Fiat 500L problems, reliability and years to avoid
If you are considering buying a used Fiat 500L, these are the common problems worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 2 known faults for this model, 1 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
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Is the Fiat 500L reliable?
The Fiat 500L has 2 known faults in our database, 1 of them rated high severity. The most serious are engine (the 1.3 MultiJet diesel is highly susceptible to diesel particulate filter) and gearbox (the Dualogic automated manual is an ordinary manual gearbox shifted by a hydraulic). None of them makes the car a bad buy on its own; the risk is a seller who knows and says nothing.
That is a count of the faults we hold, not a reliability score. Popular cars get written about more, and a newer generation has had less time to show its faults.
Which Fiat 500L years should you avoid?
No year is a write-off on its own. What matters is which serious faults a given year and engine can have, and whether the car in front of you has had them fixed.
Years and engines with a serious known fault
2008 to 2021, 1.3 MultiJet diesel with DPF (the same engine as the 500 and Panda): the 1.3 MultiJet diesel is highly susceptible to diesel particulate filter
Each one is set out in full below, with the symptoms, the typical mileage and a rough repair cost.
Generation 1 of 12 known faults · 5 owner reports · 9 good notes
Fiat 500L Mk1 (2013 to 2022) problems
Transmission/ClutchMedium severity📝 Editorial
The Dualogic automated manual is an ordinary manual gearbox shifted by a hydraulic actuator, and the actuator is the weak point: it cracks and leaks its fluid onto the electrics, the pump and accumulator fail, and the car jumps out of gear, refuses to select or drops to neutral in traffic. Owners report failures from as early as 17,000 miles. Repairs range from a cheap brake switch to a failed pump and accumulator that costs more than an older Panda or 500 is worth, and specialists note a 12-year-old Dualogic car with a transmission fault is effectively scrap value.
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Engine/EmissionsHigh severity📝 Editorial
The 1.3 MultiJet diesel is highly susceptible to diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration issues, especially with short journeys or town driving. Fuel injected to burn off the filter can fail to combust and instead dilute the engine oil, raising the sump level. If ignored, the engine can run uncontrollably on its own sump oil, over-revving until it destroys itself, so the oil level needs watching closely.
Rough guide
£Unknown
Typical symptoms
Dashboard 'oil exhausted' warning light
Engine oil level rising above maximum on dipstick
Engine revving uncontrollably (runaway diesel)
Excessive black or white smoke from exhaust
Affected vehicles
Engines:
1.3 MultiJet diesel with DPF (the same engine as the 500 and Panda)
Typical mileage:
14000-100000 miles
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What owners report on the Mk1
5 single reports, unconfirmed
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Bodywork · August 2018A 2013 Fiat 500L experienced a water ingress issue, resulting in a leak into the passenger footwell.
Suspension and steering · August 2018A 2013 Fiat 500L suffered a steering angle sensor failure, causing the steering wheel to be off-centre and make a grating noise.
Electrics · February 2017An airbag warning light on a Fiat 500L repeatedly re-triggered since February 2016, despite being reset.
Engine · June 2016The TwinAir engine is sensitive to oil type; using incorrect oil can damage the MultiAir system, costing around A 1,200 to replace.
Bodywork · July 2015The alloy wheels on a Fiat 500L Trekking showed signs of corrosion developing underneath the protective lacquer coating.
What owners like about the Mk1
9 notes
The car achieved a Five Star Euro NCAP rating, with strong scores for adult and child protection.
The vehicle offers excellent forward visibility due to its deep, windowed A-pillars.
The Fiat 500L offers a highly practical and versatile load area, making it suitable for various transport needs.
A space saver spare wheel is included, with sufficient room for a full-sized spare.
A clearer digital speed display can be activated on the car's instrument panel through the settings menu.
There is ample room available in the middle row, providing comfortable accommodation for adult passengers.
The load area offers great flexibility with sliding seats and three options for floor height.
The 1.6-litre diesel engine variant provides the most responsive and powerful driving experience.
The vehicle comes equipped with a touchscreen infotainment system as a standard feature.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
We track 5 specific phrases sellers use in adverts to soft-pedal these exact issues. Paste any Fiat 500L advert and we check it in seconds.
Repair costs are typical UK ranges, not quotes. Actual cost depends on condition and garage.Data last verified: September 2026
Fiat 500L buying questions
Which Fiat 500L years should I avoid?
No Fiat 500L year is a write-off, but the Mk1 (2013 to 2022) carries the most serious faults: engine. Year matters less than whether the specific car has had the known fixes, so check the history for them.
What should I check when viewing a used Fiat 500L?
Ask the seller about the engine and gearbox faults on this page and whether they have been fixed, with invoices. On the test drive watch for dashboard 'oil exhausted' warning light and gearbox check light. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories, then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against its known faults before you travel. Check a Fiat 500L advert →
What is the real MPG of a Fiat 500L?
Owners report 47.7 mpg on average across the Fiat 500L engines with data, about 77% of the official combined figure. The gap between official and real-world economy varies a lot by engine, so the Real MPG page lists every engine and generation separately, from 107 owner submissions. Fiat 500L Real MPG by engine →
If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Fiat 500L owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.