Before you buy a used Fiat 500L.
Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.
The essentials.
- 3 documented, sourced faults across its 3 engines.
- We have no official recalls on record for this model; ask anyway, with the chassis number (VIN).
- According to the data we have, all its engines have the same number of documented faults.
Typical faults by engine
The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.
1.4
Petrol
- FIRE head gasket, belt and coilsCylinder head / timing / ignition
- Period mentioned
- 2000–2020
- Mileage mentioned
- 80,000–150,000 km
0.9 TwinAir
Petrol
- MultiAir actuator starved of oil pressureValvetrain (MultiAir actuator)
- Period mentioned
- 2009–2024
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
1.3 / 1.6 Multijet
Diesel
- 1.3 Multijet chain, DPF and EGRTiming / DPF / EGR
- Period mentioned
- 2003–2020
- Mileage mentioned
- 80,000–120,000 km
Which engine has the fewest documented faults?
| Engine | Documented faults |
|---|---|
| 1.4Petrol | 1 |
| 0.9 TwinAirPetrol | 1 |
| 1.3 / 1.6 MultijetDiesel | 1 |
According to the data we have, all its engines have the same number of documented faults.
By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Diesel.
We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.
Official recalls: ask before you pay
We have no official recalls on record for this model. Our list is not complete: ask anyway, with the chassis number.
- Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
- Ask an official Fiat dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
- Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
On the test drive: what to look and listen for
Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.
0 of 3 checked
Cylinder head / timing / ignition
Look out for: Coolant loss, white smoke or mayonnaise-like oil (head gasket); misfires and, if the ECU is damaged, the car will not start or cuts out.
Ask them to check: Check the coolant level and oil filler cap, check when the belt was last changed (also by age) and test the coils before they fail.
Valvetrain (MultiAir actuator)
Look out for: Hard or rough cold starts, hesitation, stalling and an engine light with P1523 (low oil pressure in the MultiAir system).
Ask them to check: Change the oil and filter with the correct specification, inspect the MultiAir mesh filter and measure oil pressure before replacing the actuator.
Timing / DPF / EGR
Look out for: Chain rattle on cold starts; oil level rising and smelling of diesel; particulate filter warning; power loss from a dirty EGR or the turbo.
Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start, check whether the oil is above maximum or smells of diesel, read the DPF status and check the oil change history.
OBD codes worth looking for
If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.
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