Fiat 500: common problems, best years and what to check
Cute city car with cheap parts; avoid the Dualogic auto. Covers 2008–2024 cars: every popular engine, its known faults with typical UK repair costs, and how each year has held up on Britain's roads.
Updated November 2026 · By the Carnod team · How we build this guide
Is the Fiat 500 a good used buy?
Best buy
2016+ facelift 1.2 manual
Avoid
Dualogic automated manual; TwinAir if you want economy
Who it suits: City drivers who want a stylish, characterful small car and rarely leave town.
What's good
- Iconic retro looks
- Easy to park and cheap to insure
- Simple 1.2 engine is durable
- Huge choice of colours and trims
What's not
- Dualogic automatic is unreliable
- Cramped back seats and small boot
- Poor 2017 Euro NCAP result
- Gets noisy and unsettled on motorways
By the numbers
- #12 most common model on UK roads, with about 400k licensed (DfT).
- The biggest surviving year is 2016: 46.8k cars still licensed.
- 2008 cars survive 57% better than comparable cars of that year.
- 1.2 FIRE uses a belt (60k / 5 yrs): budget £250–£400 if there's no invoice.
- The most expensive common fault: Dualogic automated manual pump/actuator failure (up to £1,500).
Fiat 500 common problems by generation and engine
Fiat 500 312 (2007–2024) · hatch, convertible (500C)
How to spot it: 07 plate to 24 plate. Retro bubble shape throughout; 2015 facelift has LED daytime lights in the lower bumper and hollow-centred tail-lights.
1.2 8v 69ps (FIRE, petrol, 2008–2024)
Simple and cheap to fix
- Timing belt due every 5 yrs / 60k£250–£40060k / 5 yrs · Check: Ask for belt invoice
0.9 TwinAir (TwinAir, petrol, 2010–2019)
Characterful but real mpg poor
- Hydraulic MultiAir actuator fault£500–£1,00050k+
1.0 Hybrid (mild) (Firefly, petrol mHEV, 2020–2024)
Better economy
Faults on any 312 (2007–2024) engine
- Dualogic automated manual pump/actuator failure£600–£1,500any · Check: Avoid Dualogic
- Electric power steering failure£300–£700any
- Suspension top mounts and front arms£150–£40050k+
Costs are typical UK independent-garage prices including parts and labour. Main dealers usually charge more.
Best and worst Fiat 500 years
How many Fiat 500s from each year are still licensed today (DfT), coloured by how well that year survives compared with similar cars of the same age.
Years that outlast similar cars: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. No year falls off the road noticeably faster than similar cars.
Fiat 500 MOT pass rate and common failures
First-time pass rate (2025)
Average UK car of the same age
MOT tests analysed (2008+ cars)
Fiat 500s pass their MOT first time 4 points less often than the average UK car of the same age (68% vs 71%). Older cars fail more, so we compare like with like.
| First registered | Pass rate | Average UK car that age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 55% | 57% | 87k miles |
| 2009 | 54% | 58% | 83k miles |
| 2010 | 57% | 59% | 78k miles |
| 2011 | 58% | 61% | 73k miles |
| 2012 | 61% | 63% | 70k miles |
| 2013 | 63% | 66% | 65k miles |
| 2014 | 63% | 69% | 60k miles |
| 2015 | 64% | 72% | 53k miles |
| 2016 | 69% | 75% | 47k miles |
| 2017 | 74% | 78% | 42k miles |
| 2018 | 77% | 81% | 35k miles |
| 2019 | 80% | 84% | 29k miles |
| 2020 | 85% | 86% | 25k miles |
| 2021 | 88% | 87% | 22k miles |
| 2022 | 91% | 89% | 17k miles |
| 2023 | 94% | 92% | 26k miles |
Pass rate by fuel
Petrol
Diesel
Fuels differ in age and mileage mix, so treat this as a pattern rather than a like-for-like comparison.
