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FIAT 500Years to avoid, problems & recalls

Based on 811 NHTSA owner complaints across 8 model years, the FIAT 500 years to avoid are 2012, and the strongest years are 2013, 2014 and 2015. The 500 has 6 safety recalls on record.

FIAT 500
Years to avoid'12Based on weighted complaintsBest years'13 '14 '15Fewest complaints for their ageOwner complaints811Top: Power trainSafety recalls62012–2019 model years

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years. Photo: SsmIntrigue, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Best & worst years

FIAT 500 years to avoid

Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 500 median. Tap a year for its full report.

'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2019Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall2018Not rated–/1005 complaints · 1 recall2017Not rated–/10014 complaints · 1 recall2016Not rated–/10014 complaints · 3 recalls2015Solid62/10092 complaints · 3 recalls2014Solid52/100124 complaints · 3 recalls2013Solid48/100166 complaints · 3 recalls2012Avoid28/100396 complaints · 3 recalls
Complaints by system

Most common FIAT 500 problems

All model years combined: 811 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train39115
Electrical system13610
Engine1096
Air bags5229
Fuel/propulsion system402
Steering384
Service brakes346
Structure3210
Exterior lighting301
17 other systems16511
6 recalls

FIAT 500 recalls

Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.

34%Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems24V-474 · 2014–2019 · Jun 25, 2024 · 12,675 vehicles40%Power train: automatic transmission19V-817 · 2012–2013 · Nov 15, 2019 · 51,788 vehicles100%Other: labels16V-667 · 2016 · Sep 15, 2016 · 32 vehicles65%Power train: manual transmission16V-302 · 2012–2016 · May 16, 2016 · 39,185 vehicles82%Power train: automatic transmission15V-291 · 2013–2015 · May 18, 2015 · 3,851 vehicles–Service brakes, hydraulic: fluid11V-550 · 2012 · Nov 10, 2011 · 340 vehicles
2 investigations

NHTSA investigations of the 500

  1. Pedestrian alert soundsDP22005 · 2018–2019 · closed Aug 7, 2023
    Led to recall 22V-063
  2. Electrical overstressEA19001 · 2012–2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024
    Led to recall 20V-024