MOT fail rates by first-use year

2016 Fiat 500 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Fiat 500 cars first used in 2016 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 134,835 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 9 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 9 (n=33,549)31.0%

All cars at 9 years (n=9,949,012)27.1%

Difference+3.9 pts

MOT tests of 2016 cars, 2022 to 2025134,835

What stands out

In 2025, at 9 years old, Fiat 500 cars first used in 2016 failed 31.0% of MOTs (33,549 tests), 3.9 points above the 27.1% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 6 to 9 years old, the fail rate moved from 23.5% to 31.0%.
Fiat 500 cars first used a year earlier, in 2015, failed 34.0% at the same age of 9 years (39,613 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Fiat 500 at 9 years, is suspension arm bush worn, at 6.8 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.1).

MOT fail rate by test year

Fiat 500 cars first used in 2016: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	6 years	23.5%	33,857	17.8%	+5.7 pts
2023	7 years	25.8%	33,749	20.6%	+5.2 pts
2024	8 years	28.8%	33,680	23.8%	+5.0 pts
2025	9 years	31.0%	33,549	27.1%	+3.9 pts

Most common faults at 9 years

These figures cover all Fiat 500 MOTs at 9 years: cars first used 2013 to 2016, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=150,622). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Suspension arm bush worn	6.8	1.1
Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush	4.1	0.1
Shock absorber leaking	2.9	0.7
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.5	2.5
Suspension ball joint worn	2.4	1.5
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	2.1	1.7
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	2.0	1.3
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	1.9	1.3
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	1.9	2.0
Coil spring broken	1.8	2.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=150,622). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	18.0	16.4
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	11.0	8.5
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	9.7	9.2
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	8.9	4.9
Shock absorber misting oil	8.7	3.1
Coil spring: corroded	6.5	2.0
Shock absorbers: has a slightly worn bush	5.8	0.3
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	5.7	1.2
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	5.0	8.3
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	3.9	2.5

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=150,622). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 9 years

These figures cover all Fiat 500 MOTs at 9 years: cars first used 2013 to 2016, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=150,622). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	99.3%	32.6%	149,533	26.3%	48,923 miles
Diesel	0.7%	33.3%	1,086	28.3%	70,368 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 9 years

These figures cover all Fiat 500 MOTs at 9 years: cars first used 2013 to 2016, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=150,622). At 9 years, Fiat 500 cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (46.3%, n=5,464) than those at under 30,000 miles (18.7%, n=22,025). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	18.7%	22,025	14.3%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	31.8%	82,618	23.0%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	40.5%	38,604	29.4%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	46.3%	5,464	32.8%

Car tax rules for a 2016 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Fiat 500

2015 Fiat 500 2017 Fiat 500

Other Fiat models first used in 2016

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Fiat 500X (2016)	9 years in 2025	33.3%	13,753	27.1%
Fiat Panda (2016)	9 years in 2025	26.5%	4,808	27.1%
Fiat Ducato (2016)	9 years in 2025	17.8%	2,808	27.1%
Fiat Punto (2016)	9 years in 2025	35.1%	1,691	27.1%
Fiat 500L (2016)	9 years in 2025	33.8%	1,618	27.1%
Fiat Tipo (2016)	9 years in 2025	27.5%	1,122	27.1%

More on the Fiat 500

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2016 Fiat 500 cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.