4,872 tests in 2025
Abarth 500 reliability and MOT pass rate
72.5% passed first time. The 27.5% fail rate is 4.9 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 13 years old with 72,881 miles.
Pass rate
72.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 27.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
72,881 mi
13 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 62 | — |
| 10-13 years | 2,512 | 27.3% |
| 14+ years | 2,298 | 28% |
What the 500 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension44 dangerous50.9%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment7 dangerous37.3%
- Tyres355 dangerous23.7%
- Brakes123 dangerous20.9%
- Body, chassis, structure5 dangerous19.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks17%
- Visibility10.9%
- Steering3 dangerous4.9%
Is the 500 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.2 points to 27.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.8 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,600 | 10 | 26.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 5,488 | 11 | 26.9% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 4,740 | 12 | 27.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 4,872 | 13 | 27.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 500 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 500 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn182 tests
- 2Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt172 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn155 tests
- 4Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush139 tests
- 5Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits107 tests
- 6Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect105 tests
- 7Condition: has ply or cords exposed96 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm95 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 500 collects 3.14 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened889 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm808 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn597 tests
- 4Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened547 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick343 tests
- 6Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened307 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure302 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak298 tests
Questions
What is the Abarth 500 MOT pass rate?
72.5% of the 4,872 Abarth 500 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 27.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Abarth 500 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn", recorded on 182 failed tests, followed by "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn". By section, suspension appears in 50.9% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 37.3% of failures, tyres appears in 23.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 28%. The median Abarth 500 tested in 2025 was 13 years old with 72,881 miles.
Is the Abarth 500 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.2 points to 27.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.8 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 500 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Abarth models
Checking a particular 500?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.