2010 Fiat 500 1.2L Petrol · MA10 YTG

The 2010 Fiat 500 presents a mixed maintenance picture that has stabilised in the most recent test. The March 2026 pass at 91,805 miles recorded zero defects, which is a clean result and suggests the car has had recent attention. However, the preceding March 2025 test tells a different story. That inspection initially failed on a nearside rear shock absorber bush before a later pass on the same day at 86,846 miles still carried a long list of advisories. The trend is therefore one of improvement from a poor baseline, not a consistently well-maintained history. The jump from a heavily advisory-laden 2025 test to a completely clean 2026 result indicates faults were addressed, but the underlying pattern shows neglect followed by catch-up repairs rather than steady preventative care. The mileage profile is notably low for a 2010 vehicle. At roughly 5,738 miles per year, this Fiat 500 has seen light use. The 2023 test recorded 82,230 miles, rising to 85,665 by March 2024, then 86,843 by March 2025, and finally 91,805 by March 2026. That last year saw nearly 5,000 miles added, a sharper increase than the prior years which averaged around 3,400 annually. The 2025 test occurred just three miles after the failed attempt on the same day, suggesting the car was driven straight to a retest. The overall accumulation is gentle, but the recent uptick combined with the volume of corrosion-related advisories raises questions about whether the car has spent long periods standing, which can accelerate deterioration of rubber components, brake lines, and sub-frames. Buyers should focus their physical inspection on the rear of the car. The rear sub-frame has appeared corroded in three consecutive tests from 2023 through 2025, with testers noting it was not seriously weakened but the repeated flagging warrants a close look underneath for section loss or perforation. The rear exhaust system has been a persistent weak point, with the back box and mounting deteriorating across multiple years and corroded clamps causing gas leaks. Check the offside rear brake pipe, which was flagged in 2025 as corroded and contaminated with grease, a combination that can mask active weeping or imminent failure. The parking brake has repeatedly only just met minimum efficiency thresholds, appearing in advisories in both 2024 and 2025, so test its hold on a steep incline rather than assuming the 2026 clean sheet resolved the underlying issue. The front brake discs were flagged as worn and pitted in 2025, and front pads were noted as wearing thin in 2024. These are consumables, but the fact they appeared as advisories rather than being replaced before the 2026 test suggests the owner may have deferred basic upkeep. The nearside rear shock absorber bush failure in 2025 points to suspension wear consistent with a car that may have sat unused for periods, perishing rubber bushes. Inspect all suspension bushes, coil springs for sag or cracking, and check the condition of tyres for age-related sidewall deterioration, which is common on low-mileage cars that cover few miles but sit for extended periods. The clean 2026 result is encouraging, but the history beneath it reveals a car that needed significant remedial work to reach that standard.