500buyer's guide

The Series 3 Fiat 500 sells on style, and plenty of used examples look the part without being ready for the road. Timing belt and wet-belt service neglect, gearbox judder on the dual-clutch variants, and emissions system faults on city-used diesels are the three problems that catch buyers who rely on a visual inspection alone. The car is characterful and cheap to run when it is right — this guide tells you how to confirm it is right before you pay.

This guide covers ten documented issues: timing belt, chain or wet-belt service risk, DSG and automatic clutch judder, AdBlue, DPF and EGR emissions fault, coolant leak or water pump fault, infotainment and software electrical faults, suspension knocks and tyre wear, brake corrosion or EPB fault, panoramic roof or boot water leak, ADAS and radar calibration fault, and the full recall and campaign status checklist. Each fault has a field check and a real repair-cost range.

A well-serviced Series 3 500 with a clean scan and documented timing work is a genuinely low-cost used car. One with a skipped service interval or active emissions codes is the opposite. Twenty minutes with this guide is enough to tell the difference.