2014 Fiat 500L — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Fiat 500L passed 77.7% of its 52,806 recorded MOT tests. MPVs of a similar age fail 19.0% of the time, so this is 3.3pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (10.0%) and lighting & signalling (9.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, pins and bushes and headlamp aim — coil spring alone was recorded 2,972 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 32.5% versus 14.2%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 21.0% fail against 22.7% for diesel, a 1.7-point gap across 52,801 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 28.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 26.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 10.0% | 5,295 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.0% | 4,749 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.6% | 3,459 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.7% | 2,995 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.6% | 1,886 |
| 6 | Steering | 2.6% | 1,358 |
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 | 2,972 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 2,309 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,030 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 1,861 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 1,585 |
| 6 | Track rod end | 1,550 |
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 | 28.2% | 14,868 |
| 2 | Brakes | 23.9% | 12,625 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.8% | 6,776 |
| 4 | Other defects | 11.5% | 6,076 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 6.0% | 3,161 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.0% | 2,089 |
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 | 2,420 | 14.2% |
| 30-60k | 17,925 | 18.8% |
| 60-90k | 21,951 | 23.6% |
| 90-120k | 8,611 | 26.9% |
| 120-150k | 1,582 | 30.1% |
| 150k+ | 289 | 32.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 42,207 | 22.7% |
| Petrol | 10,594 | 21.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,428 | 18.8% |
| 2022 | 10,582 | 20.3% |
| 2023 | 10,674 | 22.1% |
| 2024 | 10,685 | 24.4% |
| 2025 | 10,437 | 26.0% |
What to check before buying a 2014 500L
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 10.0% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (10.0% 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 (6.6% 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 2014 Fiat 500Ls pass their MOT?
77.7% of the 52,806 2014 Fiat 500L MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 22.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Fiat 500L?
Suspension, recorded in 10.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.0%).
Does the 2014 500L get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 14.2% in the 0-30k band to 32.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 52,806 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.