Abarth 595 common problems and MOT failures
What goes wrong on a used Abarth 595, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 54,162 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.
Pick the year
Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).
What usually goes wrong with an Abarth 595?
We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Abarth 595 in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.
Common Abarth 595 MOT failures to check
Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.
Shock absorbers
up to 3.9× usualStands out on cars registered in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanicAt the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.
Front strut mounts and bushes
up to 26× usualStands out on cars registered in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Rough price £120–£400 our estimateAt the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.
Brake discs
up to 1.8× usualStands out on cars registered in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Rough price £150–£350 our estimateAt the viewing: Look through the wheel at the brake disc: a deep lip at the edge or heavy scoring means they're worn. Feel for judder when braking.
Exhaust system
up to 3.3× usualStands out on cars registered in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Rough price £100–£500 (pipe or section) ClickMechanicAt the viewing: Listen for blowing or rattling from underneath at idle, and look for black soot around joints.
Suspension arm bushes and joints
up to 1.7× usualStands out on cars registered in 2017 and 2018.
Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanicAt the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.
Abarth 595 MOT pass rate by year
Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2012 Abarth 595 did best (69% passed first time, 5 points above all 2012 cars) and the 2018 did worst (81%, 2 points below all 2018 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.
Questions to ask the seller before buying an Abarth 595
Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.
- Any recent work on the shock absorbers? (Flagged at MOT 3.9× as often on the Abarth 595 as on other cars the same age.)
- Any recent work on the front strut mounts and bushes? (Flagged at MOT 26× as often on the Abarth 595 as on other cars the same age.)
- Any recent work on the brake discs? (Flagged at MOT 1.8× as often on the Abarth 595 as on other cars the same age.)
- Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?
Looking at an Abarth 595?
Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.
Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score