MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Fiat 500 — MOT statistics 2024

All Fiat 500 variants tested in Great Britain in 2024 — 477,588 MOT tests, every generation and engine together.

MOT risk index
116.2
100 = normal for its age

This car fails its MOT about 16% more often than expected for its age.

Rank 19 of 25 families published so far · margin of error ±1 points

What this means for buyers

Checklist when viewing a used 500:
  1. Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
  2. Ask the seller about: A shock absorber bush excessively worn
  3. Ask the seller about: A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not func
  4. Check tyre tread depth across the full width

Top specific failures

Exact defect wording from test records, per 100 tests.

What failedper 100
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.04
A shock absorber bush excessively worn 5.59
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage3.97
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.56
A tyre seriously damaged3.51
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements2.96
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement2.79
A tyre cords visible or damaged2.6
Exhaust system leaking or insecure2.48
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen2.26

Failures by component area

Suspension 30.5 Lamps & electrical 17.4 Brakes 14.6 Tyres 10.8 Visibility 9.6 Body & structure 5.9

Early warnings (advisories)

Advisories are wear the tester noted but didn't fail — what will need money soon.

Tyres 486.8 Suspension 85.8 Brakes 43.5 Body & structure 16.8 Emissions & leaks 9.2 Non-component advisories 8.6

How it ages

3579111315171947%car age, years

Takeaway: a 10-year-old 500 has roughly a 34% chance of failing its MOT; from about age 5 it does worse than the average car.

Data table
AgeFiat 500All cars
411.3%11.6%
514.7%13.5%
619.3%15.6%
722.9%18.2%
827.8%21.3%
932.4%24.4%
1033.7%27.7%
1134.2%30.6%
1237.2%33.4%
1339.3%36.0%
1441.0%38.6%
1543.2%39.9%
1642.8%41.5%

Petrol, diesel, hybrid — which ages best?

FuelTests% failing
Petrol470,96331.6%
Diesel6,55341.5%

Where they fail most

Every dot is a postcode area — size = how many were tested there, colour = share failing. Raw rates: coastal and rural areas run older fleets and salted roads.

