Fiat 500, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
371,777 Fiat 500s are licensed in the UK, the 19th most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 68.1% of initial MOT tests, 4.2 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific 500? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Fiat 500 at the MOT
68.1% of 364,811 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the 500 382nd of 575 models. Fiat 500s aged 3 to 5 years passed 84.7% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 59.6%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Fiat 500 tests in 2025.
Where 500s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Fiat 500 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (9.4%), shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3%) and shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (4.5%).
The MOT page lists every common 500 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The 500's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.31.2% of 500 failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.21.3% of 500 failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.14.5% of 500 failure items
Fiat 500s in the UK
371,777 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other Fiat. The number licensed has grown 91% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +91%from 194,211 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2015half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2015 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 3,441against 41,745 in 2015
- Declared off the road
- 12,0873.1% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Fiat 500s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 194,211 |
| End of 2015 | 233,062 |
| End of 2016 | 266,250 |
| End of 2017 | 289,132 |
| End of 2018 | 308,906 |
| End of 2019 | 327,811 |
| End of 2020 | 336,037 |
| End of 2021 | 350,113 |
| End of 2022 | 363,158 |
| End of 2023 | 373,371 |
| End of 2024 | 379,225 |
| End of 2025 | 376,252 |
| End of June 2026 | 371,777 |
How old they are
Licensed Fiat 500s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 577 were first used before 2008.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,008 | 3,441 |
| 2024 | 11,863 | 12,453 |
| 2023 | 13,619 | 14,583 |
| 2022 | 16,341 | 17,486 |
| 2021 | 14,711 | 15,708 |
| 2020 | 13,066 | 13,896 |
| 2019 | 19,963 | 21,300 |
| 2018 | 22,674 | 24,687 |
| 2017 | 23,339 | 25,492 |
| 2016 | 32,328 | 35,178 |
| 2015 | 37,902 | 41,745 |
| 2014 | 38,925 | |
| 2013 | 32,762 | |
| 2012 | 27,601 | |
| 2011 | 19,743 | |
| 2010 | 19,652 | |
| 2009 | 17,647 | |
| 2008 | 9,062 |
37,902 500s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 91% of the 41,745 first registered that year.
500 engines and fuel
1.2 litre engines made up 80% of Fiat 500 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.0 litre at 8.9%. Petrol accounts for 96% of licensed 500s and battery electric for 2.9%. Electric examples were 2% of tests.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 364,725 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed 500s
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 358,463 | 96% |
| Diesel | 2,687 | 0.7% |
| Battery electric | 10,611 | 3% |
| Hybrid electric | 5 | <0.1% |
| Other fuels | 11 | <0.1% |
Fiat 500 recalls
24 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Fiat 500. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every 500 is affected.
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Sep 2025 R/2025/319
Fiat 500 BEV Panda and Tipo. Instrument panel cluster software
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) function may remain deactivated in a specific use case. If the customer seeks to reactivate the AEB after previously deactivating it during the same driving cycle (key on/off) it will remain deactivated however the icon on the cluster to alert about deactivation remains off. This does not meet regulatory requirements.
- Remedy
- Update front camera software.
-
Mar 2025 R/2023/313
Incorrect information on the registration document and CoC (certificate of Conformity)
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles incorrect data has been entered on the registration document and correspondingly the Certificate of Conformity (CoC).
- Remedy
- The registration document must be amended and a new CoC issued.
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Dec 2024 R/2024/434
Fiat 500 BEV High Voltage battery negative pole connection
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the fastening nut may be missing from the negative terminal of the high-voltage battery pack which could result in a loss of torque failure to start the vehicle and in extreme cases it could present a possible fire hazard.
- Remedy
- The affected vehicles will have the high-voltage battery replaced.
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Jun 2024 R/2024/144
Reverse gear switch not functioning as intended
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the reversing gear switch is not according to specification. This could result in a failure to illuminate the rear light of the vehicle during a reversing manoeuvre.
- Remedy
- Check the reversing gear switch and replacement if required
-
Nov 2023 R/2023/283
Front suspension control arm ball joint
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may not have the correct installation and tightening between the suspension control arm and the steering knuckle joint.This may possibly result in the control arm bolt becoming detached from the knuckle seat whilst the vehicle is in motion In the worst case this could lead to loss of vehicle control.
- Remedy
- Check installation of joint and if necessary correctly install joint.
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Sep 2022 R/2022/268
The positive lead on the auxiliary battery terminal may not be tightened correctly
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- The integrity of the positive lead terminal must be checked and if it is damaged it must be replaced. If it is not damaged the correct torque must be applied to the nut to ensure correct tightening.
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Sep 2022 R/2022/186
Ineffective/incorrect tightening of a lock nut on the steering gear rod
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Vehicles may have been produced with ineffective/incorrect tightening of a lock nut on the steering gear rod.
- Remedy
- Check for the correct tightening of the lock nut and check/adjust wheel alignment if tightening was required.
-
Sep 2022 R/2022/210
Vehicles may have been fitted with a faulty left or right side half-shaft
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- A number of vehicles may have been fitted with a faulty left or right side half-shaft (drive shaft).
- Remedy
- The half-shaft identified as faulty according to traceability data must be replaced
500 vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other Fiat models
The most-tested Fiat models in 2025, against the 500's 68.1% MOT pass rate.
Fiat 500 FAQs
How many Fiat 500s are there in the UK?
371,777 Fiat 500s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 12,087 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Fiat 500 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 68.1% first-time pass rate for the Fiat 500 across 364,811 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Fiat 500 had any recalls?
24 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Fiat 500. The most recent was published in September 2025. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Fiat 500?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Fiat 500's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a 500?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Fiat history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Fiat VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.