Fiat 500 years to avoid
Fiat 500 years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2012 (396 complaints, led by the powertrain at 201 and the electrical system at 63) and the 2013 (166, led by the powertrain at 80 and the engine at 22) drew the most of the 2011–2019 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. Before buying a used Fiat 500, run its VIN: the $14.99 original ClearVIN PDF shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file.
Buying a used Fiat 500? Check its VIN.
Model-year complaint totals do not describe one car. Decode its VIN free, then decide whether to buy its reported title, odometer, accident and auction history.
Title brands · Odometer records · Auction history, where reported
No subscription. No charge to check the VIN. Report contents vary by vehicle; applicable tax is shown at checkout.
See what the paid report includes →One VIN. One $14.99 history report.
For $14.99, VIN Lookup delivers an original ClearVIN vehicle-history PDF for the Fiat 500 VIN you enter: title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file. ClearVIN is on the U.S. Department of Justice’s list of approved NMVTIS data providers; VIN Lookup sells that original report. The records returned vary by VIN.
The VIN decode is free. No card is needed until you choose to buy; applicable tax is shown at checkout. A missing record is not proof that an event never happened.No account · Refund reviewed if not delivered, unopenable or wrong VIN by our error · Sold by VIN Lookup (SH LLC, Sheridan, WY)Original provider PDF
One time, no subscription
The 2012 (396) and 2013 (166) drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA of the 2011–2019 Fiat 500 model years on record, as of November 10, 2026.
NHTSA lists recalls but no complaint for 2019 under this name, so that year’s complaints may be filed under a name this collection did not find.
2011 and 2016–2018 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
Fewest complaints: not named. Fewer than three of the Fiat 500 model years from 2011 to 2019 with at least 40 complaints on file remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Half of the 584 NHTSA owner complaints on the Fiat 500 that list mileage came after 35,000 miles (NHTSA complaints file of November 11, 2026). How many miles will a Fiat 500 last? →
Fiat 500 complaints and recalls by model year, 2011–2019
This table lists the 9 Fiat 500 model years NHTSA holds records for between 2011 and 2019, collected from NHTSA’s complaints and recalls APIs on November 10, 2026. Each owner complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, and a complaint can name more than one component; recall campaigns are counted once per model year, by campaign number. Across these years NHTSA lists 7 distinct recall campaigns, the newest filed Jun 25, 2024.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Most-reported components | Recall campaigns | Newest recall filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 500 | 1 · too few to compare | brakes (1) | 1 | Jul 3, 2019 |
| 2012 500 | 396 · most | powertrain (201), electrical system (63), engine (51) | 4 | Nov 15, 2019 |
| 2013 500 | 166 · most | powertrain (80), engine (22), electrical system (17) | 4 | Nov 15, 2019 |
| 2014 500 | 124 | powertrain (67), electrical system (22), engine (19) | 4 | Jun 25, 2024 |
| 2015 500 | 92 | powertrain (32), electrical system (26), engine (12) | 4 | Jun 25, 2024 |
| 2016 500 | 14 · too few to compare | powertrain (8) | 4 | Jun 25, 2024 |
| 2017 500 | 14 · too few to compare | electrical system (5), powertrain (3), body structure (3) | 2 | Jun 25, 2024 |
| 2018 500 | 5 · too few to compare | — | 2 | Jun 25, 2024 |
| 2019 500 | 0 · may be filed under another name | — | 2 | Jun 25, 2024 |
Fiat 500 by model year: mileage, problems and recalls
Each page below covers one model year in NHTSA’s complaints file of November 11, 2026: the mileage when owners reported problems, the most-reported components and the recall campaigns NHTSA’s recall files list. That file is a separate collection from the table above and goes back to the 1981 model year, so its counts can differ and it holds years the table does not.
How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse vehicle. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road, so older and best-selling years collect more.
- The comparison is between years of the Fiat 500 only. It says nothing about how the 500 compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. NHTSA’s VIN lookup checks open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result does not prove the vehicle’s complete recall or repair history; ask for dated repair documentation.
- NHTSA files some years under body or cab names (for example ACCESS CAB or CREW CAB). This collection asked for the names NHTSA lists, and a year far below its neighbours also under the common cab and body names. Such a year is marked as possibly filed under another name only when NHTSA’s records show it split across names or holding recalls and no complaint; otherwise its count is read as low.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and API documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Fiat 500 year-by-year questions
Which Fiat 500 years should I avoid?
Fiat 500 years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2012 (396 complaints, led by the powertrain at 201 and the electrical system at 63) and the 2013 (166, led by the powertrain at 80 and the engine at 22) drew the most of the 2011–2019 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. NHTSA lists recalls but no complaint for 2019 under this name, so that year’s complaints may be filed under a name this collection did not find. 2011 and 2016–2018 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
What are the best Fiat 500 years?
Complaint counts do not show which model year is best; the closest they come is which years drew the fewest complaints. This page names none: fewer than three of the Fiat 500 model years from 2011 to 2019 with at least 40 complaints on file remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Do complaint counts mean the 500 is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model, which is what this page does, not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Fiat 500 before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. It reports open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result is not a complete recall or repair history; ask the seller or manufacturer for dated repair documentation. For the vehicle's own past, the original ClearVIN PDF from VIN Lookup shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file for that VIN.