Fiat 500L
From 26,308 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer 500Ls fare better: 2021 models pass at 74% vs 71% for 2013.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened and a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 1,192 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 1,192 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 1,033 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 537 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 534 |
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 519 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 509 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 474 |
| stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 416 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 316 |
| engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction | 285 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 22.7% of 500L failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 47.7% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £143.
Fiat 500L on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 445 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 1 newly registered, a net loss of 444. At this rate, roughly 39.1 years until none remain.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 16,743 | 607 | +0 | -128 | -128 |
| 2025 Q2 | 16,895 | 583 | +0 | -149 | -149 |
| 2025 Q1 | 17,086 | 541 | +1 | -95 | -94 |
| 2024 Q4 | 17,236 | 485 | +0 | -73 | -73 |
| 2024 Q3 | 17,364 | 430 | +1 | -145 | -144 |
| 2024 Q2 | 17,547 | 391 | +0 | -115 | -115 |
| 2024 Q1 | 17,678 | 375 | +0 | -67 | -67 |
| 2023 Q4 | 17,784 | 336 | +0 | -57 | -57 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500L Lounge Multijet | Diesel | 2,650 | 17% |
| 500L Trekking Multijet | Diesel | 2,397 | 15% |
| 500L Pop Star | Petrol | 2,038 | 13% |
| 500L Pop Star Multijet | Diesel | 1,182 | 7% |
| 500L Mpw Pop Star Multijet | Diesel | 921 | 6% |
| 500L Trekking Multijet S-A | Diesel | 875 | 6% |
| 500L Mpw Lounge Multijet | Diesel | 825 | 5% |
| 500L Pop Star Multijet S-A | Diesel | 720 | 5% |
| 500L Lounge | Petrol | 607 | 4% |
| 500L Cross | Petrol | 494 | 3% |
| 500L Mpw Pop Star Multijet S-A | Diesel | 450 | 3% |
| 500L Easy Multijet | Diesel | 440 | 3% |
| 500L Trekking | Petrol | 422 | 3% |
| 500L Lounge Multijet S-A | Diesel | 402 | 3% |
| 500L Easy | Petrol | 352 | 2% |
| 500L City Cross | Petrol | 317 | 2% |
| 500L Mpw Lounge Multijet S-A | Diesel | 216 | 1% |
| 500L Beats Edition Multijet | Diesel | 179 | 1% |
| 500L Pop Star Twinair | Petrol | 165 | 1% |
| 500L Urban | Petrol | 162 | 1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 74% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2020 | 80.5% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2019 | 82.1% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2018 | 77.3% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
5 earlier years
| 2017 | 73.6% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2016 | 74.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2015 | 72.7% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2014 | 71.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2013 | 71% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
Typical mileage
Half of all 500Ls tested had between 51,319 and 81,111 miles on the clock.
At 65,486 median miles, the 500L has 0.042 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Fiat models
| Fiat 500 | 75% |
| Fiat Ducato | 75.4% |
| Fiat Panda | 71.7% |
| Fiat Punto | 65.7% |
| Fiat Doblo | 71.6% |
Common questions
What is the Fiat 500L MOT pass rate?
The Fiat 500L has a 72.2% MOT pass rate based on 26,308 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Fiat 500L?
The most common MOT failure on the Fiat 500L is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 1,192 failures. Other common issues include a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened.
How many Fiat 500Ls are on UK roads?
There are 16,743 Fiat 500Ls currently licensed on UK roads, with 607 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Fiat 500L at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Fiat 500L is 65,486 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 51,319 and 81,111 miles.
Buying a used 500L?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 72.2% pass rate and an average repair bill of £143 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.