Fiat 500 MOT failure rate and common faults
339,637 Fiat 500 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 32.2% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 28.4% of the time, which makes the Fiat 500 13% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
32.2%
failed first time
339,637 MOT tests in 2025
+13%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 28.4%
166 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
111.9
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 105.1
What fails on a Fiat 500 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Fiat 500 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 63.2 |
| Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush | Suspension | 38.7 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 31.2 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 28.3 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 26.6 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 24.4 |
| Parking brake efficiency: efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 21.7 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 21.1 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 20.5 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 19.9 |
Fiat 500 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 12,229 | 9.5% | 11.4% | 19,000 |
| 2021 | 12,854 | 12.5% | 12.8% | 24,300 |
| 2020 | 13,740 | 15.2% | 14.1% | 27,400 |
| 2019 | 21,340 | 19.9% | 16.5% | 31,500 |
| 2018 | 23,591 | 23.0% | 19.1% | 37,500 |
| 2017 | 22,582 | 26.4% | 21.8% | 44,000 |
| 2016 | 31,197 | 31.3% | 25.1% | 48,600 |
| 2015 | 36,691 | 35.9% | 28.1% | 55,000 |
| 2014 | 38,745 | 36.4% | 31.4% | 61,300 |
| 2013 | 32,449 | 36.6% | 34.3% | 65,800 |
| 2012 | 26,766 | 39.0% | 36.6% | 70,500 |
| 2011 | 19,371 | 41.6% | 38.8% | 74,500 |
| 2010 | 19,679 | 43.4% | 40.7% | 78,700 |
| 2009 | 18,333 | 45.3% | 41.8% | 83,800 |
| 2008 | 9,963 | 45.2% | 42.9% | 87,900 |
Advisories to look for in a Fiat 500's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Fiat 500, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge283.9
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing174.8
- Coil spring: corroded147.5
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened122.4
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement101.2
- Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil92.7
Checking a used Fiat 500 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Fiat 500 fails more often than average on suspension. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fiat 500 MOT questions
What is the Fiat 500 MOT failure rate?
32.2% of Fiat 500 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 339,637 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 28.4% of the time, so the Fiat 500 was 13% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Fiat 500 MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 228 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded 63.2 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Fiat 500 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2022 registrations did best: 9.5% failed against an average of 11.4% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Fiat 500 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Fiat 500 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Fiat models
- Fiat Panda35.5% failed
- Fiat Ducato22.5% failed
- Fiat Punto45.0% failed
- Fiat Doblo36.5% failed
- Fiat 500X27.3% failed
- Fiat 500L38.8% failed
Ranked close to the Fiat 500
- Vauxhall Zafirarank 163
- Volkswagen Beetlerank 164
- Ford Fiestarank 165
- Smart Forfourrank 167
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Fiat 500 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.