City car icon, stick to the 1.2 petrol
Britain's favourite city car and a genuine style icon — the retro 500 has been in continuous production since 2007 and remains hugely popular with urban buyers. Used prices range from £3,000 for early high-mileage examples to £11,000 for late-plate low-mileage petrols, with the electric 500e commanding £15,000-£25,000. Primarily bought by young urban drivers (25-40), second-car owners, and anyone who prioritises parking ease and kerb appeal over outright practicality. Competes against VW Up, Kia Picanto, and Toyota Aygo.
We track 12 known issues across the Fiat 500 range, with 8 classified as significant. Knowing which variants and configurations to approach with caution can save you from expensive surprises after purchase.
Found a Fiat 500? Enter the reg to see which of our 12 known issues apply to that exact car, plus full MOT history and mileage checks.
Cinquecento (1991–2004) — Engine options included the 1.2 8v FIRE.
312 (2007–2024) — Petrol options included the 0.9 TwinAir Turbo, 0.9 TwinAir, 1.0 Mild Hybrid, 1.2 8v FIRE, 1.3 Hybrid, 1.4 16v, 1.6 T-Jet, with 1.3 MultiJet, 1.3 MultiJet, 1.6 MultiJet on the diesel side. We track 12 known issues on this generation, with 8 classified as significant. The most significant concern is Subframe mounting point corrosion (£800–£2,000 to address).
The load-bearing structure around suspension mounting points corrodes prematurely on the 312-generation 500, affecting areas within 30cm of spring and suspension attachment points. This represents a catastrophic safety defect where the suspension can detach from the body during driving. The issue affects all engine variants and appears as early as 20,000 miles.
If mounting points fail, suspension components can detach from the body during driving, causing immediate loss of control and potentially fatal accident. This is the most serious structural defect documented on this model. The car must not be driven if structural corrosion is suspected.
Inspect the wheel arches, sills, jacking points and door bottoms carefully. Press gently on sills to check for soft spots. Look underneath for corrosion on structural components. Check the MOT history for corrosion-related advisories or failures.
The MultiAir electro-hydraulic actuator controls inlet valve timing and lift on TwinAir engines. The actuator solenoid valve fails, causing loss of variable valve timing control, rough running, and significant power loss. This is a well-documented weakness on TwinAir engines that requires actuator replacement. The system cannot be repaired - only replaced as a complete unit. Early engines are more susceptible than later production.
Engine enters limp mode with severely reduced power output. Car remains driveable but performance drops significantly and fuel consumption increases. Complete actuator replacement is required - no repair option available. Engine management light remains permanently on until repaired.
Listen carefully for a rattle or ticking noise from the engine on cold start — this is the most common early sign. Ask for evidence of chain replacement in the service history. On higher-mileage cars without documented replacement, budget for preventative work.
The diesel particulate filter blocks on MultiJet engines used primarily for city driving. The DPF requires regular high-temperature regeneration cycles that only occur during sustained motorway driving. Cars used predominantly in urban areas cannot complete natural regeneration, leading to DPF saturation and eventual failure. This is the most common fault on diesel 500s and affects all MultiJet variants. Later engines have improved regeneration strategies but remain susceptible to blockage.
Complete DPF blockage causes engine to enter limp mode with severely restricted power. Car becomes undriveable until repaired. DPF replacement costs typically exceed the vehicle's value on higher mileage examples. Forced regeneration may clear partial blockages but severely blocked units require replacement.
Ask about the car's typical usage — short urban journeys prevent DPF regeneration. Check for DPF warning lights and ask about any previous regeneration issues. A forced regeneration at a garage costs far less than a DPF replacement.
FIRE 1.2 and T-Jet 1.4 engines use interference timing belts that must be replaced at 72,000 miles or 5 years. If the belt snaps, the pistons contact the valves, destroying the cylinder head and requiring engine rebuild. This is a critical maintenance item that cannot be deferred. Water pump, tensioner, and auxiliary belt should be replaced simultaneously. TwinAir engines use timing chains and are not affected by this requirement.
Belt failure destroys valves, pistons, and cylinder head, requiring complete engine rebuild costing £3,000-£5,000. This typically exceeds the car's value. Engine stops immediately when belt fails. Car cannot be driven with snapped timing belt - recovery required.
Listen carefully for a rattle or ticking noise from the engine on cold start — this is the most common early sign. Ask for evidence of chain replacement in the service history. On higher-mileage cars without documented replacement, budget for preventative work.
Suspension pins, bushes, and joints wear at exceptionally high rates on the 312-generation 500. The issue affects drop link pins, control arm bushes, and anti-roll bar connections. This represents the most statistically significant fault on this model and appears even on low-mileage examples.
Worn suspension components affect handling, braking stability, and tyre wear. Completely failed pins or bushes can cause suspension collapse or loss of steering control. Car remains driveable with minor wear but becomes dangerous if components fail completely.
Listen for knocking, clunking or rattling over bumps during the test drive. Inspect the underside for corroded or cracked suspension components. Check the MOT history for suspension-related advisories, which often predict future failures.
For the full breakdown of all 12 tracked issues with repair costs, see the Fiat 500 common problems page.
Based on 1.6M real DVSA MOT tests, the Fiat 500 fails more often than average on several items. The biggest outlier is body panel damage at 51x the fleet average, followed by brake pipes corroded (38x).
When viewing a specific car, check its MOT history for recurring advisories in these categories. See the full Fiat 500 MOT failure breakdown for data at every mileage point.
Routine servicing (oil and filter change every 10k miles) typically costs £80–£120 at an independent garage.
The bigger-ticket items to budget for include timing belt (£250–£400).
See the full Fiat 500 service schedule for every interval and cost breakdown.
The Fiat 500 is a solid choice on the used market, though not without its quirks. The issues we track are well-understood and largely avoidable if you know what to look for. A thorough inspection and complete service history go a long way. 2018-2020 with the 1.2 Fire 69PS petrol engine. These have the highest MOT pass rates (86-89%), avoid the TwinAir oil issues, and benefit from mild cosmetic updates. The 2020 model year hits 88.4% MOT pass rate — the best of the entire production run. Avoid 2010-2012 and 2015 models specifically.
Before committing, check the car's full MOT history, verify the service record is complete, and if possible arrange a specialist inspection. Enter any registration into our free report to see the complete picture.
Get Car Wise maintains a database of known mechanical issues for every popular car on UK roads, tracking the faults that owners, specialists and DVSA data reveal.
When you run a report on a specific Fiat 500, we cross-reference the exact variant, engine and age against our database of 12 known issues. Combined with full MOT history analysis, mileage verification and DVLA data, you get a complete picture before viewing.
Enter the registration for MOT history, mileage verification, known faults for that exact variant, and a Get Car Wise Score.
This guide was compiled from independent expert reviews, DVSA MOT data, specialist workshops and our own database of 12 known Fiat 500 issues. We are not affiliated with any source listed.