Dundee (DD): 45% failing, 1,630 testsKirkcaldy (KY): 43.3% failing, 2,457 testsAberdeen (AB): 40.3% failing, 3,044 testsHuddersfield (HD): 40.1% failing, 1,594 testsSunderland (SR): 39.9% failing, 1,846 testsBrighton (BN): 37.7% failing, 7,420 testsBristol (BS): 37.6% failing, 8,758 testsEdinburgh (EH): 37.6% failing, 5,748 testsInverness (IV): 37.5% failing, 1,292 testsPlymouth (PL): 37.3% failing, 4,833 testsBath (BA): 37% failing, 3,894 testsGloucester (GL): 36.9% failing, 4,999 testsLincoln (LN): 36.6% failing, 2,576 testsPerth (PH): 36.5% failing, 801 testsDarlington (DL): 36.4% failing, 2,243 testsChester (CH): 36.3% failing, 5,724 testsCardiff (CF): 36% failing, 11,489 testsTorquay (TQ): 35.9% failing, 2,294 testsDorchester (DT): 35.7% failing, 2,019 testsBournemouth (BH): 35.6% failing, 6,604 testsPaisley (PA): 35.5% failing, 1,474 testsYork (YO): 35.5% failing, 4,083 testsExeter (EX): 35.4% failing, 4,217 testsTruro (TR): 35.4% failing, 2,837 testsFalkirk (FK): 35.3% failing, 1,597 testsSalisbury (SP): 34.9% failing, 2,192 testsHalifax (HX): 34.9% failing, 958 testsHull (HU): 34.8% failing, 3,547 testsNottingham (NG): 34.5% failing, 7,376 testsCarlisle (CA): 34.5% failing, 1,650 testsDurham (DH): 34.5% failing, 2,256 testsLancaster (LA): 34.5% failing, 1,809 testsStockport (SK): 34.4% failing, 4,177 testsKilmarnock (KA): 34.4% failing, 2,570 testsHereford (HR): 34.3% failing, 1,228 testsWigan (WN): 34.3% failing, 2,540 testsNewcastle (NE): 34% failing, 8,427 testsNewport (NP): 33.9% failing, 5,212 testsBolton (BL): 33.9% failing, 3,092 testsLeeds (LS): 33.9% failing, 4,559 testsCrewe (CW): 33.6% failing, 2,666 testsNorthampton (NN): 33.6% failing, 5,603 testsCambridge (CB): 33.4% failing, 2,863 testsManchester (M): 33.2% failing, 6,908 testsWorcester (WR): 33.2% failing, 2,556 testsWalsall (WS): 32.9% failing, 4,129 testsTonbridge (TN): 32.9% failing, 8,197 testsWatford (WD): 32.9% failing, 1,807 testsStevenage (SG): 32.7% failing, 3,680 testsHarrogate (HG): 32.7% failing, 1,169 testsBlackpool (FY): 32.6% failing, 2,399 testsSwansea (SA): 32.4% failing, 6,893 testsGlasgow (G): 32.3% failing, 7,010 testsMotherwell (ML): 32.3% failing, 2,168 testsSwindon (SN): 32.3% failing, 3,786 testsBlackburn (BB): 32.2% failing, 3,512 testsPreston (PR): 32.2% failing, 4,526 testsOxford (OX): 32% failing, 5,236 testsGuildford (GU): 31.8% failing, 6,088 testsWarrington (WA): 31.8% failing, 5,453 testsTaunton (TA): 31.7% failing, 2,673 testsOldham (OL): 31.5% failing, 2,584 testsPortsmouth (PO): 31.4% failing, 8,861 testsBradford (BD): 31.4% failing, 3,425 testsWakefield (WF): 31.4% failing, 3,738 testsLlandudno (LL): 31.3% failing, 3,561 testsReading (RG): 31% failing, 5,822 testsCanterbury (CT): 31% failing, 6,155 testsMilton Keynes (MK): 30.9% failing, 4,093 testsNorwich (NR): 30.8% failing, 7,772 testsLiverpool (L): 30.7% failing, 4,039 testsCleveland (TS): 30.6% failing, 4,502 testsRedhill (RH): 30.6% failing, 6,045 testsSouthampton (SO): 30.6% failing, 5,219 testsStoke-on-Trent (ST): 30.6% failing, 6,761 testsDoncaster (DN): 30.5% failing, 5,597 testsLeicester (LE): 30.4% failing, 8,012 testsDudley (DY): 29.7% failing, 3,724 testsChelmsford (CM): 29.4% failing, 9,309 testsHemel Hempstead (HP): 29.2% failing, 4,958 testsIpswich (IP): 29.2% failing, 5,527 testsShrewsbury (SY): 29.1% failing, 2,339 testsSt Albans (AL): 29.1% failing, 2,659 testsBirmingham (B): 29.1% failing, 11,976 testsLuton (LU): 29% failing, 2,098 testsColchester (CO): 28.8% failing, 4,859 testsDerby (DE): 28.8% failing, 5,770 testsWolverhampton (WV): 28.8% failing, 2,788 testsLondon W (W): 28.5% failing, 1,784 testsCoventry (CV): 28.5% failing, 6,525 testsSheffield (S): 28.3% failing, 10,451 testsLondon NW (NW): 28.2% failing, 2,973 testsIlford (IG): 27.8% failing, 2,309 testsPeterborough (PE): 27.6% failing, 8,145 testsTelford (TF): 27.6% failing, 1,751 testsLondon N (N): 27.2% failing, 3,001 testsKingston upon Thames (KT): 27.1% failing, 4,993 testsMedway (ME): 27% failing, 7,613 testsDartford (DA): 27% failing, 4,477 testsSlough (SL): 26.7% failing, 3,278 testsLondon SW (SW): 26% failing, 3,045 testsLondon SE (SE): 25.5% failing, 4,018 testsRomford (RM): 25.3% failing, 3,913 testsBromley (BR): 25.2% failing, 2,489 testsCroydon (CR): 25% failing, 2,411 testsSouthend-on-Sea (SS): 24.8% failing, 7,894 testsLondon E (E): 24.4% failing, 2,451 testsSutton (SM): 24.3% failing, 1,329 testsHarrow (HA): 23.7% failing, 1,610 testsEnfield (EN): 23.7% failing, 3,685 testsTwickenham (TW): 23% failing, 4,599 testsUxbridge (UB): 21.9% failing, 2,398 tests % failing 24% 38%
Toughest areas% failing
Kirkcaldy (KY)43.26%
Aberdeen (AB)40.31%
Brighton (BN)37.68%
Bristol (BS)37.63%
Edinburgh (EH)37.6%
Easiest areas% failing
Uxbridge (UB)21.89%
Twickenham (TW)22.98%
Enfield (EN)23.69%
London E (E)24.4%
Southend-on-Sea (SS)24.79%

