Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
700–25K
8825–50K
6750–75K
2875–100K
23100–150K
13150K+
289 reports with mileage · 106 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Power Train. Review the 200 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 51 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
21 crash reports4 fire reports16 injury reports
What owners actually said
395 reports
100,000 miles · Apr 1, 2019
Unknown Or OtherFire
WHILE DRIVING CAR LOST POWER AND SMOKE BEGAN COMING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR WAS PULLED TO SIDE OF INTERSTATE. IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER HOOD TO SEE FLAMES AND SMOKE. CALLED 911 REPORT THE FIRE, DISPATCH SAID FIRE AND POLICE WOULD ARRIVE SOON. CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD…
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WHILE DRIVING CAR LOST POWER AND SMOKE BEGAN COMING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR WAS PULLED TO SIDE OF INTERSTATE. IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER HOOD TO SEE FLAMES AND SMOKE. CALLED 911 REPORT THE FIRE, DISPATCH SAID FIRE AND POLICE WOULD ARRIVE SOON. CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD FOR A SECOND TIME, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE MORE FIRE AND SMOKE. PROCEEDED TO GATHER PURSE AND BAG FROM THE BACKSEAT. APPROXIMATELY 4 MINUTES HAD ELAPSED. BY THIS TIME THE CAR IS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I MOVED APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AWAY IN FEAR THE CAR MAY EXPLODE. ANOTHER 4-5 MINUTES PASSED WHEN POLICE ARRIVED AND AN ADDITIONAL 6-7 MORE MINUTES FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS TO RESPOND. AS FOR PERSONAL SAFETY, DRIVING HAD APPROXIMATELY 4 MINUTES TO ESCAPE VEHICLE FROM CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARING TO THE ENTIRE BE COMPLETELY ENCOMPASSED WITH FLAMES. DRIVER ESCAPED UNHARMED, BUT WAS INCREDIBLY SHAKEN BY THE SCARY EVENTS THAT UNFOLDED IN SUCH A RAPID PERIOD OF TIME. CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO BE SAVED.
NHTSA ODI #11193108
Mileage unknown · Mar 30, 2019
Fuel/propulsion System
WHILE FILLING GAS TANK, "CLICK" AS TANK FILLED DID NOT OCCUR, TANK OVERFLOWED. TANK THEN BECAME DIFFICULT TO REFILL, VERY SLOW CAUTION LIGHT OCCURRED SERVICE GARAGE SUSPECTS MALFUNCTION IN TANK SYSTEM DEALER WILL WARRANTY IF "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" APPEARS
NHTSA ODI #11192611
64,000 miles · Mar 22, 2019
Fuel/propulsion System
WHEN PUTTING FUEL IN TANK, I COULD ONLY PUT ABOUT ONE GALLON AND IT STARTED BUBBLING OUT OF TANK. FUEL ROLLOVER VALVE IS PROBLEM AND HAS TO BE REPLACED BY REPLACING ENTIRE FUEL TANK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND COVERED ON THE 2012 FIAT 500 POP
NHTSA ODI #11190879
86,000 miles · Mar 20, 2019
Fuel/propulsion System
WHEN FILLING UP WITH GAS - PUMP CLICKS OFF EVERY FEW SECONDS. TAKES A LONG TIME TO FILL TANK AT A VERY LOW RATE OF FLOW. MAKES IT EASY TO OVERFLOW! MY MECHANIC SAYS SOMETHING IS FAULTY WITH THE GAS TANK.
