The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Fiat 500L common problems

What fails on the Fiat 500L at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 20,960 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Fiat 500L's most common MOT problems are coil springs, suspension bushes, tyres, recorded in 25.6%, 25.4% and 25.3% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2016 cars pass most often (66.1%) and 2014 cars least (59.9%), 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 500L 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 20,960 cars.

By component

What wears out on a 500L

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Fiat 500L 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.Coil springs

    25.6% of failed tests

    Springs fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.

    • “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained25.6%

    Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last

  2. 2.Suspension bushes

    25.4% 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” — explained19.2%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained4.0%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained1.1%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained1.1%

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

  3. 3.Tyres

    25.3% 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” — explained9.8%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained5.5%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained5.5%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained3.2%

    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

  4. 4.Bulbs and lamps

    15.0% of failed tests

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

    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained8.5%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained3.3%
    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained3.2%

    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.Steering rack and column

    13.7% of failed tests

    Rack gaiters split and let dirt in; the rack itself and the column are rarely the failing part.

    • “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained11.5%
    • “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained2.3%

  6. 6.Parking brake

    13.7% 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” — explained12.2%
    • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained1.5%

  7. 7.Wiper blades and washers

    9.1% 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” — explained5.1%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.0%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.1%

    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

  8. 8.Brake pads and shoes

    9.0% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained9.0%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes 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 brake pads and shoes last

By registration year

500L problems by year

MOT pass rate for Fiat 500L 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. No single step here is large enough to point at a generation change.

201360%
201460%−0.2
201562%+2.5
201666%+3.7

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 500L owners about

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

Go deeper

The rest of the 500L file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Fiat 500L?
Going by what fails the MOT, coil springs (recorded in 25.6% of failed tests), suspension bushes (recorded in 25.4% of failed tests), and tyres (recorded in 25.3% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 20,960 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Fiat 500L year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Fiat 500L cars registered in 2016 do best at 66.1% and 2014 cars do worst at 59.9%. 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.
Is the Fiat 500L reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Fiat 500L passes 63.6% 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 500L?
Start with what fails most: coil springs, suspension bushes, tyres. 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