NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
164 reports19,800 miles · Oct 8, 2014
Visibility/wiper
WIPER FLUID RESERVOIR LEAKING AND CAN NOT HOLD FLUID FOR WIPER. WENT TO DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY BUT NO PARTS TO REPLACE AND NO ETA OF PARTS. CONTACTED THE FIAT USA ABOUT PARTS AND WAS TOLD NO PARTS AVAILABLE AND WILL NOT GIVE ANY ETA ON PARTS. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN HOUSTON IN RAINY SEASON AND CAN NOT CLEAR WINDSHIELD WITH WI…
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WIPER FLUID RESERVOIR LEAKING AND CAN NOT HOLD FLUID FOR WIPER. WENT TO DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY BUT NO PARTS TO REPLACE AND NO ETA OF PARTS. CONTACTED THE FIAT USA ABOUT PARTS AND WAS TOLD NO PARTS AVAILABLE AND WILL NOT GIVE ANY ETA ON PARTS. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN HOUSTON IN RAINY SEASON AND CAN NOT CLEAR WINDSHIELD WITH WIPER FLUID WHEN DRIVING. WHEN CALLING THE FIAT USA, SERVICE REP CAN NOT HELP AND WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY UPPER LEVEL MANAGEMENT CONTACT TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10643350
16,000 miles · Sep 4, 2014
Tires
PROBLEM WITH LOW TIRE PRESSURE; OCCURS IN MULTIPLE TIRES, NOT JUST SAME ONE, OCCURS ABOUT EVERY OTHER WEEK. MOST RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED 8/25/14, DEALER HAS CHECKED AND STATES NO PROBLEM/LEAKS FOUND. WAS AT DEALER FOR SERVICE ON 8/29/14 NO PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED THEY FILLED AIR IN ALL TIRES TO MFG. RECOMMENDED PRESSURE - 5 DAYS L…
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PROBLEM WITH LOW TIRE PRESSURE; OCCURS IN MULTIPLE TIRES, NOT JUST SAME ONE, OCCURS ABOUT EVERY OTHER WEEK. MOST RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED 8/25/14, DEALER HAS CHECKED AND STATES NO PROBLEM/LEAKS FOUND. WAS AT DEALER FOR SERVICE ON 8/29/14 NO PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED THEY FILLED AIR IN ALL TIRES TO MFG. RECOMMENDED PRESSURE - 5 DAYS LATER ON 9/3/14 HAD A LOW PSI OF 24 ON RIGHT REAR TIRE. HAVE COMPLAINED TO DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND HAVE A FOLLOW UP SERVICE APPOINTMENT ON 9/8/14. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10630910
22,000 miles · Aug 6, 2014
Fuel/propulsion System
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THERE WAS A ROCK OR METAL PIECE THAT HIT THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL FROM THE GAS TANK LEAKED OUT OF THE TANK AND ONTO THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE DIAGNOSIS O…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THERE WAS A ROCK OR METAL PIECE THAT HIT THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL FROM THE GAS TANK LEAKED OUT OF THE TANK AND ONTO THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE DIAGNOSIS ON THE VEHICLE WAS A FAULTY FUEL TANK. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000.
NHTSA ODI #10619350
14,649 miles · Jul 20, 2014
Air BagsCrashInjury
MY 2013 FIAT 500 WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND I BROKE MY ARM AND HAD A HEAD INJURY... UPDATED 08-20-14 *BF--UPDATED 08-26-14*BF UPDATED 09/2/2014 *JS
NHTSA ODI #10614805
500 miles · Jun 24, 2014
SteeringStructure
CENTER EMBLEM KEEPS COMING OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE STEERING WHEEL REVEALING THE AIRBAG BEHIND IT. I KEEP "POPPING" IT BACK IN PLACE, BUT IT DOES NOT STAY. THE NEAREST DEALER FOR REPAIRS IS 90 MILES AWAY. I SCHEDULED A TIME FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT, BUT NOW HAVE TO BRING IT IN AGAIN SO THEY CAN KEEP IT LONGER TO DETERMINE IF IT…
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CENTER EMBLEM KEEPS COMING OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE STEERING WHEEL REVEALING THE AIRBAG BEHIND IT. I KEEP "POPPING" IT BACK IN PLACE, BUT IT DOES NOT STAY. THE NEAREST DEALER FOR REPAIRS IS 90 MILES AWAY. I SCHEDULED A TIME FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT, BUT NOW HAVE TO BRING IT IN AGAIN SO THEY CAN KEEP IT LONGER TO DETERMINE IF IT JUST NEEDS THAT PIECE REPAIRED OR IF I NEED A WHOLE NEW STEERING WHEEL. I CAN ONLY HOPE THE AIRBAG DOES NOT DEPLOY FROM BEHIND THIS LOOSE PIECE AS IT IS CLEARLY NOT ATTACHED TO ANYTHING. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10605729
5,000 miles · Apr 22, 2014
Tires
HAD TO REPLACE THE OEM TIRES ON MY 2013 FIAT 500 @ 5000 MI BECAUSE OF SIDEWALL BULGE,. TIRE SIZE IS 185 55 15 FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GT. NO LETTERS AFTER GT,FIRESTONE STORE TOLD ME ITS A ROAD HAZARD PROBLEM. I LOOKED ON THE WEB FOR FIAT TIRE PROBLEMS,OTHERS ARE HAVING SAME PROBLEM BUT SEEMS TO ONLY BE CARS WITH FIRESTONES.SO I BELIE…
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HAD TO REPLACE THE OEM TIRES ON MY 2013 FIAT 500 @ 5000 MI BECAUSE OF SIDEWALL BULGE,. TIRE SIZE IS 185 55 15 FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GT. NO LETTERS AFTER GT,FIRESTONE STORE TOLD ME ITS A ROAD HAZARD PROBLEM. I LOOKED ON THE WEB FOR FIAT TIRE PROBLEMS,OTHERS ARE HAVING SAME PROBLEM BUT SEEMS TO ONLY BE CARS WITH FIRESTONES.SO I BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM,NONE OF MY 5 OTHER CARS,WHICH GO THE SAME PLACES HAVE A TIRE PROBLEM. I JUST TRIED TO CALL IN TO VSH HOTLINE AND GOT TREATED LIKE AN IDIOT. I'VE BEEN A MECHANIC FOR OVER 30 YEARS,I MAY HAVE SOME INSIGHT OF WHAT IS NORMAL TIRE PERFORMANCE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10584164
60 miles · Apr 15, 2014
Tires
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500 SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE SAME DEFECT OCCURRED WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60.
