Used car guide

2013 Fiat 500: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2013 Fiat 500s, from 32,038 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

32,038MOT tests in 2025
63%pass first time (all 2013 cars: 66%)
5,400typical miles a year
3.1×the usual rate for shock absorbers

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2013 Fiat 500s than on all cars registered in 2013.

  • Shock absorbers3.1× usual
    Fiat 500
    18.7% All 2013 cars
    6%
    Rough price £150–£400

    At the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.

  • Exhaust system3.5× usual
    Fiat 500
    16% All 2013 cars
    4.6%
    Rough price £100–£500

    At the viewing: Listen for blowing or rattling from underneath at idle, and look for black soot around joints.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints1.6× usual
    Fiat 500
    14.3% All 2013 cars
    8.7%
    Rough price £100–£300

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Sub-frame2× usual
    Fiat 500
    7.5% All 2013 cars
    3.7%
    Rough price £300–£1,000

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

  • Individual direction indicators2.8× usual
    Fiat 500
    5% All 2013 cars
    1.8%
    Rough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

Better than most

Number plate lights: 1.8% here, against 6.1% of all 2013 cars. Track rod end: 1.9% here, against 4.8% of all 2013 cars.

By area

The share of 2013 Fiat 500 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    48% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Tyres
    34% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    23% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    22% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Exhaust and emissions
    16% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

    At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for engine or DPF warning lights.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    9% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Looking at a Fiat 500?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
201918,955Tyres 33%
201823,575Tyres 33%
201722,604Tyres 33%
201631,256Suspension 42%
201536,718Suspension 46%
201438,226Suspension 47%
201226,118Suspension 52%
201118,144Suspension 52%
201019,144Suspension 53%
200918,024Suspension 57%
20089,991Suspension 55%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2013 Fiat 500s registered in 2013. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score