Fiat 500X MOT pass rate & common failures
The Fiat 500X appears in 193,653 MOT tests spanning model years 2015–2023, and 85.4% of them passed. Small SUVs of a similar age fail 13.2% of the time, so this is 1.3pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and steering.
Best and worst 500X years
Ranked across 500X 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: 2021 cars pass 91.9% of the time while 2015 cars manage 82.2%, a 9.7-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (6.5%) and tyres (5.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, track rod end and tread depth — position lamp alone was recorded 9,842 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 21.0% once past 150k — 3.0× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 4.8pp more often than petrol ones (17.8% vs 13.0%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 28.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 10.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every 500X model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 42,898 | 82.2% | 17.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 81,441 | 83.7% | 16.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 26,875 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 15,625 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 14,622 | 91.8% | 8.3% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 6,950 | 91.6% | 8.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 3,986 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 1,197 | 91.4% | 8.6% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 59 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Emissions & environmental |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.5% | 12,544 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.7% | 10,956 |
| 3 | Steering | 3.5% | 6,726 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.7% | 5,282 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.2% | 4,345 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.2% | 4,247 |
| 7 | Brakes | 2.0% | 3,816 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.8% | 1,604 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 9,842 |
| 2 | Track rod end | 8,776 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 6,154 |
| 4 | Washers | 3,656 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 3,136 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 2,915 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 2,123 |
| 8 | Linkage ball joints | 1,916 |
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 | 28.4% | 54,988 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.7% | 34,273 |
| 3 | Other defects | 9.7% | 18,710 |
| 4 | Suspension | 7.2% | 13,876 |
| 5 | Steering | 5.0% | 9,659 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.4% | 4,664 |
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 | 44,466 | 6.9% |
| 30-60k | 97,117 | 14.4% |
| 60-90k | 43,030 | 20.7% |
| 90-120k | 7,823 | 24.9% |
| 120-150k | 1,003 | 25.0% |
| 150k+ | 200 | 21.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 128,917 | 13.0% |
| Diesel | 64,731 | 17.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31,782 | 10.4% |
| 2022 | 36,051 | 11.5% |
| 2023 | 39,059 | 13.8% |
| 2024 | 42,381 | 16.7% |
| 2025 | 44,380 | 18.6% |
What to check before buying a Fiat 500X
- Lighting & signalling (6.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.7% 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.
- Steering (3.5% of tests): Play, leaks or worn track rod ends — affects handling and is a safety item. Typical repair: £150–£500.
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 500X?
85.4% of the 193,653 Fiat 500X MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 14.6% fail rate, across model years 2015–2023.
What does the Fiat 500X most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.5% of tests, then tyres (5.7%).
Which 500X years are best and worst for MOT results?
2021 has the best pass rate at 91.9% and 2015 the weakest at 82.2%, from 3,986 and 42,898 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 500X MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 21.0% for 150k+, a 14.1-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel 500X more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 13.0% of the time against 17.8% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 193,653 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.