MOT statistics · 2023 tests

Fiat 500L MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 73.4% of 17,704 MOT tests on the Fiat 500L ended in a pass, 3.1 points below the 76.5% average for all cars. Comparing like for like at ages 3 to 10, it passed 78.1% against 82.0%.

Pass rate

73.4%

All cars 76.5%

Tests

17,704

Initial MOTs in 2023

Ages 3 to 10

78.1%

All cars 82.0%

Mileage at 10

73k

Median; middle half 57k to 91k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the Fiat 500L 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
4414 tests	83.1%	25,000 · 17k to 37k
5771 tests	80.9%	35,000 · 23k to 45k
61,224 tests	81.3%	41,000 · 31k to 55k
72,402 tests	76.9%	49,000 · 37k to 65k
84,583 tests	73.9%	61,000 · 47k to 79k
96,352 tests	70.3%	71,000 · 55k to 87k
101,786 tests	66.1%	73,000 · 57k to 91k

500L 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 500L. 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

Coil springs

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

6.6in 100 tests

Brake lights

Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

3.5in 100 tests

Suspension bushes

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

3.4in 100 tests

Brake pads

A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

2.8in 100 tests

Brake performance

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

2.6in 100 tests

Wiper blades

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

2.2in 100 tests

Headlights

A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED

1.9in 100 tests

Tyre tread

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

1.8in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Brake discs

Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured

11.8in 100 tests

Brake pads

A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

8.3in 100 tests

Suspension bushes

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

4.4in 100 tests

Brake discs

Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

4.0in 100 tests

Engine oil leaks

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

4.0in 100 tests

Tyre tread

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

2.3in 100 tests

Windscreen

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view (minor defect)

1.9in 100 tests

Track rod ends

Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated (minor defect)

1.8in 100 tests

What to check on a used 500L

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

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.
Suspension and steering joints
Listen for knocks over bumps and at full lock, and ask whether any suspension or steering joints have been replaced.
Oil leaks
Look under the engine and gearbox, and at the ground where the car was parked, for fresh oil.
Lights
Walk round with every light on, and ask someone to press the brake pedal so you can see both brake lights.

Check a specific 500L

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 500L?

In 2023, 73.4% of 17,704 initial MOT tests on the Fiat 500L 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 78.1% against 82.0%.

What fails most often on a Fiat 500L MOT?

The most common failures were coil springs (6.6 in 100 tests), brake lights (3.5 in 100 tests), suspension bushes (3.4 in 100 tests).

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

At 10 years old, the median Fiat 500L at its MOT had covered 73,000 miles, and the middle half had between 57,000 and 91,000 miles.

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

The most common advisories were brake discs (11.8 in 100 tests), brake pads (8.3 in 100 tests), suspension bushes (4.4 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.