Piaggio Vespa
Real ownership data from 4,754 UK Vespa motorcycles — mileage, MOT pass rates and the faults that actually come up, taken from DVSA test records rather than opinion.
Most common Vespa problems
Ranked by how often each fault appears in this model's MOT history.
| Fault | Severity | Share of faults |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and indicators | fail | 11.5% |
| Brakes | major | 5.5% |
| Tyres | dangerous | 5.3% |
| Other | major | 3.1% |
| Suspension | major | 2% |
| Steering and head bearings | major | 1.7% |
| Exhaust and emissions | major | 1.6% |
| Brake discs and pads | dangerous | 1.4% |
Advisories (wear noted but not failed) are excluded above; the most common is brakes.
Vespa mileage and reliability by year
Use this to judge whether a specific bike is high or low mileage for its age.
| Year | Examples | Median mileage | Miles/year | First-time pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 38 | 5 mi | — | 100% |
| 2025 | 71 | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 109 | 282 mi | — | 100% |
| 2023 | 83 | 2,115 mi | — | 100% |
| 2022 | 47 | 1,455 mi | 359 | 89.66% |
| 2021 | 95 | 2,007 mi | 399 | 90.09% |
| 2020 | 70 | 2,400 mi | 393 | 94.87% |
| 2019 | 62 | 2,751 mi | 375 | 93.43% |
| 2018 | 40 | 503 mi | 202 | 90.32% |
| 2017 | 94 | 1,458 mi | 345 | 92.21% |
| 2016 | 231 | 1,855 mi | 180 | 88.03% |
| 2015 | 148 | 4,470 mi | 326 | 88.63% |
| 2014 | 183 | 4,554 mi | 319 | 87.29% |
| 2013 | 176 | 3,759 mi | 261 | 87.97% |
| 2012 | 170 | 4,952 mi | 563 | 89% |
| 2011 | 113 | 5,479 mi | 430 | 89.59% |
| 2010 | 147 | 11,650 mi | 544 | 87.83% |
| 2009 | 247 | 12,969 mi | 1,141 | 86.36% |
| 2008 | 371 | 12,803 mi | 769 | 85.64% |
| 2007 | 418 | 14,852 mi | 1,062 | 86.26% |
Vespa questions, answered with data
What are the most common problems with the Piaggio Vespa?
Across 4,754 UK examples, the most frequently recorded MOT faults are lights and indicators (11.5% of all recorded faults), brakes (5.5% of all recorded faults), tyres (5.3% of all recorded faults).
What is average mileage for a Piaggio Vespa?
The median Piaggio Vespa in the UK has covered 7,344 miles, and typically rides about 489 miles a year. Half of all examples fall between 1,598 and 17,630 miles.
Is the Piaggio Vespa reliable?
87.15% of Piaggio Vespa MOT tests are passed first time, with an average of 0.52 faults recorded per test. This is measured from DVSA MOT records, not owner opinion.
Based on DVSA MOT test records for 4,754 Piaggio Vespa motorcycles registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.