NHTSA ODI #11190205
24,571 miles · Mar 14, 2019
EnginePower Train
CAR HAS OIL LEAK FROM ENGINE MAIN SEAL.ISSUE ADVICED TO DEALER UPON SALE,MECHANICS DENIED UNTIL 3RD PARTY ESTIMATE.THEN DEALER SAID TO HAVE FIXED IT UNTIL ONCE AGAIN THE ISSUE CAME UP--SERVICE DONE FOR MAINTENANCE KEPT. DEALERSHIP SOLD. NEW OWNERS OF DEALERS FOUND SAME PROBLEM. NEW WARRANTY DENIED CLAIMS AND SAID IT WAS A PREX C…
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CAR HAS OIL LEAK FROM ENGINE MAIN SEAL.ISSUE ADVICED TO DEALER UPON SALE,MECHANICS DENIED UNTIL 3RD PARTY ESTIMATE.THEN DEALER SAID TO HAVE FIXED IT UNTIL ONCE AGAIN THE ISSUE CAME UP--SERVICE DONE FOR MAINTENANCE KEPT. DEALERSHIP SOLD. NEW OWNERS OF DEALERS FOUND SAME PROBLEM. NEW WARRANTY DENIED CLAIMS AND SAID IT WAS A PREX CONDITION THAT WAS NOT TAKEN CARE. CAR CONTINUES TO LEAK OIL AND ISSUE IS NOW ON MY BILL AS RESPONSIBILITY. ISSUE IS A FIAT BRAND FOR THE YEAR 2012 AND SHOULD BE FIAT RESPONISBILILITY TO MONITOR AND RECALL CARS WITH THESE ISSUES TO FIX.FIAT TOO NEEDS TO MONITOR DEALERSHIPS THAT SELL USED CARS WITH PROBLEMS THEY DENY TO SERVICE PRIOR TO SELLING AND AWARE OF THE ISSUE BEFORE IT WAS SOLD ALONG WITH A RECALL THAT HAD NOT BEEN SERVICED PRIOR TO THE SALE AND OLD MANAGER/PRIOR TO SALE OF BUSINESS DID NOT TAKE CARE OF ALTHOUGH AWARE IT WAS IN PLACE..
NHTSA ODI #11186790
58,000 miles · Mar 4, 2019
Fuel/propulsion System
WHEN TRYING TO PUMP GAS IN CAR, IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 10 MINS TO PUMP ONE GALLON AND IT WOULD SHUT OFF CONSTANTLY. IN OTHER WORDS WHEN SQUEEZING THE PUMP, IT WOULD PUT A FEW DROPS AND CUT OFF AND IT WOULD CONTINUOUSLY DO THIS. THE PROBLEMS WAS THE ROLLER OVER SHUT OFF VALVE WAS STUCK AND THE SOLUTION WAS TO GET A WHOLE NEW TANK.…
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WHEN TRYING TO PUMP GAS IN CAR, IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 10 MINS TO PUMP ONE GALLON AND IT WOULD SHUT OFF CONSTANTLY. IN OTHER WORDS WHEN SQUEEZING THE PUMP, IT WOULD PUT A FEW DROPS AND CUT OFF AND IT WOULD CONTINUOUSLY DO THIS. THE PROBLEMS WAS THE ROLLER OVER SHUT OFF VALVE WAS STUCK AND THE SOLUTION WAS TO GET A WHOLE NEW TANK. IN ORDER TO KEEP EXPENSES DOWN AND BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT RECALLED, WE HAD OUR MECHANIC MOVE THE "BALL" AND THIS RESOLVED THE ISSUE UNTIL IT GETS STUCK AGAIN. THE COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $150
NHTSA ODI #11183928
60,000 miles · Mar 4, 2019
Power Train
GEAR SHIFT IS STUCK IN PARK BUT CAR IS ACTUALLY IN NEUTRAL. IT WILL NOT MOVE. WAS PULLING IN PARKING SPOT AND REALIZED WHEN I PUT CAR IN PARK AND RELEASE FOOT OFF BRAKE MY CAR WAS ACTUALLY IN NEUTRAL. CANNOT CHANGE GEAR.
NHTSA ODI #11183912
93,000 miles · Feb 24, 2019
Fuel/propulsion System
GAS PUMP CONSTANTLY KICKS OFF WHILE PUMPING GAS. BASICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FILL CAR UP WITH GAS. HAVE TO CONSTANTLY SQUEEZE LITTLE BURSTS OF GAS IN A TIME BETWEEN GAS PUMPING KICKING OFF. CHECKING ONLINE FOR OPTIONS TO RESOLVE ISSUES RESULTS IN SEEING THE ISSUE OCCUR IN MANY DIFFERENT FIATS FROM THIS YEAR.
