Fiat 500 vs Volkswagen Up
On MOT-testable defects the Volkswagen Up comes out ahead: 11.9% of its tests record a failure against 20.5% for the Fiat 500, a 8.6-point gap. The biggest single difference is suspension, where the 500 records failures noticeably more often.
20.5%
500 fail rate
11.9%
Up fail rate
8.61pp
Difference
Side by side
| Metric | Fiat 500 | Volkswagen Up |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests analysed | 1,978,225 | 676,096 |
| Pass rate | 79.5% | 88.1% |
| Fail rate | 20.5% | 11.9% |
Where they differ
| Category | 500 | Up |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 10.7% | 2.1% |
| Lighting & signalling | 7.9% | 5.4% |
| Tyres | 5.2% | 3.4% |
| Brakes | 5.4% | 3.7% |
| Visibility | 4.2% | 3.6% |
Methodology & source. 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.