Fiat 500L 2012: MOT failure rate for its age
37.7% of 1,532 MOT tests of the Fiat 500L first registered in 2012 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 109.4 (95% CI 100.5–118.3; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2012 Fiat 500L fails more often than other build years of the same model at the same age. This is a rough estimate from a smaller sample.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Compared with | Years | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed first time | 37.7 | % | all ages tested | 2019–2024 | 1532 |
| Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 100.5–118.3) | 109.4 | index | 100 = normal for this model at that age | 2019–2024 | 1532 |
| Rank among this model's 9 build years | 9 | of 9 | 1 = fails least for its age | 2019–2024 | 1532 |
| Tested in 2024 | 253 | tests | median 68,016 miles | 2024 | 253 |
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
How does the 2012 Fiat 500L fail at each age?
Cars built in 2012 were tested at ages 7 to 12 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.
| Age | Tests | Failed, % | 95% interval | Normal for this model at that age, % | Index (100 = normal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 346 (rough estimate) | 36.4 | 31.5–41.6 | 31.9 | 114.1 |
| 8 | 321 (rough estimate) | 35.8 | 30.8–41.2 | 32.5 | 110.1 |
| 9 | 301 (rough estimate) | 37.9 | 32.6–43.5 | 34.4 | 110.1 |
| 10 | 288 (rough estimate) | 38.5 | 33.1–44.3 | 36.7 | 105.1 |
| 11 | 276 (rough estimate) | 40.2 | 34.6–46.1 | 37.5 | 107.2 |
| 12 | 253 (rough estimate) | 40.7 | 34.8–46.9 | not available | not available |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,785 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
What fails most on the 2012 Fiat 500L?
The most common failure group on cars built in 2012 is suspension: 27.6 items per 100 first tests, against 12.1 across all build years of the Fiat 500L. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2012 were tested at ages 7 to 12.
| Failure group | Built 2012, per 100 | All build years, per 100 | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 27.6 | 12.1 | 492 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.5 | 8.9 | 258 |
| Brakes | 12.5 | 9.7 | 224 |
| Tyres | 12 | 8.7 | 215 |
| Visibility | 9.9 | 8 | 176 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,785 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How does 2012 compare with the years around it?
Among the 9 published build years of the Fiat 500L, 2012 ranks 9 (1 = fails least for its age). 2011: index 101.4. 2013: index 100.6.
| Build year | Index (100 = normal) | 95% interval | Verdict | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 101.4 | 93.0–109.7 | no different (rough estimate) | 1,550 |
| 2012 | 109.4 | 100.5–118.3 | worse (rough estimate) | 1,532 |
| 2013 | 100.6 | 98.9–102.4 | no different | 38,476 |
| 2014 | 101.9 | 100.4–103.5 | worse | 50,946 |
| 2015 | 97.6 | 94.9–100.3 | no different | 18,194 |
| 2016 | 96.5 | 92.6–100.4 | no different | 9,902 |
| 2017 | 101.4 | 95.4–107.4 | no different | 4,597 |
| 2018 | 102.1 | 93.6–110.6 | no different (rough estimate) | 2,437 |
| 2019 | 86.3 | 67.9–104.8 | no different (rough estimate) | 470 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 128,104 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). Fiat 500L 2012 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/fiat-500l/2012/
How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.
Other pages for this model
Fiat 500L 2011 · Fiat 500L 2013 · Fiat 500L 2014 · Fiat 500L 2015 · Fiat 500L 2016 · Fiat 500L 2017 · Fiat 500L 2018 · Fiat 500L 2019 · Fiat 500L in the Netherlands · Fiat 500L by postcode area · Fiat 500L body, chassis and structure failures · Fiat 500L brakes failures · Fiat 500L vehicle identification failures · Fiat 500L lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Fiat 500L noise, emissions and leaks failures · Fiat 500L road wheels failures · Fiat 500L seat belts and airbags failures · Fiat 500L steering failures · Fiat 500L suspension failures · Fiat 500L tyres failures · Fiat 500L visibility failures