MOT statistics · 2023 tests

Fiat 500 MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 73.7% of 317,495 MOT tests on the Fiat 500 ended in a pass, 2.8 points below the 76.5% average for all cars. Comparing like for like at ages 3 to 10, it passed 79.3% against 82.0%, ranking 104th of 148 models.

Pass rate

73.7%

All cars 76.5%

Tests

317,495

Initial MOTs in 2023

Ages 3 to 10

79.3%

All cars 82.0% · rank 104 of 148

Mileage at 10

59k

Median; middle half 45k to 73k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the Fiat 500 MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

Age	Pass rate	Mileage
22,840 tests	93.3%	15,000 · 9k to 23k
313,046 tests	92.5%	19,000 · 11k to 25k
421,732 tests	88.7%	23,000 · 15k to 31k
521,505 tests	84.7%	29,000 · 21k to 39k
627,695 tests	79.6%	35,000 · 25k to 47k
734,147 tests	74.4%	41,000 · 29k to 53k
839,336 tests	72.5%	47,000 · 35k to 61k
938,309 tests	72.1%	55,000 · 41k to 69k
1031,146 tests	69.7%	59,000 · 45k to 73k
1124,159 tests	67.4%	63,000 · 49k to 79k
1220,414 tests	65.7%	69,000 · 53k to 85k
1323,005 tests	62.3%	75,000 · 57k to 93k
1414,480 tests	61.8%	79,000 · 61k to 99k
155,658 tests	59.9%	83,000 · 65k to 103k

500 pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the Fiat 500. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Shock absorbers

A shock absorber bush excessively worn

3.0in 100 tests

Shock absorbers

A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

2.4in 100 tests

Wiper blades

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

2.4in 100 tests

Tyre tread

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

2.1in 100 tests

Screen washers

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

2.1in 100 tests

Suspension joints

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

2.0in 100 tests

Brake performance

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

1.8in 100 tests

Brake pads

A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

1.7in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Tyres

A tyre seriously damaged

11.2in 100 tests

Brake discs

Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured

10.0in 100 tests

Coil springs

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

7.4in 100 tests

Shock absorbers

A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

6.4in 100 tests

Brake pads

A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

5.0in 100 tests

Shock absorbers

A shock absorber bush excessively worn

4.1in 100 tests

Engine oil leaks

Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users

3.9in 100 tests

Sub-frame

A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded

2.4in 100 tests

What to check on a used 500

The parts that come up most often in Fiat 500 MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts and bulges in the sidewalls.
Brake discs and pads
Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
Coil springs
Compare the gap between each tyre and its wheel arch. A corner sitting lower than the others can mean a broken spring.
Shock absorbers
Push down hard on each corner: it should rise once and settle. Oil on the shock absorber body is a sign of a leak.
Oil leaks
Look under the engine and gearbox, and at the ground where the car was parked, for fresh oil.

Check a specific 500

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate of the Fiat 500?

In 2023, 73.7% of 317,495 initial MOT tests on the Fiat 500 ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans. At ages 3 to 10, with the same age mix as all cars, it was 79.3% against 82.0%.

What fails most often on a Fiat 500 MOT?

The most common failures were shock absorbers (3.0 in 100 tests), shock absorbers (2.4 in 100 tests), wiper blades (2.4 in 100 tests).

What is a normal mileage for a 10-year-old Fiat 500?

At 10 years old, the median Fiat 500 at its MOT had covered 59,000 miles, and the middle half had between 45,000 and 73,000 miles.

What do MOT testers most often advise on a Fiat 500?

The most common advisories were tyres (11.2 in 100 tests), brake discs (10.0 in 100 tests), coil springs (7.4 in 100 tests).

Other Fiat models

Overall MOT pass rate in 2023. Compare all Fiat models or see every make.

50073.7%Ducato75.9%Panda70.8%Punto63.8%Doblo69.4%500X83.5%500L73.4%500C73.2%Tipo79.6%Scudo58.7%Fiorino67.3%Grande Punto63.1%Bravo56.9%

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.