Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 24,878 tests analysed

Fiat 500 2012: reliability & common MOT faults

9,805 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2012 Fiat 500 in 2025. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Pins and bushes (front) was the most common reason a 2012 500 failed its MOT — 13.4% of its failed first attempts.

First-attempt pass

60.6%

of 24,878 first tests (2025)

First tests

24,878

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

9,805

failed first-attempt tests

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

60.6%

of 24,878 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

66.9%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

24,878

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 13.0 yrs · median mileage 69,500 mi

vs 2024: -0.0 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 9,784 of 9,805 failed first attempts (99.8%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Shock absorbers (front) — 8.8% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 865 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 5.8× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Shock absorbers (front)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Front 865 ×5.8 8.8% Strong
Shock absorbers (rear)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Rear 1,112 ×4.3 11.4% Likely
Exhaust system (front)
Body, chassis, structure > Exhaust system
 Front 318 ×4.1 3.3% Likely
Pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Pins and bushes
 Front 1,315 ×3.1 13.4% Likely
Catalyst emissions
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Spark ignition > Catalyst emissions
 Any 679 ×2.2 6.9% Possible
Emissions not tested
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Spark ignition > Emissions not tested
 Any 228 ×2.1 2.3% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Coil springs — Mounting (rear)
Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Mounting
 Rear 95 ×8.3 1.0% Likely
Attachment bracket and mounting (front)
Suspension > Macpherson strut > Attachment bracket and mounting
 Front 87 ×7.8 0.9% Likely
Cable (rear)
Brakes > Mechanical brake components > Brake cables, rods, levers and linkages > Cable
 Rear 69 ×7.4 0.7% Likely
Spring mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Springs > Spring mounting prescribed areas
 Rear 72 ×6.1 0.7% Likely
Shock absorbers (front)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Front 1,292 ×5.1 13.2% Strong
Pins and bushes (front)
Suspension > Macpherson strut > Pins and bushes
 Front 321 ×4.9 3.3% Likely
Macpherson strut (front)
Suspension > Macpherson strut > Macpherson strut
 Front 365 ×4.4 3.7% Likely
Chassis condition (front)
Body, chassis, structure > Chassis > Chassis condition
 Front 34 ×4.4 0.3% Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Nothing separates this year from the 500 either side of it, so buy on the individual car. The checks below are the items that actually failed 2012 500, commonest first.

Other 500 years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2013 500 +1.2 pp better 63.1% 30,615
2015 500 -2.1 pp worse 63.8% 35,180

What to check on a 2012 500

The items that failed 2012 500 most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Pins and bushes (front) — recorded on 13.4% of failed first attempts
  • Shock absorbers (rear) — recorded on 11.4% of failed first attempts
  • Tyres — Condition (front) — recorded on 8.8% of failed first attempts
  • Ball joint (front) — recorded on 8.4% of failed first attempts
  • Headlamp aim — recorded on 7.4% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Pins and bushes (front) was the most common reason a 2012 500 failed its MOT — 13.4% of its failed first attempts. In 2025, 60.6% of 24,878 first MOTs on the 2012 Fiat 500 passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 66.9%. Among 9,805 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Shock absorbers (front) appears more often than on…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2012 Fiat 500s most often at the first attempt were Pins and bushes (front) (13.4%), Shock absorbers (rear) (11.4%) and Tyres — Condition (front) (8.8%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Shock absorbers (front) (8.8% of those tests; 865 observed failures; about 5.8× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Shock absorbers (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (8.8% of those tests; 865 observed failures; about 5.8× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2012 Fiat 500 include Shock absorbers (front), Exhaust system (front), Pins and bushes (front). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2012 Fiat 500 (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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