Abarth cars, known for their sporty and distinctive Italian design, were commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. The FCA launched a full review into motor finance mis-selling practices, uncovering issues with
discretionary commission arrangements that affected millions of consumers across various brands and lenders.
## How Abarth Cars Were Financed
Abarth cars were often financed through leading providers such as
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance. These finance agreements typically offered flexible repayment terms with options to lease or purchase the vehicle at the end of the contract. PCP agreements allowed customers to make lower monthly payments while reserving the option to buy the car outright, return it, or trade up for a newer model. HP agreements provided ownership from day one but required higher monthly payments throughout the term.
## The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA's investigation revealed that many finance providers had been offering discretionary commissions to motor retailers and dealerships as an incentive for selling their products. These arrangements often resulted in consumers being misled about the true cost of their car finance agreements, with unnecessary charges hidden within the terms and conditions. According to the FCA's findings, 12.1 million eligible agreements were affected by these practices (FCA estimate), leading to an average overcharge of £829 per customer (£7.5 billion total; FCA estimate).
## How to Check Your Agreement Key elements include unusually high fees or charges, terms and conditions that seem unclear or misleading, and any evidence of inflated purchase prices compared to market rates. The investigation period covered from 6 April 2007 until 1 November 2024; if your finance agreement falls within this timeframe, it is worth reviewing the details closely.
## How to
Complain Directly to Your Lender for Free
If you suspect that your Abarth car's finance agreement was mis-sold under discretionary commission arrangements, you can initiate a complaint directly with your lender at no cost. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance all have dedicated teams to handle customer complaints. They are required by law to address any concerns thoroughly and fairly. You do not need a
claims management company to assist you in this process.
## Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). "Motor Finance Mis-selling Investigation." FCA, 2024.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS). Census 2021.
FCA Compensation: FCA Scheme Figures
The FCA confirmed on 30 March 2026 that 12.1 million motor finance agreements are covered by the FCA redress scheme. The FCA-estimated scheme average of £829 per eligible agreement per agreement, with a total of £7.5 billion set aside for consumers. The scheme covers PCP and HP agreements entered into between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024.
Two separate schemes apply: post-2014 agreements (implement by 30 June 2026) and pre-2014 agreements (implement by 31 August 2026). The final deadline to complain is 31 August 2027. You can complain to your lender directly for free. You do not need a claims management company.
Across 30,163 MOT tests in 2024, Abarth vehicles have an overall pass rate of 83.9%. This is above the national average of 79.6%. DVSA data covers 15 Abarth models with sufficient test volume.
- Overall pass rate: 83.9%
- Total MOT tests (2024): 30,163
- Models with data: 15
- National average: 79.6%
Best Abarth models for MOT pass rate
- Abarth 124 Spider Multiair Auto: 92.7% pass rate (698 tests)
- Abarth 124 Spider Multiair: 92.0% pass rate (1,003 tests)
- Abarth 595C: 87.1% pass rate (1,422 tests)
- Abarth 595: 84.5% pass rate (19,860 tests)
- Abarth 500: 76.4% pass rate (5,055 tests)
Abarth MOT Reliability Trend (2022-2024)
Abarth MOT pass rates have declined slightly, from 84.7% in 2022 to 83.9% in 2024 (-0.8 percentage points).
- 2022: 84.7% pass rate (28,425 tests)
- 2023: 84.4% pass rate (30,435 tests)
- 2024: 83.9% pass rate (30,163 tests)
Based on 89,023 MOT tests across three years (DVSA open data).
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, Open Government Licence v3.0.