Fiat 500 MOT pass rate: 70.9% (297,241 tests, 2025)

Name: Fiat 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 Fiat 500 passed 70.9% of its 297,241 MOT tests in 2025 — 6.6 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 11 years old with 56,141 miles on the clock.

70.9%Pass rate (2025)

297,241MOT tests analysed

56,141 miMedian mileage at test

11 yrsMedian age at test

How the 500 compares

Fiat 500

70.9%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Fiat average (all models)

73.2%

What fails most on the Fiat 500

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	74,500	35.6%
2	Brakes	34,931	16.7%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	34,858	16.7%
4	Tyres	26,576	12.7%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	12,381	5.9%
6	Body, chassis, structure	12,221	5.8%

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
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
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

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2015, 2016. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2020. Full ranking and method: Fiat 500 years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2008	32,071	61.4%	-3.7 pts	84,753	61.4% visual scale
2009	56,145	61.3%	-5.1 pts	80,031	61.3% visual scale
2010	58,601	63.5%	-3.8 pts	74,738	63.5% visual scale
2011	55,222	66.0%	-3.1 pts	70,042	66.0% visual scale
2012	78,775	67.7%	-3.5 pts	65,504	67.7% visual scale
2013	96,009	70.6%	-2.7 pts	60,177	70.6% visual scale
2014	113,839	71.0%	-4.8 pts	54,928	71.0% visual scale
2015	108,938	71.0%	-7.7 pts	48,192	71.0% visual scale
2016	92,355	74.9%	-6.4 pts	41,797	74.9% visual scale
2017	66,835	80.1%	-3.9 pts	36,866	80.1% visual scale
2018	69,481	83.8%	-2.6 pts	30,224	83.8% visual scale
2019	56,013	87.8%	-0.6 pts	24,232	87.8% visual scale
2020	12,530	91.2%	+1.2 pts	19,693	91.2% 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):

Ball joint has slight play — 4,627 cars · 16.6% failed the same item the next year
Shock absorbers has a slightly worn bush — 9,172 cars · 12.8% failed the same item the next year
Pins and bushes pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement — 18,680 cars · 12.3% failed the same item the next year
Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 14,222 cars · 10.2% failed the same item the next year
Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 634 cars · 10.1% 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 Fiat models

Panda69.0% pass rate · 82,240 tests Ducato77.6% pass rate · 68,772 tests Punto63.9% pass rate · 48,369 tests Doblo68.8% pass rate · 38,677 tests 500X76.5% pass rate · 33,868 tests 500L67.7% pass rate · 16,891 tests 500C69.8% pass rate · 16,877 tests 500 Dolcevita Mhev92.8% pass rate · 13,328 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Fiat 500?

In 2025, 70.9% of 297,241 first MOT tests on the Fiat 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 (35.6% of its recorded defects), followed by brakes.

Is the Fiat 500 reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 70.9% it performs below the national average at a median age of 11 years and 56,141 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.