Does the test month matter?

Takeaway: the spread between best and worst month is 4.2 percentage points — noticeable seasonality.

31.23% in month 1 J30.5% in month 2 F29.49% in month 3 M31.16% in month 4 A30.66% in month 5 M31.92% in month 6 J32.56% in month 7 J32.38% in month 8 A31.38% in month 9 S33.63% in month 10 O33.72% in month 11 N31.6% in month 12 D 35% 23%

bars: Fiat 500 · dashed: all class-4 cars

Month-by-month table
MonthFiat 500All cars
Jan31.23%27.37%
Feb30.5%26.14%
Mar29.49%24.75%
Apr31.16%26.01%
May30.66%25.01%
Jun31.92%25.01%
Jul32.56%26.04%
Aug32.38%25.79%
Sep31.38%25.19%
Oct33.63%27.13%
Nov33.72%27.2%
Dec31.6%26.29%

Is the mileage normal?

A typical 8-year-old 500 has ~42,382 miles on the clock. Much more — ask why; much less — check for gaps in the MOT history.

691215car age, years 111k mi 0

line: median · band: middle half of the fleet (p25–p75)

Mileage by age (p25 / median / p75)
Agep25Medianp75Tests
412,21119,83130,6857,167
517,05724,85934,31028,470
621,82430,87241,84835,937
726,70337,26049,42635,535
830,75442,38255,31448,721
936,21848,81463,05657,782
1042,25855,52070,25760,637
1145,94860,32576,04552,085
1251,15266,13081,39942,610
1354,54470,97387,98929,643
1457,66975,86394,16531,731
1562,51881,605100,08229,669
1667,82386,270105,56517,026

Quick answers

What most commonly fails on a Fiat 500 MOT?
The most frequent specific failures in 2024 were: a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn; a shock absorber bush excessively worn ; a shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage.
Is the Fiat 500 reliable for its age?
Across 477,588 initial tests in 2024, it fails its MOT about 16% more often than expected for its age (MOT Risk Index 116.2, where 100 = normal for its age).
Are diesel 500s worse than petrol at the MOT?
41.5% of diesel tests found a failing defect vs 31.6% of petrol.
What mileage is normal for a 8-year-old 500?
The median is about 42,382 miles; the middle half of the fleet sits between 30,754 and 55,314.
How often are dangerous defects found on the Fiat 500?
About 13 dangerous defects were recorded per 100 initial tests in 2024 — with a dangerous defect the car legally cannot be driven away.

Compare with

Renault Clio · 141.5Honda Jazz · 85Honda Civic · 100.7Audi A4 · 84.6

Data details & how to cite

Scope: class-4 vehicles (cars), initial tests only, outcomes pass / fail / fixed-on-the-spot at the station (PRS counts towards the failure rate — the defect was present at arrival). Index = observed initial failures ÷ failures expected for this fleet's exact age profile, ×100; margin of error is a 95% confidence interval. Covers ALL generations together — a 3-year-old and a 15-year-old are very different cars; a generation split is on the roadmap. Dataset release dvsa-2024-v1, frozen baseline. Full method: methodology.

Cite: MOT Risk Index (2026). Fiat 500 MOT statistics 2024 (dvsa-2024-v1). https://motriskindex.co.uk/cars/fiat-500/ · Published 2026-07-30.