2009 · 15 years old at test · Petrol mostly

2009 Abarth 500 MOT pass rate and common faults

687 MOT tests in 2024. 63.3% passed first time, compared with 58.4% for all cars the same age.

108Well above average
Passed first time63.3%
Failed or needed repairs36.7%
Typical mileage at test84,000

Most common reasons for failing

Share of all 687 tests where this item caused a failure.

  1. Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt4.9%
  2. Suspension arms - ball joint: ball joint excessively worn3.5%
  3. Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3.1%
    26 marked dangerous
  4. Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits3.1%
  5. Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect2.9%
  6. Suspension arms - pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn2.9%
  7. Position lamp: not working2.6%
  8. Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2.2%
    24 marked dangerous
  9. Stop lamp: not working2.0%
  10. Headlamp: not working on main beam1.7%

Problem areas

Failure items found per 100 tests, by part of the car.

  1. Lights & electrics24.9%
  2. Suspension22.6%
  3. Brakes11.1%
  4. Emissions & leaks9.5%
  5. Body & chassis9.0%
  6. Tyres7.9%
  7. Visibility (wipers, screen, mirrors)4.7%
  8. Steering1.9%

Most common advisories

Not failures yet, but things the tester warned about.

  1. Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened16.2%
  2. Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm14.0%
  3. Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened13.4%
  4. Suspension arms - pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn8.4%
  5. Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened7.3%

What this means if you are buying one

This model year does better than most cars its age, so it is a reasonable used buy on MOT record alone. Before buying, check the area that fails most: joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. Then look up the car's own MOT history on GOV.UK with its number plate, and look for repeat advisories.

All 500 years2010 500 →

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate for a 2009 Abarth 500?

In 2024, 63.3% of 2009 Abarth 500 cars passed their MOT first time, across 687 tests. The average for all 15-year-old cars was 58.4%.

What are the most common MOT failures on a 2009 Abarth 500?

The most common failure reasons were joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt; suspension arms - ball joint: ball joint excessively worn; tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. The biggest problem area was lights & electrics.

Is the 2009 Abarth 500 reliable at MOT time?

Its MOT Rank score is 108, which is well above average for a car of its age (100 means exactly average).