Fiat 500: brakes MOT failures
Brakes was recorded as a failure area in 5.4% of Fiat 500 MOT tests — 106,626 tests out of 1,978,225. It shows up most on 2008 and 2009 cars.
Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair cost: £100–£350 per axle (rough UK ballpark, not a quote).
Brakes failures by year
| Model year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 940 | 8.0% |
| 2008 | 76,105 | 11.4% |
| 2009 | 133,471 | 12.1% |
| 2010 | 137,739 | 9.8% |
| 2011 | 132,245 | 6.1% |
| 2012 | 178,211 | 5.6% |
| 2013 | 208,601 | 5.1% |
| 2014 | 245,931 | 5.0% |
| 2015 | 230,546 | 4.2% |
| 2016 | 189,313 | 3.7% |
| 2017 | 131,084 | 3.2% |
| 2018 | 131,828 | 2.8% |
| 2019 | 94,364 | 1.9% |
| 2020 | 45,908 | 1.4% |
| 2021 | 27,619 | 0.6% |
| 2022 | 13,447 | 0.5% |
| 2023 | 768 | 0.4% |
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.