What FIAT 500 owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See FIAT 500 safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 83 |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 2017 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 101 |
| 2016 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 165 |
| 2015 | 92 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 167 |
| 2014 | 124 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 144 |
| 2013 | 165 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 133 |
| 2012 | 396 | 21 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 132 |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
The vehicle systems named most often in FIAT 500 complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
Gear cable broke. Automatic engine could not allow gears to shift. Would like for my vehicle to be included under NHTSA TECALL 19V-817. FCA Campaign Vb4.Fiat 500c 2012-13. MOPAR Fiat case #98205553.
The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that upon shifting the gear shifter into drive(D), park(P), or reverse(R), the transmission failed to shift into the intended gear and shifted into a different gear. The vehicle was towed to the dealer after each failure. The dealer repaired the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V817000 (Power Train); however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure several times by phone and by an online complaint. Several cases were filed and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance.
The contact owns a 2017 Fiat 500. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the check engine, TPMS, and several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was jerking and making an abnormal sound. The failure was recurrent. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who was unable to duplicate or determine the cause of the failure. The dealer was contacted by phone. The failure mileage was approximately 15,873.
I am filing a complaint concerning a recurring gear shift failure in my 2012 fiat 500c. The same failure has occurred three times between June 10 and September 8, 2026. On June 10, 2026 I was able to move shift lever but the transmission remained in reverse and would not shift into another gear despite multiple attempts. I did not know what the cause or problem was and had no knowledge that it might be related to a safety recall. I had vehicle towed to an independent repair shop who subsequently diagnosed a faulty gear shifter and replaced it and this restored the vehicles operation. The shop was able to replace the faulty part and the car was returned to me on June 12, 2026. On August 21,…
The clutch went out while downshifting upon making a turn onto a street. The gear shift became wobbly and would not shift into any gear. This happened without warning. Minutes before, my passenger and I were driving across town on a freeway.
Systemic Hydraulic Defect & Safety Recall Circumvention I am reporting a critical safety defect in the clutch hydraulic system of my 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth, which directly mirrors the failures described in NHTSA Recalls 16V-302 and 20V-124. Diagnostic measurements confirm a 1.23mm hydraulic over-travel in the clutch release bearing/slave cylinder assembly. This over-travel causes the diaphragm spring to be over-extended, leading to the catastrophic failure of the pressure plate and subsequent inability to disengage the clutch. This poses an immediate safety risk of vehicle surge or inability to shift gears while in motion. Despite this objective engineering data, Stellantis (FCA US, LLC) Ex…
The contact owns a 2015 Fiat 500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and attempting to downshift, the vehicle failed to respond as intended while the RPM continued to rev. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the gear shifter was significantly difficult to move up or down, causing difficulty in engaging the brake as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the manual transmission gear pin had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 16V302000(Power Train) nor 19E044000 (Power Train). The man…
Message flashing "service power steering, hill climb and ESC" appears on an average of once a month for the last few years. No loss of control yet, but it came on three starts in a row for the first time. Usually goes away with a second start. Making an appointment with a dealer (Putnam) in Burlingame, Ca to diagnose. $250 to scan and who knows how much to repair.
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
Broken Exterior Driver And/Or Passenger Door Handles XB2 Warranty Extension Customers may comment the following: â One or both exterior door handles are broken. This bulletin involves replacing one or both exterior door handles.
High Voltage Air Conditioning Refrigerant Dye
Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood, hinges or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates.
Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood, hinges or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates.
Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood, hinges or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders:
"Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood, hinges or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates. NOTE: Verify current warranty policy to determine if digital imaging pre-authorization is required or pre-approval is required from the Regional Office; depending on market. This bulletin involves inspecting and if necessary removing corrosion and refinishing the suspect aluminum panels on the vehicle, hood, door, fenders, hinges, swing gates or liftgate panels."
Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC) Inaccurate, Battery Charging Message, Presence of IBS related Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), or Battery Warning Lamp On
Air Bag Warning Lamp Illumination Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) has been set: ? B0050-1D - Driver Front Buckle Switch - Out of Range (Active or Stored). ? B0050-13 - Driver Front Buckle Switch - Circuit open (Active or Stored). This bulletin involves replacing the inline seat connector.
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service Library that is causing the incorrect repair kit part number to populate. Please use the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website until this issue is resolved.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-spe
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Ele
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2011–2020, owners most often name: power train, electrical system, engine. 811 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.
