Fiat Ducato (1987)

1,013 real MOT outcomes analysed • 35.6% first-time pass rate

1987 Fiat Ducato

CarHunch analysed 1,013 real MOT records for the 1987 Fiat Ducato. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.

Below average reliability 44.4% below UK average
35.6%
pass MOT first time
UK average: ~80%
90,191
typical mileage
66,786–126,074 middle half
21%
ever had a dangerous defect
recorded at any MOT
2.59
avg MOT failures per car
over 7.8 tests on record

Petrol vs Diesel

Pass rate difference of 5.6 percentage points — worth knowing if you're choosing between the two.

38.3%
Petrol
503 vehicles
32.7%
Diesel
507 vehicles

What to check before buying a 1987 Fiat Ducato

Practical pre-purchase checks for this age and model.

  • 📋 Check the full MOT history. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. Enter the reg below for a full AI analysis.
  • 🔍 Inspect for corrosion in person. Brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that's expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.
  • 🛞 Check tyres and brakes. The most common advisory items at this age. Budget for replacement if they're near the limit — factor this into your offer price.
  • ⚠️ 21% of these vehicles have had a dangerous defect recorded. Enter the reg below — the full MOT history will show exactly what was flagged and whether it was resolved.
  • 📄 Run an HPI check. The MOT history won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status — an HPI check will.

Before you buy a Fiat Ducato

MOT history is one piece of the puzzle. These checks can reveal what CarHunch can't.

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Pass Rate by Fuel Type

Fuel type Vehicles Pass rate Avg failures
Diesel (50%) 507 32.7% 2.3
Petrol (50%) 503 38.3% 2.89
LPG (0%) 2 88.9% 1
Other (0%) 1 54.6% 5

Mileage Distribution

Most 1987 Fiat Ducato vehicles sit in the blue band. If the car you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.

66,786
low mileage
90,191
typical
126,074
high mileage

Half of all 1987 Fiat Ducato vehicles fall between 66,786 and 126,074 miles.

1987 Fiat Ducato — Still on the Road

Numbers are declining — 100 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025 (37% of peak).

271 100 2014 2025

Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2025.

MOT History Averages

7.8
Avg MOT tests per vehicle
2.59
Avg failures per vehicle
11.8
Avg advisories per vehicle

Most Common MOT Issues — 1987 Fiat Ducato

Based on actual MOT test records for this model. Percentage shows how often each item appears across all vehicles in this cohort.

  • 59.6%
    Oil leak
  • 43%
    Oil leak, but not excessive
  • 39.6%
    Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play
  • 37.5%
    Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play
  • 35.3%
    Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play
  • 34.1%
    Parking brake: efficiency below requirements
  • 33.8%
    Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play
  • 30.8%
    Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases

Data covers a 3-year window centred on 1987. Counts include advisories and failures.

Found a specific Fiat Ducato?

Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.

UK

Other model years — Fiat Ducato:

1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025