Fiat 500C MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 18 model years and 107,139 tests, the Fiat 500C passes its MOT 78.7% of the time. Against city cars of a similar age (18.1% fail rate), the 500C comes out 3.2pp worse. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst 500C years
Ranked across 500C 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: 2018 cars pass 89.8% of the time while 2009 cars manage 71.3%, a 18.5-point spread.
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 11.8% of tests against 8.2% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are shock absorbers, pins and bushes and headlamp aim — shock absorbers alone was recorded 9,201 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 30.1% versus 11.5%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 21.2% fail against 28.3% for diesel, a 7.1-point gap across 107,137 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 30.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every 500C model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 5,503 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 10,120 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 8,854 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 14,180 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 12,554 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 14,472 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 15,926 | 79.5% | 20.5% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 13,248 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 9,046 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 3,185 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 11.8% | 12,651 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.2% | 8,806 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.4% | 5,774 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.7% | 5,018 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.9% | 4,216 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.5% | 2,689 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 1,968 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.3% | 353 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shock absorbers | 9,201 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 5,843 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 3,237 |
| 4 | Wipers | 2,812 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 2,383 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 2,179 |
| 7 | Washers | 2,148 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 2,111 |
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 | 30.9% | 33,109 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.8% | 29,763 |
| 3 | Brakes | 18.0% | 19,257 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.4% | 9,005 |
| 5 | Other defects | 6.8% | 7,310 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 5.7% | 6,072 |
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 | 22,820 | 11.5% |
| 30-60k | 48,319 | 21.2% |
| 60-90k | 26,844 | 27.1% |
| 90-120k | 7,403 | 29.6% |
| 120-150k | 1,291 | 30.3% |
| 150k+ | 209 | 30.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 105,478 | 21.2% |
| Diesel | 1,659 | 28.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20,990 | 18.6% |
| 2022 | 21,355 | 20.0% |
| 2023 | 21,526 | 21.3% |
| 2024 | 21,608 | 23.1% |
| 2025 | 21,660 | 23.6% |
What to check before buying a Fiat 500C
- Suspension (11.8% 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 (8.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.4% 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 Fiat 500C?
78.7% of the 107,139 Fiat 500C MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.3% fail rate, across model years 2008–2025.
What does the Fiat 500C most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 11.8% of tests, then lighting & signalling (8.2%).
Which 500C years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 89.8% and 2009 the weakest at 71.3%, from 3,185 and 5,503 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 500C MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.1% for 150k+, a 18.6-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel 500C more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 21.2% of the time against 28.3% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 107,139 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.