LeaksRuns high on this model Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 6.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%
ExhaustRuns high on this model Listen along the exhaust at cold idle for blowing or chuffing, and give the tailpipe a push to check nothing hangs loose. Small blows only get louder.Recorded on 5.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%
DampersRuns high on this model Look for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 4.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.3%
Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this model Follow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 3.9% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.9%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 3.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.2%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 22.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%
Pads and discsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 20.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%
Windscreen and wipersRuns high on this model Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 4.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

On a 1.4 MultiAir petrol, check around the cam cover and spark plug wells for oil staining, and note any misfire on a cold start. Oil tracking onto a plug is the leak owners repeatedly report; left long enough it can wreck the engine.
If it's a TCT automatic, pull away gently from a dead stop and again from a junction under load. Hesitation, a jerk, or a clonk into gear is the TCT reliability issue Honest John warns buyers to budget for.
Turn the wheel lock to lock a few times at walking pace. Steering that suddenly goes heavy or falters points at a failing EPAS motor, around £700 to replace.
With the engine running, cycle the lights, indicators, air con and infotainment together. Anything cutting out or flickering suggests the fuse-blowing electrical fault reported on some cars.
On a 1.3 MultiJet diesel, check the exhaust on start-up and ask when the DPF last regenerated. Persistent white smoke beyond normal cold-morning condensation points to injectors or a head gasket, not the filter.
Look closely at the front wheelarch liners and seams. Bubbling paint or an opening gap matches the corrosion pattern reported on at least one car.
Read the full MOT history, not just the pass or fail. The same advisory coming back year after year means it's being ignored, not fixed.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Alfa Romeo MiToClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 3,476 tests in this band.

Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
Minor
12.3%class 0.7%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
11.7%class 1.3%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
8.5%class 1.4%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
6.4%class 2.0%
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
Fail
6.0%class 0.4%
A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded
Advisory
5.2%class 1.3%
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Advisory
5.0%class 0.6%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
4.5%class 2.3%
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
Advisory
3.9%class 1.9%
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
Fail
2.5%class 0.2%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
24.9%class 22.9%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
20.5%class 10.1%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
20.3%class 12.7%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
8.4%class 8.7%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
5.2%class 3.4%
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
Fail
4.2%class 1.7%
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
Minor
3.6%class 1.2%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
3.0%class 2.3%

Others in its class

Same segment (Superminis), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

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