Fiat Seicento
Registered from 1998 to 2003.
About this model
The Fiat Seicento is a city car produced by the Italian company Fiat, introduced at the end of 1997 as a replacement for the Fiat Cinquecento, although it was also based on the Cinquecento. The Seicento did not differ much from its predecessor, retaining the same engines, chassis and general dimensions, although it did gain a minor 90 mm in length.
From the Wikipedia article Fiat Seicento, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2003 1.1 petrol. 217 of 676 tests failed, 32%.
Better than 14% of 2003 cars. The typical one fails 28%, across 639 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 54% | 118 |
| Lights and electrics | 43% | 93 |
| Suspension | 38% | 82 |
| Body and structure | 35% | 77 |
| Visibility | 22% | 47 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 21% | 46 |
The defects inspectors cite
- The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
- Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.
- Exhaust system leaking or insecure
- A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
- Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Brakes — 54% of its failures
- Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
- Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
- Suspension — 38% of its failures
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
- Exhaust and emissions — 21% of its failures
- Exhaust system leaking or insecure
- Lights and electrics — 43% of its failures
- Body and structure — 35% of its failures
- Visibility — 22% of its failures
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
When it starts failing
At 80–100k miles this one fails 41% of its inspections, against the 28% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20k miles | 23% | — | 35 | |
| 20–40k miles | 19% | 17% | 109 | |
| 40–60k miles | 31% | 22% | 224 | |
| 60–80k miles | 38% | 25% | 181 | |
| 80–100k miles | 41% | 28% | 87 |
636 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 40k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.