The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Fiat 500X common problems

What fails on the Fiat 500X at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 36,470 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Fiat 500X's most common MOT problems are steering rack and column, tyres, bulbs and lamps, recorded in 40.0%, 34.6% and 27.6% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2021 cars pass most often (87.9%) and 2015 cars least (65.9%), 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 500X 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 36,470 cars.

By component

What wears out on a 500X

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Fiat 500X 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.Steering rack and column

    40.0% 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” — explained34.0%
    • “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained5.9%

  2. 2.Tyres

    34.6% 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” — explained14.6%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained7.1%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained6.8%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained3.6%

    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.Bulbs and lamps

    27.6% 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” — explained22.1%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained1.5%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained1.2%
    • “A reversing lamp inoperative” — explained1.1%

    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

  4. 4.Suspension bushes

    24.3% 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” — explained9.3%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained5.8%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained4.6%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained2.9%

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

  5. 5.Wiper blades and washers

    9.8% of failed tests

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

    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained5.0%
    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained2.6%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.2%

    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

  6. 6.Ball joints

    9.0% of failed tests

    Steering and suspension ball joints wear internally and their dust covers split; excessive play fails.

    • “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play” — explained9.0%

    Across all cars, ball joints failures climb 28-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long ball joints last

  7. 7.Engine management

    8.7% of failed tests

    The MIL lamp lit is a failure in itself, whatever the stored code; the fault codes section explains what lies behind it.

    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained4.7%
    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained4.1%

  8. 8.Brake discs

    7.6% of failed tests

    Discs thin with each pad set and pit or corrode when lightly used; failure is for significant wear, fracture or insecurity, advisory for surface condition.

    • “Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn” — explained4.5%
    • “Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured” — explained1.6%
    • “Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.” — explained1.5%

    Across all cars, brake discs failures climb 3-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long brake discs last

By registration year

500X problems by year

MOT pass rate for Fiat 500X 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 2018, up 9.0 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

201566%
201667%+0.6
201771%+4.8
201880%+9.0
201986%+5.5
202087%+0.8
202188%+1.4

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 500X owners about

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

Go deeper

The rest of the 500X file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Fiat 500X?
Going by what fails the MOT, steering rack and column (recorded in 40.0% of failed tests), tyres (recorded in 34.6% of failed tests), and bulbs and lamps (recorded in 27.6% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 36,470 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Fiat 500X year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Fiat 500X cars registered in 2021 do best at 87.9% and 2015 cars do worst at 65.9%. 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. The largest such step is at 2018, up 9.0 points on 2017.
Is the Fiat 500X reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Fiat 500X passes 75.2% 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 500X?
Start with what fails most: tyres, bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes. 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