2013 Fiat 500L — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2013 Fiat 500L passed 76.6% of its 40,293 recorded MOT tests. That is 2.5 percentage points worse than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 20.9%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 12.1% of all tests — 3.2 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, pins and bushes and headlamp aim — coil spring alone was recorded 2,810 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 13.6% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.6% once past 150k — 2.3× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 1.7pp more often than petrol ones (23.9% vs 22.2%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 28.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 20.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 25.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 12.1% | 4,892 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.0% | 3,614 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.1% | 2,867 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.3% | 2,150 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.5% | 1,409 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.4% | 984 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 2,810 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 2,200 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 1,517 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 1,357 |
| 5 | Rbt (sp) | 1,267 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 1,129 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 28.5% | 11,468 |
| 2 | Brakes | 24.1% | 9,713 |
| 3 | Suspension | 13.8% | 5,577 |
| 4 | Other defects | 10.8% | 4,355 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 6.0% | 2,436 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.5% | 1,419 |
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 | 1,151 | 13.6% |
| 30-60k | 12,029 | 19.8% |
| 60-90k | 17,622 | 24.3% |
| 90-120k | 7,812 | 27.4% |
| 120-150k | 1,426 | 28.1% |
| 150k+ | 212 | 31.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 28,419 | 23.9% |
| Petrol | 11,874 | 22.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,145 | 20.8% |
| 2022 | 8,077 | 21.6% |
| 2023 | 8,229 | 23.9% |
| 2024 | 8,081 | 25.0% |
| 2025 | 7,761 | 25.9% |
What to check before buying a 2013 500L
On a 2013 500L, suspension is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 12.1% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Suspension (12.1% 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 (9.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (7.1% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2013 Fiat 500Ls pass their MOT?
76.6% of the 40,293 2013 Fiat 500L MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 23.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Fiat 500L?
Suspension, recorded in 12.1% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.0%).
Does the 2013 500L get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 13.6% in the 0-30k band to 31.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 40,293 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.