Pass rate
80.0%
Around average — 2.1 pts behind the 82.1% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 90 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £26–£70
2015 Fiat 500 L MOT pass rate
- 2015
- typical 54,401 mi
Only 90 tests of this exact model and year are in the DVSA data, below the 100 we ask for before a page goes in the index. The figures are still shown, because they are the only ones there are.
Most common fault
Tyres
27.2% of faults · 19.8% nationally
mostly tread below the limit, cuts and sidewall bulges.
Part only £55–£85 for Tyre has a tear. What fitting it takes →
Which year to buy
- Best 2015 80.0% pass · this year
- Avoid 2011 73.0% pass
Across the 6 years on record, a spread of 7 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 75.0%
- Typical mileage
- 54k mi
The 2015 Fiat 500 L MOT pass rate is 80.0% of its MOT tests — 2.1 points behind what its age and mileage predict. Tyres is the biggest single reason it fails, at 27.2% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Fiat 500 L does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Tyres: 1.4× the national share
Tyres make up 27.2% of everything recorded on the 2015 Fiat 500 L, against 19.8% nationally — 7.4 points above. Check all four tyres yourself, including the inner shoulders, and look at the date stamp — a tyre can pass on tread and still be six years old.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 19% of this model’s typical repairs come in under £30 in parts — the failures here tend to be the kind that need a garage rather than a bulb.
- Based on a small sample. 90 tests back this page. That is enough to publish and to index, not enough to treat the decimal places as precise — read the pattern, not the second digit.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Fiat 500 L? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2015 Fiat 500 L compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 82.1%, so this figure is 2.1 points behind what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 75.0%. The median 2015 Fiat 500 L in this dataset had covered 54,401 mi.
The most common fuel recorded here is Diesel — 66% of tests, with a 81.4% pass rate. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 76.5% of the time, April–September 84.6%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt", noted on 5.56% of tests.
- 90 recorded tests behind this page.
- 80.0% overall pass rate, 75.0% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Fiat 500 L, the average is 74.9% — best year 2015 (80.0%), worst 2011 (73.0%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 90
- Typical mileage (median)
- 54,401 mi
- Make and model
- Fiat 500 L
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Ball Joint
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the 500 L MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 65% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Diesel is the most common here (66% of tests).
Regional pass rates for the 500 L
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 16 | 87.5% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2015 500 L
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2015 500 L
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the suspension joints 5.6% of tests
“track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated,”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
-
Check the lights 3.3% of tests
“registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
-
Check the tyre tread 2.2% of tests
“tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2015 500 L through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £26–£70 — and 19% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £26–£70
- Cheapest common item: stop lamp not working
- £3–£12
- Dearest common item: pins
- £40–£150
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 90%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 19%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 90 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the 500 L, side by side
6 model years on record, from 2010 to 2015. Across them the pass rate runs from 73.0% to 80.0% — a spread of 7 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2010 74.1% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2011 73.0% catalyst emissions lambda reading…
- 2012 73.5% catalyst emissions lambda reading…
- 2013 74.9% coil spring fractured or broken
- 2014 75.6% coil spring fractured or broken
- 2015 80.0%track rod end ball joint dust…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2015 Fiat 500 L with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2015 cars with a similar record
- Vauxhall Astra 80.0%
- Citroen C3 80.0%
- Ford Ecosport 80.0%
- Ford Grand C-Max 80.0%
- Ford Fiesta 79.9%
- Alfa Romeo Giulietta 79.9%
Closest pass rates among 2015 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2015 Fiat 500 L 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 135 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 37 | 27.20% | 19.76% | +7.44 |
| Suspension | 22 | 16.20% | 20.98% | −4.78 |
| Brakes | 20 | 14.70% | 20.89% | −6.19 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13 | 9.60% | 12.21% | −2.61 |
| Non-component advisories | 13 | 9.60% | 4.18% | +5.42 |
| Steering | 12 | 8.80% | 2.57% | +6.23 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6 | 4.40% | 5.52% | −1.12 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 5 | 3.70% | 5.57% | −1.87 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 4 | 2.90% | 1.76% | +1.14 |
| Visibility | 3 | 2.20% | 4.97% | −2.77 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Steering | Minor | 5.6% | £18–45 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Major | 4.4% | £40–150 |
| Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements Brakes | Major | 3.3% | £45–110 |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 3.3% | £5–20 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Major | 2.2% | £45–95 |
| Stop lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Rectified | 2.2% | £3–12 |
| Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of… Steering | Major | 2.2% | £18–45 |
| Track rod end ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Steering | Major | 2.2% | £18–45 |
| Track rod end ball joint has excessive play Steering | Major | 2.2% | £18–45 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Major | 2.2% | £45–95 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 17.8% | £45–95 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 15.6% | £45–95 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 11.1% | £40–150 |
| Non-component advisories Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | Advisory | 10.0% | £120–300 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 7.8% | £45–110 |
| Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | Advisory | 5.6% | £45–120 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 3 | 100.0% | 22,452 mi |
| 30-60k | 48 | 81.3% | 46,866 mi |
| 60-90k | 21 | 76.2% | 70,843 mi |
| 90-120k | 15 | 73.3% | 103,978 mi |
| 120k+ | 3 | 100.0% | 131,975 mi |
Source: 90 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2015 500 L MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2015 Fiat 500 L?
80.0% of the 90 2015 Fiat 500 L tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 82.1% for cars first used in 2015. First-attempt pass rate: 75.0%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2015 Fiat 500 L?
The three most recorded items are track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (5.56%), pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (4.44%), rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements (3.33%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2015 Fiat 500 L MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 100.0% of the time, falling to 100.0% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2015 Fiat 500 L in this dataset had covered 54,401 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2015 Fiat 500 L?
Diesel: 81.4% pass rate across 59 tests. Petrol: 77.4% pass rate across 31 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2015 Fiat 500 L MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 76.5% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 84.6%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.