Abarth 500 MOT pass rate & common failures
The Abarth 500 appears in 33,880 MOT tests spanning model years 2008–2019, and 78.3% of them passed. That is effectively the same as city cars of a similar age (21.0% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst 500 years
Ranked across 500 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2015 cars pass 81.4% of the time while 2009 cars manage 76.4%, a 5.0-point spread.
No single area dominates — suspension (10.9%) and lighting & signalling (10.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, shock absorbers and pins and bushes — headlamp aim alone was recorded 1,946 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 12.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 23.3% once past 150k.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 32.6% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every 500 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 4,756 | 76.4% | 23.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 5,882 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 5,555 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 4,762 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 3,345 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 4,730 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 4,406 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 378 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 10.9% | 3,695 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 10.8% | 3,645 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.5% | 1,856 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.8% | 1,629 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.0% | 1,366 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.7% | 1,244 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 3.2% | 1,095 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.8% | 267 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 1,946 |
| 2 | Shock absorbers | 1,759 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 1,298 |
| 4 | Catalyst emissions | 1,100 |
| 5 | Joints | 1,076 |
| 6 | Ball joint | 1,038 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 925 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 924 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 32.6% | 11,035 |
| 2 | Brakes | 26.2% | 8,863 |
| 3 | Tyres | 22.3% | 7,537 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.7% | 2,958 |
| 5 | Other defects | 5.7% | 1,922 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 5.3% | 1,809 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 3,034 | 12.2% |
| 30-60k | 12,246 | 20.2% |
| 60-90k | 12,600 | 23.8% |
| 90-120k | 4,863 | 25.2% |
| 120-150k | 956 | 25.7% |
| 150k+ | 120 | 23.3% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,993 | 20.8% |
| 2022 | 6,894 | 21.4% |
| 2023 | 6,791 | 21.9% |
| 2024 | 6,743 | 22.5% |
| 2025 | 6,459 | 22.2% |
What to check before buying a Abarth 500
- Suspension (10.9% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (10.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.5% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Abarth 500?
78.3% of the 33,880 Abarth 500 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.7% fail rate, across model years 2008–2019.
What does the Abarth 500 most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 10.9% of tests, then lighting & signalling (10.8%).
Which 500 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2015 has the best pass rate at 81.4% and 2009 the weakest at 76.4%, from 4,406 and 4,756 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 500 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.3% for 150k+, a 11.1-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 33,880 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.