BIKERELIABILITY Reg check
League table/ PIAGGIO/ET4
Model report · 2005–2025

PIAGGIO ET4

124cc Petrol Class 1
#4371 of 5428 overall #107 of 136 PIAGGIOs #281 of 412 scooter bikes
74.3%
first-time pass rate
16.8%
failed outright
11,927
median miles at test
987
MOT tests, 2005–2025
+2.8pp
vs expected · age & mileage

The pass rate is the MOT first-time pass: a roadworthiness check of the items an MOT covers (brakes, lights, tyres, steering, structure, emissions), not a full mechanical inspection of engine or gearbox internals. It is a reliability signal, not a complete measure of mechanical reliability. What this measures.

“vs expected” adjusts for age, mileage and test class, so a cherished classic and a hard-used commuter are compared fairly. How this works.

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2006–2018

The ET4's first-time pass rate has risen 4.0 points since 2006, 67.9% to 71.9%.

64%76%88%2006: 67.9% pass (81 tests)2007: 83.8% pass (68 tests)2008: 74.7% pass (79 tests)2009: 69.3% pass (75 tests)2010: 77.2% pass (79 tests)2011: 70.4% pass (71 tests)2012: 71.4% pass (70 tests)2013: 77.2% pass (79 tests)2014: 70.6% pass (68 tests)2015: 74.6% pass (59 tests)2016: 70.2% pass (47 tests)2017: 83.7% pass (43 tests)2018: 71.9% pass (32 tests)20062018

Pass rate by mileage

how the ET4's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 73.4%

A low-mileage ET4 passes first time 79.7% of the time; by 30k that's 65.1%.

62%72%83%0k: 79.7% pass (399 tests)10k: 71.5% pass (358 tests)20k: 71.3% pass (164 tests)30k: 65.1% pass (43 tests)0k20k30k

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a ET4

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded
Component group Share of defects Defects % of defects vs all bikes
lighting and signalling
125 29.6 2.0×
steering and suspension
77 18.2 1.9×
tyres and wheels
69 16.4 3.0×
brakes
66 15.6 1.3×
lamps and reflectors
23 5.5 0.9×
fuel and exhaust
21 5 2.4×
body and structure
13 3.1 2.3×
Items Not Tested
11 2.6 12.1×
structure and attachments
9 2.1 0.7×
tyres
8 1.9 1.0×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the ET4 beats 0 of its 4 closest rivals (PIAGGIO VESPA, HONDA PCX 125, HONDA Vision 110).

PIAGGIO VESPA 80.7% pass · 287k tests Compare head-to-head →
HONDA PCX 125 81.1% pass · 88.6k tests Compare head-to-head →
HONDA Vision 110 78.1% pass · 50.9k tests Compare head-to-head →
YAMAHA NMAX 125 82.2% pass · 33.8k tests Compare head-to-head →

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the ET4.

Compare with any bike

rival not listed above? pick any model to see it head-to-head with the ET4

More PIAGGIO models

other PIAGGIO bikes ranked by MOT pass rate
PIAGGIO VESPA 80.7% pass · 287k tests
PIAGGIO ZIP 71.3% pass · 79.0k tests
PIAGGIO NRG 65.5% pass · 40.5k tests
PIAGGIO PX 125 (VESPA) 81.0% pass · 33.2k tests
PIAGGIO PX 200 E 86.5% pass · 28.4k tests
PIAGGIO ET2 73.6% pass · 25.0k tests

See all PIAGGIO models →

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 2003 (81.2% pass). Weakest: 2001 (66.7%).

64%74%84%1999: 80.0% pass (60 tests)2000: 71.4% pass (185 tests)2001: 66.7% pass (159 tests)2002: 77.4% pass (177 tests)2003: 81.2% pass (101 tests)2004: 74.5% pass (184 tests)199920022004

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

PIAGGIO ET4 FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the PIAGGIO ET4 reliable?

The PIAGGIO ET4 is about average for its class: 74.3% of its 987 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 73.4%. That ranks it #4371 of 5428 models.

What does a ET4 fail its MOT on most?

lighting and signalling — 30% of all defects recorded against failed ET4 tests.

What is the best year of ET4 to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 2003-registered examples do best (81.2%) and 2001 worst (66.7%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a ET4 last?

The median ET4 shows 11,927 miles at test, and examples around 30k miles still pass 65.1% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.

Embed this bike

Free to embed on your site, blog or forum — a live Piaggio ET4 reliability card that stays up to date and links back here. More on the free API page.