All models / City cars / Abarth 500 / 500e / What to check

What to check: Abarth 500 / 500e

CBy miles

Ranked across all years of the Abarth 500 / 500e, from its own MOT record and from what owners report. Tick it off at the car.

From this model's MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Coil springsRuns high on this modelLook through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 19.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 5.0%

Bushes and ball jointsDrive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 13.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 9.0%

DampersRuns high on this modelLook for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 7.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.7%

Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this modelGet down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 6.6% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 4.3%

Rubber boots and gaitersRuns high on this modelOn full steering lock, look in behind each front wheel at the concertina rubber boots on the driveshafts and steering rack. Splits, or grease flung around the arch, mean dirt is getting into a joint that costs far more than the boot protecting it.Recorded on 5.0% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 1.5%

ExhaustRuns high on this modelListen along the exhaust at cold idle for blowing or chuffing, and give the tailpipe a push to check nothing hangs loose. Small blows only get louder.Recorded on 3.8% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.2%

Brake pipes underneathFollow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 3.8% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 6.2%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller's upkeep rather than the model.

Pads and discsRuns high on this modelLook through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 28.0% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 11.4%

Tyres, all fourCheck the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 24.4% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 20.9%

Windscreen and wipersRuns high on this modelScan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.3% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 1.2%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the owner reports rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Floor it from low revs and watch for limp mode, flat acceleration, or an engine light.Points to the boost solenoid or wastegate rather than the turbo itself.

Drive slowly over speed bumps or a rough road and listen for knocking from the front end.Worn anti-roll bar drop links or bushes, the model's most common MOT-linked complaint.

On a manual, pull away gently from a stop and listen for judder or rattle at idle.Signs the clutch or dual-mass flywheel is on its way out, a four-figure fix.

Cycle the central locking on every door and check the rear light clusters for condensation.Both are recurring electrical gremlins on this model.

Check the MOT history for repeated ABS or suspension advisories rather than just the pass/fail.The same advisory coming back year after year means it's been ignored, not fixed.

On a 500e, ask for a battery state-of-health check or app screenshot and try a real-world charge.There's no track record yet on how these batteries age, so verify it yourself.

Pair a phone over Bluetooth and run the infotainment through its menus.Freezing screens or failed pairing is a known niggle across the range.

Full Abarth 500 / 500e reliability report