IllustrationTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WHEN MAKING A TURN. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.
2012 Fiat 500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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 reportsENGINE LIGHT AND TRANSMITION LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON ALONG WITH OTHER DASH LIGHTS. MY CAR ALSO RANDOMLY DIED, EVERYTHING WOULD CUT ON BUT MY CAR WOULDN'T TURN OVER. WE PLACED A NEW BATTERY IN IT AND THE FIAT DID THE SAME THING SO WE PUT THE OLD ONE BACK ON AND TRIED TO JUMP START IT, THE CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO TURN OVER BU…
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ENGINE LIGHT AND TRANSMITION LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON ALONG WITH OTHER DASH LIGHTS. MY CAR ALSO RANDOMLY DIED, EVERYTHING WOULD CUT ON BUT MY CAR WOULDN'T TURN OVER. WE PLACED A NEW BATTERY IN IT AND THE FIAT DID THE SAME THING SO WE PUT THE OLD ONE BACK ON AND TRIED TO JUMP START IT, THE CAR ACTED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO TURN OVER BUT NEVER DID. I TOOK MY FIAT TO A FIAT DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED THEY SAID IT WAS THE BATTERY THE WHOLE TIME BUT THE COMPUTER CHIPED WAS FRIED. THE PROBLEM IS THE FIAT HAS ONLY BEEN BACK A WEEK AND OCCASIONALLY THE ENGINE LIGHT AND TRANSMITION AND A COUPLE MORE LIGHTS ARE STILL COMMING ON. I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THE CAR A YEAR AND I AM ALREADY HAVING MAJOR PROBLEMS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS STOPPED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A WHIPLASH THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICL…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS STOPPED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A WHIPLASH THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,500.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE STEERING SEAL WAS LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE BALL JOINTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE STEERING SEAL WAS LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE BALL JOINTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
WHILE DRIVING, I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR AND THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT DEPRESS AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS SHIFTED WELL AND WAS SHIFTING FINE UNTIL THE MOMENT THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL COULD NOT NOT BE DEPRESSED. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT CLUTCH WAS ABOUT TO FAIL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST OFF THE ROAD TO…
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WHILE DRIVING, I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR AND THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT DEPRESS AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS SHIFTED WELL AND WAS SHIFTING FINE UNTIL THE MOMENT THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL COULD NOT NOT BE DEPRESSED. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT CLUTCH WAS ABOUT TO FAIL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST OFF THE ROAD TO A SAFE LOCATION, BUT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS IF IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED DURING RUSH HOUR.
BRAKES ALMOST FAILED WHILE DRIVING,IGNITION STALLED SEVERAL TIMES,STEERING IS LOOSE AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING. REPORTED ON JULY 27,2015 TO LANDMARK FIAT OF ATLANTA, GA.ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS AND NO ONE HAS GOTTEN BACK TO ME AS YET FOR REPAIRS! SCARED TO DRIVE VEHICLE!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT BACK TO THE SECOND GEAR AND THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO SHIFT BUT REMAINED BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THE THIRD GEAR. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE FORWARD. THE FAILURE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT BACK TO THE SECOND GEAR AND THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO SHIFT BUT REMAINED BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THE THIRD GEAR. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE FORWARD. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,623.
MY 2012 FIAT 500 VEHICLE WAS MOVING @ 55MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL WHEN IT EXPERIENCED A CRASH WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT PULLED ACROSS ITS PATH. THE FIAT STRUCK OTHER THE VEHICLE BROADSIDE NEAR THE REAR OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WITH RIGHT HALF OF FRONT OF FIAT. FIAT THEN PITCHED TO THE RIGHT AND THEN ROLLED (SIDE TO ROOF) TWICE LANDING …
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MY 2012 FIAT 500 VEHICLE WAS MOVING @ 55MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL WHEN IT EXPERIENCED A CRASH WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT PULLED ACROSS ITS PATH. THE FIAT STRUCK OTHER THE VEHICLE BROADSIDE NEAR THE REAR OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WITH RIGHT HALF OF FRONT OF FIAT. FIAT THEN PITCHED TO THE RIGHT AND THEN ROLLED (SIDE TO ROOF) TWICE LANDING FINALLY ON ITS WHEELS. AS THE DRIVER, I ASSURE YOU I FEEL LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. HOWEVER, NOT EVEN ONE SINGLE AIRBAG IN THE FIAT DEPLOYED --- NOT THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG, NOT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG, NOT THE SIDE AIR BAGS, NOT THE REAR HEAD AIR BAG AND NOT THE SIDE HEAD CURTAIN AIR BAGS. THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN ANY AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THIS FIAT. THIS FIAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT A FCA/CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY MENTION OF ANY AIR BAG PROBLEMS BY ANY OF THE SERVICE PERSONNEL WHO HAVE SERVICED THE VEHICLE DURING ANY OF THE SERVICE VISITS. PART OF MY DECISION TO BUY THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE INSTEAD OF ANOTHER COMPACT CAR WAS THE VEHICLES ABUNDANCE OF AIR BAGS AND 4 AND 5 STAR OVERALL, FRONTAL, SIDE AND ROLLOVER CRASH RATINGS. IF THE AIRBAGS DO NOT DEPLOY ON THESE VEHICLES, I DO NOT THINK THE SAFETY RATING CAN BE CONSIDERED CORRECT. .UPDATED 07/21/15 *BF UPDATED 9/22/2015 *JS
WITHIN SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE OF FIAT 500 WE ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM STARTING THE ENGINE. UPON TURNING THE IGNITION KEY THE ENGINE RESPONDED WITH AN ELECTRICAL MOTOR WHINE BUT DID NOT START. AFTER SEVERAL REPEATED ATTEMPTS THE ENGINE WOULD START AND FUNCTION NORMALLY. GAS MILEAGE HAS NEVER BEEN AS HIGH WAS REPRESENTED IN …
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WITHIN SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE OF FIAT 500 WE ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM STARTING THE ENGINE. UPON TURNING THE IGNITION KEY THE ENGINE RESPONDED WITH AN ELECTRICAL MOTOR WHINE BUT DID NOT START. AFTER SEVERAL REPEATED ATTEMPTS THE ENGINE WOULD START AND FUNCTION NORMALLY. GAS MILEAGE HAS NEVER BEEN AS HIGH WAS REPRESENTED IN SALES INFORMATION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES FOR CORRECTION BUT THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. A COMPLAINT HAS BEEN LODGED WITH BOTH THE DEALER AND FIAT USA.
Official recalls
319V817000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:floor Shift
Nov 15, 2019
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.
16V302000 · Power Train:manual Transmission
May 16, 2016
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.
11V550000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:fluid
Nov 10, 2011
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
1EA19001 · 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.