Used car guide

2013 Fiat 500L: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2013 Fiat 500Ls, from 3,983 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

3,983MOT tests in 2025
60%pass first time (all 2013 cars: 66%)
6,800typical miles a year
2.5×the usual rate for seat belts

What stands out

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

  • Seat belts2.5× usual
    Fiat 500L
    2.7% All 2013 cars
    1.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1.7%, against 0.4% of all 2013 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £80–£250 our estimate

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock and retract smoothly.

Better than most

Shock absorbers: 1.8% here, against 6% of all 2013 cars. Number plate lights: 2.6% here, against 6.1% of all 2013 cars.

By area

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

  • Suspension
    36% 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
    35% 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
    32% 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
    18% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    10% 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.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    7% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

Looking at a Fiat 500L?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2018601Suspension 33%
2017878Tyres 34%
20161,611Suspension 32%
20152,950Suspension 36%
20146,574Suspension 37%

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