Alfa Romeo

Which year Alfa Romeo Spider is most reliable?

Based on 7,102 vehicles (1984–2010) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

📐
Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 Spider at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 Spider at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Years to look for
2002, 2004, 2007–2010
Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other Spiders
Below model average
1984, 1986, 1988–1989
Lower pass rate than other Spiders — worth checking the MOT history before buying
See common failures for 1984 →
📊
Dataset
7,102
vehicles · 1984–2010 · millions of MOT records
CarHunch sweet spot — 1991, 1993, 2000–2004, 2007
These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 67.9–78.8% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
2010
85.6%
125 Recommended
2009
82.9%
155 Recommended
2008
81.4%
706 Recommended
2007
78.8%
745 Recommended
2004
74.1%
119 Recommended
2003
71.5%
166
2002
73.2%
219 Recommended
2001
71.5%
515
2000
67.9%
426
1999
67.4%
609
1998
67.4%
677
1997
65.8%
775
1996
63.6%
557
1993
71.1%
100
1992
67.4%
145
1991
69.1%
267
1990
65.6%
233
1989
62.9%
234 Below avg
1988
61.2%
113 Below avg
1986
54.4%
111 Below avg
1984
44.8%
105 Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

💡

At high mileage (95k–+), the 2010 models maintain a 76% pass rate — 11 points higher than 1984 models at the same mileage.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

📋

What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

📐

Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

🏆

Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?
← Back to model overview
Alfa Romeo Spider hub
Year stats, defect patterns, comparisons
Check a specific car
Free MOT history & AI insights
Enter any UK registration

All Alfa Romeo models