2018 Fiat 500L — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2018 Fiat 500L passed 84.4% of its 3,561 recorded MOT tests. That is 3.3 percentage points worse than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 12.3%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (7.0%) and lighting & signalling (6.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, wipers and headlamp aim — coil spring alone was recorded 212 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 25.8% versus 11.1%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 15.5% of the time against 15.7% for petrol.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.0% | 248 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.7% | 238 |
| 3 | Visibility | 5.4% | 191 |
| 4 | Tyres | 3.7% | 133 |
| 5 | Brakes | 1.9% | 67 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.6% | 57 |
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 | 212 |
| 2 | Wipers | 205 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 124 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 72 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 72 |
| 6 | Track rod end | 63 |
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 | 21.3% | 757 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.0% | 497 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.6% | 271 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.4% | 193 |
| 5 | Steering | 2.6% | 91 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.4% | 86 |
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 | 1,907 | 11.1% |
| 30-60k | 1,351 | 20.0% |
| 60-90k | 271 | 24.3% |
| 90-120k | 31 | 25.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,741 | 15.7% |
| Diesel | 820 | 15.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 687 | 8.6% |
| 2022 | 666 | 10.8% |
| 2023 | 719 | 15.9% |
| 2024 | 715 | 17.6% |
| 2025 | 774 | 23.9% |
What to check before buying a 2018 500L
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 7.0% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (7.0% 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 (6.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (5.4% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
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 2018 Fiat 500Ls pass their MOT?
84.4% of the 3,561 2018 Fiat 500L MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Fiat 500L?
Suspension, recorded in 7.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (6.7%).
Does the 2018 500L get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.1% in the 0-30k band to 25.8% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,561 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.