Most common MOT failures
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn6.84 per 100
- Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush3.85 per 100
- Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak3.12 per 100
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2.87 per 100
- Ball joint excessively worn2.68 per 100
- Tyres: has ply or cords exposed2.45 per 100
- Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements2.2 per 100
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively2.1 per 100
Most common advisories
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm25.4 per 100
- Tyres: has a tear17.42 per 100
- Coil spring: corroded14.62 per 100
- Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn13.59 per 100
- Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened12.36 per 100
- Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak9.18 per 100
- Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases7.6 per 100
- Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush6.19 per 100
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results for 2025 (normal car tests). First-time pass counts faults fixed during the test as fails. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Does the Fiat 500 have a timing belt or chain?
| Engine | Type | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 FIRE | belt | 60k / 5 yrs | £250–£400 |
| 0.9 TwinAir | chain | durable | £500–£900 |
Fiat 500 running costs
Road tax (from April 2017)
Road tax (before April 2017)
Insurance groups
Real-world economy
Servicing (independent)
Tyres
Warranty when new
Is the Fiat 500 ULEZ compliant?
- Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001.
- Same standards apply in Birmingham and Bristol Clean Air Zones (which charge private cars) and Scotland's LEZs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee (which fine them). Check the exact car on TfL's vehicle checker.
Safety and practicality
Euro NCAP
Boot
Seats
Fiat 500 vs rivals
| Model | On UK roads | Insurance | Boot | Best buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiat 500 | 400k | 3–19 | 185 l | 2016+ facelift 1.2 manual |
| Toyota Aygo | 279k | 2–8 | 168 l | 2014–2022 Mk2 1.0 manual |
| Hyundai i10 | 269k | 1–7 | 252 l | 2014+ i10 1.0/1.2 manual |
| Volkswagen up! | 130k | 1–10 | 251 l | 1.0 MPI 75 manual or up! GTI |
| MINI Hatch | 553k | 13–31 | 211 l | 2014+ F56 Cooper 1.5 (B38) manual |
| Kia Picanto | 199k | 1–9 | 255 l | 2017+ JA 1.0/1.25 manual |
What to check when buying a used Fiat 500
- Avoid Dualogic
- Check timing belt date
- Check fabric roof on 500C for leaks
Fiat 500 FAQ
›Is the Fiat 500 reliable?
Generally, if you pick the right version. Best buy: 2016+ facelift 1.2 manual. Avoid: Dualogic automated manual; TwinAir if you want economy.
›What is the Fiat 500 MOT pass rate?
68% of Fiat 500s passed their MOT first time in 2025 (305,814 tests), below the 71% average for cars of the same age. The most common failure: pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn.
›What are the most common Fiat 500 problems?
The costliest known faults are Hydraulic MultiAir actuator fault; Timing belt due every 5 yrs / 60k. Each one is listed by engine with typical UK repair costs above.
›Does the Fiat 500 have a timing belt or chain?
1.2 FIRE: belt; 0.9 TwinAir: chain.
›What is the best year Fiat 500 to buy?
By DfT survival data, 2008, 2009, 2010 cars have outlasted comparable cars best. Condition and history still matter more than the year.
›How much does a Fiat 500 cost to run?
Real-world economy: 1.2 8v 42–50 mpg; 0.9 TwinAir 40–48 mpg; 1.0 mild hybrid 45–52 mpg. Insurance groups 3–19. A minor service is about £140–£200 at an independent garage.
›How much is road tax on a Fiat 500?
Cars registered from April 2017 pay £200 a year (more if the list price was over £40k). Older cars pay by CO2 band, from £20 to £790.
›Is the Fiat 500 ULEZ compliant?
Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001.
How we build this guide
We combine official UK data with what independent garages see most often on this model.
- How many are still on the road: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, by year first used. The survival comparison is against cars of the same age.
- MOT pass rates, failures and mileage: DVSA anonymised MOT results — every normal car MOT in Great Britain for the year, compared with all cars of the same age.
- Road tax: GOV.UK rates from April 2026. ULEZ: TfL and Clean Air Zone emission standards.
- Faults and repair costs: known problems by engine code, priced at typical UK independent-garage rates including parts and labour.
- Insurance groups, mpg, servicing and tyres: typical ranges, not quotes. Your car's exact figures depend on the version and where you live.
This is a buying guide, not a mechanical inspection. A specific car's MOT history tells you far more than any model average — run a free check on it before you go and see it.
Sources: licensed counts and survival from DfT vehicle licensing statistics; road tax from GOV.UK (April 2026 rates). Faults, costs, mpg and insurance groups are typical ranges, not quotes. A guide, not a mechanical inspection.