Does the Fiat 500 fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Fiat 500 records 19.68 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 11.23 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+8.45, 95% interval +8.39 to +8.52). It ranks 78 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 Fiat 500 by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Fiat 500 is “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn”, recorded 153,348 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 153,348 | 8.42 |
| A shock absorber bush excessively worn | 80,467 | 4.42 |
| A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage | 46,692 | 2.56 |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 16,909 | 0.93 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 13,236 | 0.73 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,820,554 (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 Fiat 500 gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
22.3% of Fiat 500 MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 4,703 miles later (306,278 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 306,278 (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
Fiat 500 2007 · Fiat 500 2008 · Fiat 500 2009 · Fiat 500 2010 · Fiat 500 2011 · Fiat 500 2012 · Fiat 500 2013 · Fiat 500 2014 · Fiat 500 2015 · Fiat 500 2016 · Fiat 500 2017 · Fiat 500 2018 · Fiat 500 2019 · Fiat 500 2020 · Fiat 500 in Finland · Fiat 500 in the Netherlands · Fiat 500 in Norway · Fiat 500 by postcode area · Fiat 500 body, chassis and structure failures · Fiat 500 brakes failures · Fiat 500 vehicle identification failures · Fiat 500 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Fiat 500 noise, emissions and leaks failures · Fiat 500 road wheels failures · Fiat 500 seat belts and airbags failures · Fiat 500 steering failures · Fiat 500 tyres failures · Fiat 500 visibility failures