MOT performance
Fiat 500 diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 14,284 MOT tests on diesel Fiat 500s in 2023–2024 (on average 11.5 years old at test, median 81,335 miles), 58.4% passed first time, against 68.8% of 685,841 petrol Fiat 500 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Fiat 500s failed 23% more often than comparable cars — 1.23× against 1.22× for the Fiat 500 as a whole.
14,284 MOT tests on 7,405 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 58.4% | ±0.8 pts (95%), n = 14,284 |
| All Fiat 500s | 68.7% | n = 702,906 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 1.23× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Fiat 500 overall 1.22× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 11.6% | n = 14,284 |
| Average age at test | 11.5 years | n = 14,284 |
| Registration years covered | 2001–2019 | DVSA first-use date |
Diesel against the other Fiat 500 fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 2.9 years older on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 685,841 | 8.6 yrs | 68.8% | +22% | 8.1% |
| Diesel | 14,284 | 11.5 yrs | 58.4% | +23% | 11.6% |
| Electric | 2,527 | 2.3 yrs | 85.1% | +48% | 4.0% |
Where diesel Fiat 500s differ
- Steering: diesel Fiat 500s failed 151% more often than the Fiat 500 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.98× vs 0.39×).
- Seat belts and airbags: diesel Fiat 500s failed 36% more often than the Fiat 500 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.13× vs 0.83×).
- Noise, emissions and leaks: diesel Fiat 500s failed 31% more often than the Fiat 500 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.50× vs 1.14×).
- Brakes: diesel Fiat 500s failed 23% more often than the Fiat 500 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.58× vs 1.28×).
| Area | Diesel (vs similar) | All Fiat 500s (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 17.8% (+47%) | 13.9% (+84%) |
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 15.8% (+21%) | 10.1% (+7%) |
| Brakes | 13.1% (+58%) | 6.8% (+28%) |
| Tyres | 7.9% (+12%) | 6.6% (+16%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 5.6% (+26%) | 3.3% (+39%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 5.0% (+4%) | 4.9% (+11%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.9% (+50%) | 2.8% (+14%) |
| Steering | 2.6% (-2%) | 0.6% (-61%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 1.3% (+13%) | 0.5% (-17%) |
Most common diesel Fiat 500 failure items
3 of these 5 items are not among the Fiat 500's ten most common failures overall.
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 5.91% |
| Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 4.94% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 3.89% |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 3.36% |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 2.92% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | diesel pass rate (tests) | petrol pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | — | 86.4% (70,985) |
| 5-6 | — | 78.6% (97,292) |
| 7-8 | 66.8% (1,154) | 69.5% (143,173) |
| 9-10 | 61.7% (5,991) | 65.0% (148,348) |
| 11-12 | 57.5% (1,033) | 60.8% (104,232) |
| 13-15 | 53.1% (5,273) | 55.9% (97,063) |
| 16+ | 56.3% (698) | 53.6% (4,472) |
Fiat 500 by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 2008 Fiat 500 · 54.8%
- 2009 Fiat 500 · 54.9%
- 2010 Fiat 500 · 57.3%
- 2011 Fiat 500 · 59.4%
- 2012 Fiat 500 · 61.9%
- 2013 Fiat 500 · 64.4%
- 2014 Fiat 500 · 65.9%
- 2015 Fiat 500 · 67.0%
- 2016 Fiat 500 · 72.6%
- 2017 Fiat 500 · 77.3%
- 2018 Fiat 500 · 81.3%
- 2019 Fiat 500 · 86.1%
- 2020 Fiat 500 · 87.3%
- 2021 Fiat 500 · 88.2%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific diesel Fiat 500
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.