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What to check: Fiat 500L

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Ranked across all years of the Fiat 500L, 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.

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 10.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this modelDrive 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 9.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%

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 7.0% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.4%

LeaksRuns high on this modelLook at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 4.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this modelWith a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 4.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.8%

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 3.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

Steering playRuns high on this modelWith the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 2.8% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.1%

Worth doing on any used car

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

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 22.2% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%

Pads and discsLook 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 15.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%

Windscreen and wipersScan 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 2.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.7%

Because of what owners report

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

Start the diesel from cold and check the dipstick.Oil noticeably above the max mark, or smelling of diesel, points at DPF regen overfuelling.

On a TwinAir petrol, ask for full service history and the oil used.Anything other than Selenium-spec oil on the invoice is a red flag for MultiAir damage.

If it's the Dualogic automatic, hold it on a slope in slow traffic for a minute.A burning smell, a warning light, or a jerky reverse means the clutch or actuator is wearing out.

Drive it in a straight line and check the steering wheel sits dead centre.An off-centre wheel or grinding on full lock is the steering angle sensor fault, not just wear.

Check the dash for an airbag warning light after start-up.If it's on, ask whether it's been reset before; a light that keeps returning rarely gets properly fixed.

Pull the full MOT history online before viewing.Repeated steering or suspension advisories line up with the pattern owners report.

Get a diagnostic read on any automatic before buying.Gearbox fault codes here usually mean an expensive Dualogic repair, not a quick reset.

Full Fiat 500L reliability report