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
Mileage unknown · Jan 24, 2017
Power Train
DEALER WILL NOT CONFIRM A SERVICE APPOINTMENT FOR SA RECALL NUMBER16V-302, MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBERS34 WHICH WAS ISSUED BACK IN MAY OF 2016. I ADVISED TONKIN FIAT THAT I AM AWARE THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED RECALL WHICH POSES A CRASH RISK. DEALER DID NOT RESPOND UNTIL I HAD SUBMITTED THREE REQUESTS FOR SERVICE. THEN, ONCE THEY DI…
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DEALER WILL NOT CONFIRM A SERVICE APPOINTMENT FOR SA RECALL NUMBER16V-302, MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBERS34 WHICH WAS ISSUED BACK IN MAY OF 2016. I ADVISED TONKIN FIAT THAT I AM AWARE THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED RECALL WHICH POSES A CRASH RISK. DEALER DID NOT RESPOND UNTIL I HAD SUBMITTED THREE REQUESTS FOR SERVICE. THEN, ONCE THEY DID RESPOND, THEY REFUSED TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. PLEASE HELP.
NHTSA ODI #10947432
104,000 miles · Jan 18, 2017
Power Train
STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN LIGHT CHANGED, I LET OUT THE CLUTCH TO START DRIVING, BUT THE GEAR NEVER ENGAGED. TRIED EVERY GEAR. ONLY REVERSE WOULD TRY, BUT IT WOULD ONLY GRIND. NO CLUTCH ENGAGEMENT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10946275
48,598 miles · Jan 18, 2017
Power Train
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND SHIFTING GEARS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO REMAIN IN THE CURRENT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ISSUES WERE NOT THE SAME AS THOSE LISTED IN NH…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND SHIFTING GEARS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO REMAIN IN THE CURRENT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ISSUES WERE NOT THE SAME AS THOSE LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V302000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,598.
NHTSA ODI #10946209
63,000 miles · Jan 17, 2017
Air BagsElectrical SystemVehicle Speed ControlCrashInjury
TAKATA RECALL - CHRYSLER OWNS FIAT AND I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY AIR BAGS ON A 2012 FIAT. I WAS IN A SMALL FENDER BENDER. ALL AIR BAGS OPENED BUT ALL THE FRONT AIR BAGS RUPTURED. NO ONE ELSE WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME BUT THE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT DID NOT KICK IN. ALL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. I HAD INJURIES WHICH WERE A FRACTURED ELB…
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TAKATA RECALL - CHRYSLER OWNS FIAT AND I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY AIR BAGS ON A 2012 FIAT. I WAS IN A SMALL FENDER BENDER. ALL AIR BAGS OPENED BUT ALL THE FRONT AIR BAGS RUPTURED. NO ONE ELSE WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME BUT THE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT DID NOT KICK IN. ALL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. I HAD INJURIES WHICH WERE A FRACTURED ELBOW, DISLOCATED MY ARM IN TWO PLACES. SINCE THEN I AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY SHOULDER, NECK, HEADACHES, AND MY BACK. I AM GOING TO THE DOCTORS AND PHYSICAL THERAPY. PLEASE GET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS I AM GOING TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY CONSIDER IT A TOTAL LOSS. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10945714
Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2017
Power Train
FOR THE RECORD MY VEHICLE IS AT MY HOME AND NOT AT A FIAT STUDIO THIS HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY MY LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT. I WILL TAKE MY VEHICLE INTO FIAT TO COMPLETE THE INCOMPLETE RECALL WHEN........ CHRYSLER FIAT GETS MECHANICS IN THE STATE OF UTAH THAT ARE CERTIFIED AND TRAINED TO WORK ON A FIAT USING THE PROPER TOOLS! WHEN I…
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FOR THE RECORD MY VEHICLE IS AT MY HOME AND NOT AT A FIAT STUDIO THIS HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY MY LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT. I WILL TAKE MY VEHICLE INTO FIAT TO COMPLETE THE INCOMPLETE RECALL WHEN........ CHRYSLER FIAT GETS MECHANICS IN THE STATE OF UTAH THAT ARE CERTIFIED AND TRAINED TO WORK ON A FIAT USING THE PROPER TOOLS! WHEN I SPOKE WITH FIAT PHONE NUMBER 800-992-1997 ON 01/16/2017 AROUND 9AM MOUNTAIN DAY LIGHT TIME I FELT AS IF I WAS BEING COHERED INTO SUMMITING A CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE FAULTY PARTS THAT WERE PUT INTO MY VEHICLE BY FIAT CHRYSLER IN SLC UTAH BETWEEN 10/03/2016 AND 10/27/2016 I HAVE NOT AND WILL AUTHORIZE ANYONE TO BE REIMBURSED ON MY BEHALF. I HAVE NOT FILED ANY CLAIM MYSELF FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
NHTSA ODI #10945602
Mileage unknown · Jan 16, 2017
Power Train
MY VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN IT REFUSED TO SHIFT OUT OF NEUTRAL OR INTO REVERSE. IT''S BEEN TAKEN IN FOR AN INITIAL DIAGNOSTIC AND I'VE BEEN INFORMED THE PRESSURE PLATE IS WORN AND THEY SAY IT''S UNRELATED TO THE WELL KNOWN S34 RECALL. MY CAR IS ONLY AT 38000 MILES AND THEY SAY IT''S NORMAL FOR A PRESSURE PLATE…
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MY VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN IT REFUSED TO SHIFT OUT OF NEUTRAL OR INTO REVERSE. IT''S BEEN TAKEN IN FOR AN INITIAL DIAGNOSTIC AND I'VE BEEN INFORMED THE PRESSURE PLATE IS WORN AND THEY SAY IT''S UNRELATED TO THE WELL KNOWN S34 RECALL. MY CAR IS ONLY AT 38000 MILES AND THEY SAY IT''S NORMAL FOR A PRESSURE PLATE TO WEAR AT THIS PERIOD BUT I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT IT''S ENTIRELY UNRELATED TO THE CLUTCH SPRING ISSUES STEMMING FROM THE CLUTCH TRAVEL NOT HAVING A LIMITER. IF I'D BEEN ON THE ROAD OR FREEWAY THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME AND I'M CONCERNED BY THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE COMPANY OFFICIALLY SO FAR HAS TOLD ME THAT IT''S NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AS THE PRESSURE PLATE WARRANTY ONLY LASTS 1YR OR 12,000 MILES WHICH IS RIDICULOUS CONSIDERING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PART, THE DIFFICULTY AND EXPENSE OF REPLACING IT, AND THE FACT THERE ARE SO MANY RELATED ELEMENTS THEY'VE CHOSEN TO IGNORE AS POSSIBILITY CAUSE. I'VE BEEN QUOTED JUST UNDER 1600 TO REPLACE IT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE IN A CAR AT ONLY 38000 MILES TO HAVE SUCH AN EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10945562
189,000 miles · Jan 15, 2017
EnginePower Train
AS OF 01/15/2017 MY 2012 FIAT 500 POP RECALL HAS STILL NOT BEEN FIXED CORRECTLY. I AM CURRENTLY RENTING A VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORTATION. FIAT CHRYSLER HAS NOT PAID ME ONE PENNY TOWARD MY VEHICLE RENTAL. I HAVE RECEIVED RANDOM EMAILS FROM CHRYSLER THE LAST EMAIL WAS DATED JANUARY 13, 2017 SAYING THEY HAD AN UPDATED ON CASE #30818709…
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AS OF 01/15/2017 MY 2012 FIAT 500 POP RECALL HAS STILL NOT BEEN FIXED CORRECTLY. I AM CURRENTLY RENTING A VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORTATION. FIAT CHRYSLER HAS NOT PAID ME ONE PENNY TOWARD MY VEHICLE RENTAL. I HAVE RECEIVED RANDOM EMAILS FROM CHRYSLER THE LAST EMAIL WAS DATED JANUARY 13, 2017 SAYING THEY HAD AN UPDATED ON CASE #30818709. WHAT UPDATE COULD THEY HAVE MY VEHICLE RECALL HAS NOT BEEN FIXED IN A TIMELY MANNER. MY VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AT ALL. THE TRUTH IS THERE ARE VERY FEW MECHANICS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CAPABLE OF FIXING A FIAT BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE DESIGN MOST MECHANICS DON'T HAVE THE PROPER TRAINING FOR THIS PARTICULAR DESIGN OF VEHICLE NOR DO THEY HAVE THE CORRECT TOOLS THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED USING A EUROPEAN METRIC SYSTEM IN ORDER TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO SAFETY STANDARDS FIAT MECHANICS NEED THE PROPER TRAINING AND TOOLS! BOTTOM LINE MY RECALL HAS NOT BEEN FIXED!
NHTSA ODI #10945353
Mileage unknown · Jan 9, 2017
Power Train
2012 FIAT 500. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO MANUAL TRANSAXLE/CLUTCH PEDAL RECALL 16V-302 TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. *SMD
NHTSA ODI #10939410
105,170 miles · Dec 31, 2016
Power Train
THE CLUTCH PEDDLE RECALL S-34 DOES NOT FIT THE PROBLEM WITH THE FIAT CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM IS EXCESSIVE PRESSURE ON THE THROW OUT BEARING AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE PRESSURE PLATE. MY CLUTCHED FAILED AT 105170 MILES AT UNDER 1 MPH WHILE GOING FROM A STOP TO PUTTING IT INTO REVERSE TO PARK AT MY WORKPLACE IN B…
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THE CLUTCH PEDDLE RECALL S-34 DOES NOT FIT THE PROBLEM WITH THE FIAT CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM IS EXCESSIVE PRESSURE ON THE THROW OUT BEARING AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE PRESSURE PLATE. MY CLUTCHED FAILED AT 105170 MILES AT UNDER 1 MPH WHILE GOING FROM A STOP TO PUTTING IT INTO REVERSE TO PARK AT MY WORKPLACE IN BATON ROUGE, LA. THIS OCCURRED IN LATE AUGUST AND I WAS WITHOUT MY PRIMARY TRANSPORTATION UNTIL DECEMBER 30TH DUE TO PARTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL ISSUED AND THE RECALL NOT COVERING ALL OF THE FAILED PARTS AS IT SHOULD HAVE. THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A DESIGN FAILURE ON THE MANUFACTURERS PART AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY $1500 FOR A REPAIR THAT FIAT AND THE NHTSA SHOULD HAVE RECALLED WHEN CLUTCHES STARTED FAILING WITH LESS THAT 20000 MILES ON THEM BACK IN 2012. FIAT NEEDS TO OWN UP TO THEIR FAILURE AND RECALL THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY NOT JUST THE PEDDLE. THAT IS LIKE PUTTING A BANDAGE ON A TIME BOMB HOPING NOBODY NOTICES.
NHTSA ODI #10938881
Mileage unknown · Dec 30, 2016
Vehicle Speed Control
THERE IS AN EXISTING RECALL S34 / NHTSA 16V -302 ON MY VEHICLE. THE SERVICE CENTER, HELFMAN FIAT ALFA ROMEO MASERATI 7720 KATY FWY, HOUSTON, TX 77024 IS UNABLE TO REMEDY THIS DEFECT UNTIL MAY 24TH 2017. THIS IS AN UNREASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
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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