Does the Fiat 500L fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Fiat 500L records 2.91 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 1.77 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+1.14, 95% interval +1.04 to +1.23). It ranks 150 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Fiat 500L by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Fiat 500L is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated”, recorded 1,620 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 1,620 | 1.25 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,166 | 0.90 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 848 | 0.65 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 39 | 0.03 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 129,994 (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 500L gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
11.1% of Fiat 500L MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,857 miles later (675 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 675 (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 500L 2011 · Fiat 500L 2012 · 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 suspension failures · Fiat 500L tyres failures · Fiat 500L visibility failures