Car
Fiat 500
78.0%
pass rate across 1,134,841 tests
72.4% first-time pass rate
Fiat 500 vs Toyota Aygo
The two cars compared on 2,007,568 real MOT tests: pass rates, first-time passes, the failures each is known for, repair costs and how both have moved year by year.
Car
Toyota Aygo
84.0%
pass rate across 872,727 tests
81.3% first-time pass rate
The short answer
Toyota Aygo has the stronger MOT record
Across 2,007,568 tests, the Toyota Aygo has the stronger first-time record: 81.3% against 72.4%, a 8.9-point gap. On all MOTs the Toyota Aygo is ahead at 84.0% versus 78.0%. Even after adjusting for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Toyota Aygo is +2.5 points against its expected rate, the Fiat 500 −2.7. A typical repair bill is similar: £34–£98 for the Fiat 500 and £32–£82 for the Toyota Aygo; at their pass rates that is roughly £755–£2,156 versus £507–£1,310 per 100 tests. The costliest common failure on the Toyota Aygo is Component mounting: prescribed area excessively corroded at 2.9% of tests, up to £450 to fix.
- First-time pass: 72.4% vs 81.3%.
- All MOTs: 78.0% vs 84.0%.
- Like-for-like: −2.7 vs +2.5 points.
- Typical repair bill: £34–£98 vs £32–£82.
- At 90,000–120,000 miles: 70.6% vs 72.0%.
| Measure | 500 | Aygo |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests on record | 1,134,841 | 872,727 |
| Pass rate, all MOTs | 78.0% | 84.0% stronger figure |
| First-time pass rate | 72.4% | 81.3% stronger figure |
| Against the UK average | −3.0 pts | +3.0 pts stronger figure |
| Like-for-like, age and mileage adjusted | −2.7 pts | +2.5 pts stronger figure |
| Average mileage at test | 52,000 mi | 57,142 mi |
| Model years on record | 2007–2023 (17) | 2005–2022 (18) |
| Best model year | 2022 · 93.3% | 2022 · 95.2% |
| Worst model year | 2007 · 70.1% | 2005 · 68.3% |
| Typical repair bill | £34–£98 | £32–£82 stronger figure |
| Expected repair spend per 100 tests | £755–£2,156 | £507–£1,310 stronger figure |
| Main fuel | Petrol 99% | Petrol 100% |
| Variants recorded | 4 | 2 |
A ✓ marks the stronger figure in each row. It is a comparison between the two cars, not a judgement against the national average.
What goes wrong most often
The most common priced failures on each model, as a share of all its tests. Repair costs are estimates from UK parts data, not quotes.
500
- Shock absorber leaking 10.1% £30–£75
- Coil spring corroded 9.4% £25–£65
- Exhaust system leaking 8.7% £45–£120
- Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush 7.4% £30–£75
Aygo
- Linkage pin or bush excessively worn 7.9% £40–£150
- Service brake binding 5.4% £60–£150
- Component mounting: prescribed area excessively corroded 2.9% £180–£450
- Wheel badly distorted 2.3% £20–£55
Year by year
The newest 8 years with published results. A model's headline rate hides a wide spread between its best and worst years.
| Model year | 500 | Aygo |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 79.7% · 114,374 tests | 89.1% · 72,368 tests |
| 2017 | 83.2% · 79,256 tests | 89.8% · 69,189 tests |
| 2018 | 86.0% · 79,698 tests | 91.1% · 69,937 tests |
| 2019 | 89.1% · 62,968 tests | 92.5% · 69,104 tests |
| 2020 | 91.9% · 14,948 tests | 93.6% · 50,276 tests |
| 2021 | 91.6% · 1,901 tests | 94.0% · 34,085 tests |
| 2022 | 93.3% · 460 tests | 95.2% · 1,845 tests |
| 2023 | 93.0% · 286 tests | — |
Does the pass rate hold at higher mileage?
Pass rate by the mileage recorded at test, pooled across every published year. A car that stays strong past 90,000 miles is doing something right.
| Mileage | 500 | Aygo |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30,000 mi | 88.8% · 197,286 tests | 93.0% · 238,224 tests |
| 30,000–60,000 mi | 79.1% · 462,112 tests | 86.4% · 302,111 tests |
| 60,000–90,000 mi | 73.3% · 331,473 tests | 78.0% · 202,327 tests |
| 90,000–120,000 mi | 70.6% · 113,211 tests | 72.0% · 93,640 tests |
| 120k+ | 69.5% · 24,478 tests | 69.2% · 36,212 tests |
What to check before you buy
Fiat 500
- Shock absorber leaking — 10.1% of tests, £30–£75 to put right.
- Coil spring corroded — 9.4% of tests, £25–£65 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2007 at 70.1%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Toyota Aygo
- Linkage pin or bush excessively worn — 7.9% of tests, £40–£150 to put right.
- Service brake binding — 5.4% of tests, £60–£150 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2005 at 68.3%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Both columns cover every published year for the model. Pass rates are test-weighted, so a model with more recent tests is not dragged down by its oldest ones. Repair figures are estimates from UK parts data; a garage quote is the only number that matters for a specific car. The same car can be tested in more than one year, so these are test outcomes, not a count of individual vehicles.
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