15,801 tests in 2025
Fiat 500l reliability and MOT pass rate
67.7% passed first time. The 32.3% fail rate is 9.7 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 71,865 miles.
Pass rate
67.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 32.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
71,865 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 241 | 14.5% |
| 6-9 years | 3,000 | 29.3% |
| 10-13 years | 12,536 | 33.4% |
| 14+ years | 24 | — |
What the 500l 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.
- Suspension159 dangerous47.9%
- Brakes626 dangerous25.8%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment6 dangerous21.6%
- Tyres1,027 dangerous20.1%
- Steering26 dangerous19.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks7 dangerous11.6%
- Visibility1 dangerous8.6%
- Body, chassis, structure27 dangerous8.3%
Is the 500l getting worse?
The fail rate rose 9.6 points to 32.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 8 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 17,742 | 8 | 22.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 17,658 | 9 | 26.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 15,032 | 10 | 30% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 15,703 | 11 | 32.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 500l 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 500l in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken1,256 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn811 tests
- 3Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements603 tests
- 4Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt497 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick426 tests
- 6Stop lamp: not working420 tests
- 7Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play388 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm361 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 500l collects 2.5 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,815 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,100 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,917 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,255 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,215 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,059 tests
- 7Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn657 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)548 tests
Questions
What is the Fiat 500l MOT pass rate?
67.7% of the 15,801 Fiat 500l first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 32.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Fiat 500l usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 1,256 failed tests, followed by "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn" and "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements". By section, suspension appears in 47.9% of failures, brakes appears in 25.8% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 21.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 14.5%; at 10-13 years it was 33.4%. The median Fiat 500l tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 71,865 miles.
Is the Fiat 500l getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 9.6 points to 32.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 8 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
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 500l 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 Fiat models
Checking a particular 500l?
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.