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Common problems by part

Fiat 500 body and structure problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 150,622 MOT tests · Updated

At 9 years, 2.9 in 100 MOT tests of the Fiat 500 failed on body and structure, against 2.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 150,622 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails 1.2–1.3× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 4,320 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 15 ages from 3 to 17 years, 1,394,433 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases, 1.0 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

2.9 fails per 100 MOT tests at 9 years, against 2.3 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 9 (all test years). The Fiat 500 fails more often here.

Why it matters

A body and structure fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Look under the sills, jacking points and rear subframe for rot, bubbling or fresh underseal over a repair, and check every door, bonnet and boot shuts properly.

Fiat 500 body and structure fails by age

Fiat 500 body and structure fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Fiat 500. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.053 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 67,791 MOT tests34 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 75,746 MOT tests5 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 83,857 MOT tests56 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 0.8), 103,956 MOT tests7 years: 1.5 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 122,086 MOT tests78 years: 2.2 per 100 (all cars 1.8), 139,790 MOT tests9 years: 2.9 per 100 (all cars 2.3), 150,622 MOT tests910 years: 3.7 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 146,964 MOT tests11 years: 4.4 per 100 (all cars 3.5), 128,844 MOT tests1112 years: 5.0 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 109,397 MOT tests13 years: 5.7 per 100 (all cars 5.0), 94,865 MOT tests1314 years: 6.7 per 100 (all cars 5.9), 76,234 MOT tests15 years: 6.8 per 100 (all cars 6.7), 53,602 MOT tests1516 years: 7.5 per 100 (all cars 7.6), 30,483 MOT tests17 years: 8.5 per 100 (all cars 8.3), 10,196 MOT tests17
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Fiat 500 All class 4 vehicles the same age
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
367,7910.20.3
475,7460.40.3
583,8570.60.5
6103,9560.90.8
7122,0861.51.3
8139,7902.21.8
9150,6222.92.3
10146,9643.72.9
11128,8444.43.5
12109,3975.04.3
1394,8655.75.0
1476,2346.75.9
1553,6026.86.7
1630,4837.57.6
1710,1968.58.3

All first-use years of the Fiat 500 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years.

What fails in the body and structure at 9 years

Fails

Advisories (not fails)

Replace leaking exhaust section cost

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
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See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 0.9 petrol: 2.4 per 100 at 9 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 10,686 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Look under the sills, jacking points and rear subframe for rot, bubbling or fresh underseal over a repair, and check every door, bonnet and boot shuts properly.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases.

Check one Fiat 500, not the average

The figures here describe Fiat 500 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Fiat 500 problems

Body and structure on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Fiat 500 have more body and structure problems than other cars?

1.2 to 1.3 times the body and structure fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 9 years (all test years), from 150,622 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 1.2 in the same direction at 3 of the 15 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Fiat 500 body and structure problems?

2.9 in 100 MOT tests at 9 years failed on body and structure, against 2.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 150,622 MOT tests).

What is the most common Fiat 500 body and structure fail?

1.0 in 100 MOT tests at 9 years: Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases (1,439 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 1,394,433 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare