FIAT 500 reliability by year
6 recalls and 806 owner complaints across 8 model years. Best year to buy: 2015. Year to avoid: 2012.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 3 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2012, 2016, 2017 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 8 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the 500 aggregated across 8 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a FIAT 500?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2015 FIAT 500 scores 7.6/10 — the strongest in the 2012–2019 range. 92 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which FIAT 500 year should I avoid?
The 2012 FIAT 500 scores 7.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 394 owner complaints with NHTSA, 0 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2012 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the FIAT 500 should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2015 (avoid — the powertrain — powertrain: 31 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 28,300–65,000 mi); 2014 (avoid — the powertrain — powertrain: 65 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 9,000–35,000 mi); 2013 (avoid — the powertrain — powertrain: 77 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 29,910–89,000 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2017, 2016, 2012. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the FIAT 500 are tracked?
8 model years (2012 through 2019) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 6 recalls and 806 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the FIAT 500?
powertrain is the most-reported category — 379 complaints across 6 model years. Average shop repair runs about $2,500.