How reliable is the Fiat Seicento compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Fiat Seicento, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 55.8% across 1,070 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Fiat Seicento?

The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 21.7% of failed Fiat Seicento tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Fiat Seicento?

The most common advisory is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", noted on 26.2% of all Fiat Seicento tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Fiat Seicento usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 57,076 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Model reliability file

Fiat Seicento MOT pass rate & common failures

From 1,070 recorded MOT tests of the Fiat Seicento, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 1,070 MOT tests, 55.8% of Fiat Seicento tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Fiat Seicento fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which appears in 21.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 57,076 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

55.8%unadjusted, not comparable1,070 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Seicento. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 1,070 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Fiat Seicento tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements21.7%
90 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
2.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired15.9%
66 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
3.Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle15.7%
65 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
4.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc14.7%
61 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
5.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen13.3%
55 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
6.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded13.0%
54 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
7.Exhaust system leaking or insecure12.8%
53 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained
8.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake11.1%
46 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
9.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement10.6%
44 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
10.Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement10.6%
44 occurrencesBraking efficiency below requirement explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Fiat Seicento tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened26.2%
280 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded24.0%
257 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
3.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users19.1%
204 tests
4.A tyre seriously damaged16.2%
173 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements12.9%
138 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.Exhaust system leaking or insecure11.4%
122 testsExhaust leaking or insecure explained
7.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired8.3%
89 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
8.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured7.7%
82 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

What gets tested

The Seicento fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 57,076
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol100.0%

Check a specific Fiat Seicento

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Fiat models

Fiat 500 — 65.3% adjusted
Fiat Panda — 65.2% adjusted
Fiat Ducato — 73.4% adjusted
Fiat Punto — 56.5% adjusted
Fiat Doblo — 65.4% adjusted
Fiat 500X — 75.2% adjusted
All Fiat models

Common questions

How reliable is the Fiat Seicento compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Fiat Seicento, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 55.8% across 1,070 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Fiat Seicento?: The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 21.7% of failed Fiat Seicento tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Fiat Seicento?: The most common advisory is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", noted on 26.2% of all Fiat Seicento tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Fiat Seicento usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 57,076 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.