2009 Fiat 500C MOT pass rate: 61.1% (2,390 tests)

2009-registered Fiat 500Cs passed 61.1% of 2,390 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 5.3 points worse than same-age cars (66.4%).
61.1%Pass rate, 2009 cars
94.7Age-adjusted index (100 = average)
2,390Tests analysed
75,796 miMedian mileage at test
61.4% / 56.3%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2009 500C getting worse?

Pass rate of 2009-registered cars across recent test years:

Test yearPass rate
202361.4%
-5.4 vs same-age
202460.8%
-5.4 vs same-age
202561.0%
-5.1 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2009 500C

#SystemDefects recordedShare
1Suspension79528.6%
2Brakes67524.3%
3Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment59021.3%
4Tyres2418.7%
5Body, chassis, structure1937.0%
6Noise, emissions and leaks1395.0%

All 500C years compared

Registration yearTestsPass rateVs same-ageMedian mileage
2009 (this page) 2,390 61.1% -5.3 pts 75,796
2010 4,397 62.3% -5.1 pts 72,564
2011 3,946 65.3% -3.9 pts 67,136
2012 6,444 67.8% -3.4 pts 60,631
2013 5,935 71.9% -1.4 pts 56,010
2014 6,878 71.8% -4.1 pts 50,498
2015 7,581 71.2% -7.5 pts 45,518
2016 6,538 76.9% -4.5 pts 39,464
2017 4,656 81.9% -2.1 pts 33,371
2018 1,685 85.4% -0.9 pts 29,224
Buying a 2009 500C? Two checks first

FAQs

Is a 2009 Fiat 500C reliable?

2009-registered examples passed 61.1% of their MOT tests (2,390 tests, 2023–2025), -5.3 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 17 years old with a median 75,796 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2009 500C?

The median tested example shows 75,796 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.