Abarth 500 MOT pass rate: 72.6% (5,215 tests, 2025)

Name: Abarth 500 MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Abarth 500 passed 72.6% of its 5,215 MOT tests in 2025 — 4.9 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 13 years old with 72,124 miles on the clock.

72.6%Pass rate (2025)

5,215MOT tests analysed

72,124 miMedian mileage at test

13 yrsMedian age at test

How the 500 compares

Abarth 500

72.6%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Abarth average (all models)

81.6%

What fails most on the Abarth 500

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the 500:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	1,232	30.5%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	882	21.8%
3	Brakes	476	11.8%
4	Tyres	464	11.5%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	392	9.7%
6	Body, chassis, structure	343	8.5%

Pre-MOT checklist for 500 owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
A blowing exhaust or visible smoke will fail; warm the engine fully before the test

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

500 pass rate by registration year

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2009	2,204	71.1%	+4.7 pts	83,322	71.1% visual scale
2010	2,772	71.2%	+3.8 pts	77,487	71.2% visual scale
2011	2,583	71.2%	+2.0 pts	72,388	71.2% visual scale
2012	2,205	72.0%	+0.8 pts	68,442	72.0% visual scale
2013	1,579	72.6%	-0.8 pts	64,664	72.6% visual scale
2014	2,278	74.6%	-1.3 pts	56,877	74.6% visual scale
2015	2,140	76.2%	-2.6 pts	51,750	76.2% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Pins and bushes pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement — 277 cars · 8.7% failed the same item the next year
Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 204 cars · 5.9% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 238 cars · 3.8% failed the same item the next year
Tread depth worn close to legal limit/worn on edge — 471 cars · 3.6% failed the same item the next year
Coil spring corroded — 298 cars · 0.3% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific 500 before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Abarth models

59582.6% pass rate · 18,371 tests 595C84.2% pass rate · 2,130 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for an Abarth 500?

In 2025, 72.6% of 5,215 first MOT tests on the Abarth 500 were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the 500 fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (30.5% of its recorded defects), followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.

Is the Abarth 500 reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 72.6% it performs below the national average at a median age of 13 years and 72,124 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.