Does the Abarth 500 fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Abarth 500 records 21.58 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 15.55 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+6.03, 95% interval +5.54 to +6.53). It ranks 109 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Abarth 500 by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Abarth 500 is “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn”, recorded 2,750 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 2,750 | 8.14 |
| A shock absorber bush excessively worn | 1,477 | 4.37 |
| A wheel bearing excessively rough | 670 | 1.98 |
| A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage | 441 | 1.31 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 319 | 0.94 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 33,766 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Abarth 500 gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
18.7% of Abarth 500 MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 4,869 miles later (7,058 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,058 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Abarth 500 2009 · Abarth 500 2010 · Abarth 500 2011 · Abarth 500 2012 · Abarth 500 2013 · Abarth 500 2014 · Abarth 500 2015 · Abarth 500 2016 · Abarth 500 by postcode area · Abarth 500 body, chassis and structure failures · Abarth 500 brakes failures · Abarth 500 vehicle identification failures · Abarth 500 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Abarth 500 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Abarth 500 road wheels failures · Abarth 500 seat belts and airbags failures · Abarth 500 steering failures · Abarth 500 tyres failures · Abarth 500 visibility failures