NHTSA ODI #10582921
4,600 miles · Mar 25, 2014
Engine
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATE. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN RESTARTED, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOUR TIMES FOR …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATE. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN RESTARTED, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOUR TIMES FOR THE RECURRING FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,600.
NHTSA ODI #10574704
6,500 miles · Mar 17, 2014
StructureTires
I PURCHASED MY FIRST CAR 2013 FIAT, I AM A STUDENT AND I DRIVE ABOUT 1.20 HRS TO MY UNIVERSITY FROM HOME. ON 3/17/14 I WAS DRIVING TO SCHOOL THAT I HAD A FLAT TIRE .I FOUND OUT THIS CAR IT DOES NOT COME WITH SPARE TIRE JACK AND TOOLS, THERE IS A SMALL AIR PUMP UNDER THE SEAT THAT YOU HAVE TO REMOVE IT AND PLUG IT IN TO THE OUTL…
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I PURCHASED MY FIRST CAR 2013 FIAT, I AM A STUDENT AND I DRIVE ABOUT 1.20 HRS TO MY UNIVERSITY FROM HOME. ON 3/17/14 I WAS DRIVING TO SCHOOL THAT I HAD A FLAT TIRE .I FOUND OUT THIS CAR IT DOES NOT COME WITH SPARE TIRE JACK AND TOOLS, THERE IS A SMALL AIR PUMP UNDER THE SEAT THAT YOU HAVE TO REMOVE IT AND PLUG IT IN TO THE OUTLET AND PUT AIR IN TO THE TIRE, I TRIED TO PUT AIR INTO THE TIRE BUT THE PUMP DID NOT WORK. I CALLED FIAT THEY TOLD ME THE PUMP IS GOOD ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE LOW AIR IN THE TIRE BUT IF YOU HAVE A FLAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER TO CHANGE THE TIRE OR FIX IT I CALLED MY FATHER TO COME AND HELP ME BECAUSE I WAS STRANDED AND FRIGHTENED AND LATE FOR MY SCHOOL AND NO SPARE TIRE CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE NO WERE OR I HAVE TO TAKE SOMEBODY TO THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY OR....A YOUNG GIRL WITH OUT NO SPARE TIRE WHAT WOULD HAPPENED TO ME OR ANY OTHER FIAT OWNERS. MY FATHER CAME AND CHECK THE TIRE ALL OVER AND TOOK PICTURES OF IT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF NO NAILS INTO THE TIRES. HE CALLED FIAT ROAD SIDE ASSISTANT THEY TOLD HIM YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR 90 MINUTES FOR TOW SERVICE AND WHEN HE COMPLAINT TO THEM FOR LONG HOUR WAIT THEY TOLD MY FATHER YOU CAN PAY FROM YOUR POCKET AND DEAL WITH IT..!! . I THINK THE SPARE TIRE AND JACK & TOOLS ARE NECESSITY AND A SAFETY ISSUE FOR A VEHICLE AND THEY MUST HAVE IT IN THE CAR IN CASE YOU ARE FAR AWAY AND NO ACCESS TO ANY DEALER AROUND YOU AND YOUR LIFE SAFETY ISSUE. MY FATHER ASK THE FIAT OVER THE PHONE WHY THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE SPARE TIRE PACKAGE THEY TOLD HIM YOU SHOULD ASK THE DEALER AT THE TIME OF THE SALE TO SELL IT TO YOU..??? ALL THE CARS MANDATORY BY LAW MUST HAVE SAFETY FEATURES FOR THE CONSUMERS ONE OF THEM IS SPARE TIRE PACKAGE. AT THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST FIAT AND FIAT DEALERS FOR SELLING UNSAFE VEHICLE TO THE CONSUMER. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10572980
6,630 miles · Mar 6, 2014
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control
WHILE ACCELERATING THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD NOT READ ANY HIGHER THAN 20 MPH, EVEN WHEN GOING SPEEDS WELL OVER 20 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD READ AT 0, HOWEVER ONCE ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING FROM OVER 20 MPH WOULD NOT BE REGISTERED. THE CAR WAS TURNED ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES, AND SHI…
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WHILE ACCELERATING THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD NOT READ ANY HIGHER THAN 20 MPH, EVEN WHEN GOING SPEEDS WELL OVER 20 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD READ AT 0, HOWEVER ONCE ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING FROM OVER 20 MPH WOULD NOT BE REGISTERED. THE CAR WAS TURNED ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES, AND SHIFTED THROUGH ALL THE GEARS, STILL NO FIX. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10567694
Official recalls
3Nov 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.
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.
May 18, 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Fiat 500 battery electric vehicles manufactured March 8, 2013, to March 7, 2015. The Electric Vehicle Control Unit (EVCU) of the affected vehicles may set a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) that may cause the transmission to unexpectedly shift to neutral.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicle unexpectedly shifts to neutral, the loss of drive could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EVCU, free of charge. The recall began June 19, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R20.
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.
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