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Light NHTSA footprint — 14 owner complaints and 4 active recall campaigns. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2016 FIAT 500 has 14 NHTSA owner complaints and 4 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is powertrain at 7 complaints, typically surfacing around 40,088 miles (~$2,500 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 500 | 164 | 4 |
| 2014 500 | 124 | 4 |
| 2015 500 | 92 | 4 |
| 2016 500 (this page) | 14 | 4 |
| 2017 500 | 13 | 2 |
| 2018 500 | 5 | 2 |
| 2019 500 | 0 | 2 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: No · Lane departure warning: No
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2016 Fiat 500 3 HB FWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: powertrain is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 40,088 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 4 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 8.0/10 model. The priciest documented failure is powertrain (~$2,500) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
On multiple occasions my wife's care has refused to srmtart with now answer from the dealership why, the brakes have been replaced by Fiat under warranty and they still squeak when in reverse, and lately it says there is a tire sensor that is damaged or low along with drive mode…
The vehicle was approaching a stoplight at approximately 15 MPH and suddenly accelerated while the brake was depressed, causing a minor accident (little damage to bumpers of both vehicles). Car was returned home (1 mile away) without incident. Upon moving the vehicle in the…
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Fiat 500. While driving 45 MPH, the manual clutch failed and prevented the contact from changing gears. As a result, the contact drove into a cement barrier to avoid traffic. The driver and passenger frontal air bags failed to deploy, causing the…
The car stopped working in the middle of the highway, started to give error messages and turned on engine service, transmission and parking brakes lights. A few seconds after we just got the message: drive mode unavailable and the car stopped. It was really dangerous and my…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
A TPMS warning light that fails to illuminate can result in the vehicle being driven with improperly inflated tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
If the shifter breaks while the vehicle is in motion, it can increase the risk of a crash.
If the spare tire is used while overinflated, the tire may suddenly fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 8.0 out of 10 based on 14 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 Fiat 500 is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2016 FIAT 500 is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 8.0/10 — above the segment average; 4 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the powertrain first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 7 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 40,088 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 8.0 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 14 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is powertrain. Typical failure occurs around 40,088 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is powertrain, with 7 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 40,088 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
The powertrain is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 40,088 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 14 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $2,500, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.