2013 Fiat 500: common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2013 Fiat 500?

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

• Shock absorbers3.1× usual
  Fiat 500

  16.9% All 2013 cars

  5.4%

  Failed outright at MOT: 5.6%, against 1.2% of all 2013 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.

• Exhaust system3.3× usual
  Fiat 500

  13.6% All 2013 cars

  4.1%

  Failed outright at MOT: 2.4%, against 1.2% of all 2013 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £100–£500 (pipe or section) ClickMechanic

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

• Suspension arm bushes and joints1.9× usual
  Fiat 500

  14.9% All 2013 cars

  7.7%

  Failed outright at MOT: 7.2%, against 1.7% of all 2013 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.

• Individual direction indicators2.6× usual
  Fiat 500

  4.4% All 2013 cars

  1.7%

  Failed outright at MOT: 1.4%, against 0.6% of all 2013 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

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

• Sub-frame2.1× usual
  Fiat 500

  5.2% All 2013 cars

  2.5%

  Failed outright at MOT: 0.2%, against 0.1% of all 2013 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

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

Common 2013 Fiat 500 MOT failures and advisories

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
  44% 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
  20% 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
  14% 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.

• Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
  8% of testsRough price £15–£250

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

Known faults on the 2013 Fiat 500

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

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2013 Fiat 500

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

1. Has the clutch been replaced, and was it ever a driving school car?
2. Has all the recall work been done?
3. Have there been any electrical faults?
4. Any recent work on the shock absorbers? (Flagged at MOT 3.1× as often on the 2013 Fiat 500 as on other cars the same age.)
5. Any recent work on the exhaust system? (Flagged at MOT 3.3× as often on the 2013 Fiat 500 as on other cars the same age.)
6. Any recent work on the suspension arm bushes and joints? (Flagged at MOT 1.9× as often on the 2013 Fiat 500 as on other cars the same age.)