Diesel Fiat 500 L: MOT pass rate

66.1% of diesel Fiat 500 Ls pass the MOT first time, measured across 2,624 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 80,392.

Diesel against the other Fiat 500 L versions

Fuel Pass rate Tests
Diesel 66.1% 2,624
Petrol 67.9% 1,471
All Fiat 500 L66.7%4,095

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the Fiat 500 L specifically, petrol is the strongest at 67.9%, and this diesel version sits 0.6 points below the 66.7% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

There is little to choose between fuel types on this model, so decide on running costs and mileage rather than MOT record. Check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel Fiat 500 L had covered 80,392 miles at test, against 69,391 for the petrol. That is above average, the point where suspension bushes, drop links and exhaust corrosion start showing up as advisories before they become failures.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Fiat 500 L page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Other Fiat 500 L fuel types

All Fiat 500 L MOT data · Every model