The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Fiat 500 common problems

What fails on the Fiat 500 at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 333,521 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Fiat 500's most common MOT problems are suspension bushes, tyres, shock absorbers, recorded in 41.3%, 29.6% and 25.7% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2022 cars pass most often (90.5%) and 2009 cars least (54.6%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Fiat 500 that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 333,521 cars.

By component

What wears out on a 500

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Fiat 500 tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Suspension bushes

    41.3% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained23.4%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained8.8%
    • “A suspension pin, bush, joint or bearing excessively worn” — explained2.3%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained2.2%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  2. 2.Tyres

    29.6% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained10.0%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained8.9%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained5.0%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.1%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  3. 3.Shock absorbers

    25.7% of failed tests

    Seals wear and the damper leaks fluid or loses its action; failure is for a leak or no damping, not for being tired.

    • “A shock absorber bush excessively worn” — explained14.3%
    • “A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage” — explained11.4%

    Across all cars, shock absorbers failures climb 7-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long shock absorbers last

  4. 4.Bulbs and lamps

    21.9% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained5.4%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained4.2%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained3.3%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained3.1%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  5. 5.Parking brake

    13.6% of failed tests

    Cables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.

    • “Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained8.0%
    • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained3.9%
    • “Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value” — explained1.7%

  6. 6.Wiper blades and washers

    11.8% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained6.1%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained4.0%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.8%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  7. 7.Headlamp aim

    7.8% of failed tests

    Aim drifts with sagging suspension, a knocked lamp or a botched bulb change; adjustment, not a part.

    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained5.6%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained2.2%

  8. 8.Exhaust system

    7.1% of failed tests

    Silencers and pipes rust through from the inside on short-trip cars; rubber hangers perish.

    • “Exhaust system leaking or insecure” — explained5.5%
    • “Exhaust system leaking or insecure” — explained1.6%

    Across all cars, exhaust system failures climb 104-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long exhaust system last

By registration year

500 problems by year

MOT pass rate for Fiat 500 cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2017, up 4.9 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

200855%
200955%−0.2
201057%+2.0
201158%+1.8
201261%+2.7
201363%+2.3
201464%+0.2
201564%+0.5
201669%+4.6
201774%+4.9
201877%+3.3
201980%+3.2
202085%+4.6
202188%+2.8
202290%+2.9

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn 500 owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Fiat 500 tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the 500 file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Fiat 500?
Going by what fails the MOT, suspension bushes (recorded in 41.3% of failed tests), tyres (recorded in 29.6% of failed tests), and shock absorbers (recorded in 25.7% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 333,521 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Fiat 500 year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Fiat 500 cars registered in 2022 do best at 90.5% and 2009 cars do worst at 54.6%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2017, up 4.9 points on 2016.
Is the Fiat 500 reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Fiat 500 passes 65.3% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Fiat 500?
Start with what fails most: suspension bushes, tyres, shock absorbers. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of