NHTSA ODI #11182209
72,359 miles · Feb 6, 2019
Fuel/propulsion System
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE 20 MINUTES TO FILL THE FUEL TANK AND FUEL SPILLED OUT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. FIAT OF MELBOURNE (300 E NASA BLVD, MELBOURNE, FL 32901, (321) 727-7711) INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FUEL TANK, FUEL TANK PUMP, AND CANISTER NEEDED TO …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE 20 MINUTES TO FILL THE FUEL TANK AND FUEL SPILLED OUT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. FIAT OF MELBOURNE (300 E NASA BLVD, MELBOURNE, FL 32901, (321) 727-7711) INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FUEL TANK, FUEL TANK PUMP, AND CANISTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,359. *DT
NHTSA ODI #11174828
55,000 miles · Feb 4, 2019
Engine
AN ISSUE INVOLVING THE STARTER MOTOR BOLTS NOT BEING GROUNDED. CAUSED INTERMITTENT STARTING. THIS ISSUE IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR FIAT UNDER THE FOLLOWING: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION NOTIFICATION N15 STARTER MOTOR MOUNTING BOLTS 2012 (FF) FIAT 500 NOTE: THIS NOTIFICATION APPLIES ONLY TO THE ABOVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH…
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AN ISSUE INVOLVING THE STARTER MOTOR BOLTS NOT BEING GROUNDED. CAUSED INTERMITTENT STARTING. THIS ISSUE IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR FIAT UNDER THE FOLLOWING: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION NOTIFICATION N15 STARTER MOTOR MOUNTING BOLTS 2012 (FF) FIAT 500 NOTE: THIS NOTIFICATION APPLIES ONLY TO THE ABOVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A MANUAL TRANSAXLE (SALES CODE DDF) BUILT FROM MARCH 15, 2011 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2011 (MDH 031500 THROUGH 063023). '' HOWEVER, IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY CAR...BUT IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM...I SEE OTHER FIAT OWNERS REPORTING THIS ISSUE...BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL...THIS CAUSED ME TO MISS APPROX 2 DAYS OF WORK...PAY FOR A TOW TRUCK...AND SEND TO A DEALER TO FIX AT A COST OF 280 DOLLARS FOR A KNOWN ISSUE BY FIAT....
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the shifter cable detaches from the transmission, the transmission may not shift into the gear selected by the driver. Additionally, despite selecting PARK with the shifter, the vehicle may roll away. These scenarios may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable adjuster, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB4.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:floor Shift
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.
Consequence: If the shifter cable detaches from the transmission, the transmission may not shift into the gear selected by the driver. Additionally, despite selecting PARK with the shifter, the vehicle may roll away. These scenarios may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable adjuster, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB4.
Power Train:automatic Transmission
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.
Consequence: If the shifter cable detaches from the transmission, the transmission may not shift into the gear selected by the driver. Additionally, despite selecting PARK with the shifter, the vehicle may roll away. These scenarios may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable adjuster, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB4.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2016 Fiat 500 vehicles manufactured June 21, 2010, through January 12, 2016, equipped with a manual transmission. The clutch diaphragm spring may fracture and fail, causing an inability to switch gears.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the clutch diaphragm spring fails, the driver may not be able to shift gears or the vehicle may lose motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The remedy for this recall will include the installation of a clutch pedal limiter and a clutch pedal switch. The recall began on November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S34.
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 DODGE JOURNEY AND FIAT 500 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 24, 2011, THROUGH OCTOBER 26, 2011. SOME VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH CONTAMINATED BRAKE FLUID AND MAY EXPERIENCE A DEGRADATION OF THE SEALING COMPONENTS WITHIN THE BRAKE SYSTEM.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE ALL BRAKE COMPONENTS THAT COME IN CONTACT WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKE FLUID. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 1, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1
EA19001 · Electrical Overstress
Opened Apr 19, 2019 · Closed Sep 19, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
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) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications. The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU. In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle. Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW. These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes. An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time. In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU. This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners. Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW. The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation. The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage. There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation. The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU. If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC. Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC. All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled. In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024. With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
2012 Fiat 500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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