Fiat 500 Reliability
1,116 NHTSA complaints (2011–2018). Complaint rate: 258.0 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2012–2013 Fiat 500. The 2016–2018 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: POWER TRAIN.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Fiat 500 Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 374 | 1.6% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 126 | 3.2% |
| ENGINE | 108 | 2.8% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 89 | 6.7% |
| AIR BAGS | 52 | 53.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 40 | 5.0% |
| STEERING | 38 | 10.5% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 34 | 17.6% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 29 | 6.9% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 28 | 0.0% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 2011View→ |
| 2012AVOID | — | 536 | 32 | 5 | View 2012View→ |
| 2013AVOID | — | 214 | 14 | 3 | View 2013View→ |
| 2014 | — | 172 | 12 | 9 | View 2014View→ |
| 2015 | — | 141 | 8 | 3 | View 2015View→ |
| 2016GOOD | — | 27 | 8 | — | View 2016View→ |
| 2017GOOD | — | 19 | 4 | — | View 2017View→ |
| 2018GOOD | — | 5 | 0 | — | View 2018View→ |
See also: Fiat 500accident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
Buying a Fiat 500?
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