Used car guide

2020 Fiat 500: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2020 Fiat 500s, from 13,744 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

13,744MOT tests in 2025
85%pass first time (all 2020 cars: 86%)
5,000typical miles a year
2×the usual rate for shock absorbers

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2020 Fiat 500s than on all cars registered in 2020.

  • Shock absorbers2× usual
    Fiat 500
    4% All 2020 cars
    2%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.5%, against 0.3% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanic

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

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints1.9× usual
    Fiat 500
    3.4% All 2020 cars
    1.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.9%, against 0.3% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

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

Better than most

Brake pads: 3.8% here, against 9.3% of all 2020 cars.

By area

The share of 2020 Fiat 500 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    31% 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
    14% 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.

  • Suspension
    10% 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.

  • Lights and electrics
    6% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    5% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Exhaust and emissions
    1% 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.

Known faults

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

  • Worn clutch (ex-learner cars)
    Manual gearbox

    Lots of 500s were driving school cars, which can wear the clutch early. Owners also report costly gearbox faults.

    At the viewing: On the test drive, accelerate hard in a high gear. If the revs rise without the car speeding up, the clutch is slipping. Notchy changes are another warning sign.

    If it needs doing: Clutch replacement, about £250–£600. ClickMechanic

    Source: What Car?: used Fiat 500 advice

  • Several recalls by build date
    All engines

    There have been recalls for driveshafts, brakes, steering and lights, plus a fuel leak that could stall early cars built in autumn 2008.

    At the viewing: Ask a Fiat dealer to check the VIN for outstanding recalls.

    Source: What Car?: used Fiat 500 advice

  • Warning lights and electrical faults
    All engines

    Owners often report dashboard warning lights and electrical gremlins.

    At the viewing: Make sure every warning light comes on and then goes out at start-up, and test the air con and electrics.

    Source: What Car?: used Fiat 500 advice

Looking at a Fiat 500?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2023729Tyres 14%
202212,174Tyres 23%
202112,652Tyres 29%
201921,326Tyres 33%
201823,577Tyres 33%
201722,610Tyres 33%
201631,260Suspension 42%
201536,754Suspension 46%
201440,169Suspension 47%
201334,427Suspension 48%
201227,069Suspension 52%
201119,733Suspension 52%
201019,767Suspension 53%
200918,415Suspension 57%
200810,008Suspension 55%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2020 Fiat 500s registered in 2020. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score