2012 FIAT 500 Recalls, Complaints & Safety

I have been dealing with identity theft and not really sure why when I put vin number to my vehicle I purchased September 25 2025 it says a different color

The vehicle had been stalling out on numerous occasions one being a freezing Xmas eve in Drive thru if it had happened somewhere isolated the driver could have frozen. I rented cars several times and replaced the alternator ,battery and at the final point at the dealership the mechanic suggested I purchase a $600 battery though I had a brand new one. The dealership gave me a $200 credit but it happened again, the mechanic in town said the Bluetooth component was draining the battery. They removed it and no problem since. The dealership mechanic talked around the issue and would not answer my questions about this. The safety issues related to this are dangerous and it appears to be known by mechanics about this model.

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from underneath the front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The wiring harness bundle leading to the trunk failed between the trunk & upper drivers side of the car. Upper brake lights stopped working, then rear defroster, then trunk wouldn’t open & I got a license plate light warning on the dash. Mechanic tried to replace switch, still didn’t work, the tried to replace handle (with license plate light). Mechanic broke more wires in bundle, back brake lights stopped working. The wiring harness bundle leading into the trunk is defective.

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to exit the highway. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the clutch pedal went to the floorboard and the contact was unable to start the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the clutch pedal limiter and a clutch pedal switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train) which had been completed in 2023 on the vehicle by the same dealer. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 214,000.

Front Wheel hub bearings grinding, very fast wear and tear Transmission still not shifting right after recall shifter cable replaced not grabbing gears

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while attempting to reverse, the transmission failed to respond as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and it was confirmed that the recall repair was not yet available and there was no expected date when parts would be available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 170,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the clutch pedal briefly depressed to the floor and remained stuck before releasing. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch diaphragm spring. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train); however, the vehicle had already been repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.

The clutch is out in the car. This may be caused by the clutch cover diaphragm spring and results in the inability to disengage the clutch, shift gears, and loss of mode of power. Leaving the passengers in a situation that can cause wreck without warning. My clutch went without any warning. I would like to be able to have my car fixed since this is a issue that many other cars made the same year make and model as mine are have been recalled for this very issue I'm having. My car is very unsafe and without warning the clutch became none responsive and has been that way ever sense. I dont have the means to repair this and since you are taking responsiblty for this issue on other cars my car is having the same issue but not on the recall alrhough it should be on the recall as it is Very very dangerous.

The contact's daughter owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train) which was linked to the failure. The dealer had been notified about the recall but stated that parts were not yet available and remained on backorder. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a Cybex Car Seat, Model Name: Aton 2, Manufactured Date: Aug 2019. The car seat was used in a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23C001000 (Child Seat). The contact reached out to the manufacturer to have a replacement seat mailed out; however, the contact was not provided the replacement car seat. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch assembly. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and determined that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

I just purchased this 2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio. It seems it is widespread issue on the failure of the guiderails and components that work the convertible top are of poor quality and the tops become inoperable and the cost to repair can exceed the value of the vehicle. The safety issue is that if the top has failed and failed to complete the cycle to close the rear hatch locks and remains locked with no way to access rear of vehicle by emergency responders. The scenario would be inability to get to a passenger by blocked doors and only can access through the rear of the vehicle. This could require cutting through the top or some other method. This could impact time element to extract a passenger from a car.

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the transmission failed to shift gear properly and lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to push the vehicle into a parking lot. The dealer was contact and stated there was no recall on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 187,000.

My 2012 Fiat 500 has had the same problem twice now. While driving, the clip attaching the clutch pedal to the master cylinder assembly breaks and disconnects. The pedal will go to the floor and stay there, and it becomes impossible to shift the manual transmission. After replacing the entire master cylinder assembly, to repair this issue, it just happened again months later. The last time it happened, my husband was driving the car, and was barely able to prevent an accident after the pedal disconnected on the freeway. This topic is discussed in Fiat owners groups around the world, and it happens often. When I tried to contact Fiat with my concern, they simply replied by automated response to tell me this recall (Safety Recall S34) doesnt apply to my model based on my vin (despite the same resulting danger)

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated while her daughter was parked in a parking lot with the vehicle in park(P), the contact was attempting to enter the front passenger’s side seat, her daughter accidentally shifted her foot off the brake pedal and the vehicle rolled backwards. The contact stated that the passenger’s side door struck her at less than 2 MPH and knocked her back and she fell onto the parking lot floor. The contact’s daughter had the vehicle turned on and attempted to stop the vehicle; however, when she exited the vehicle to help her mom up off the parking lot floor, the vehicle rolled backwards again while the gear shifter was still in park(P). The contact stated that her daughter turned the vehicle off and the vehicle stopped rolling backwards. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart and was pushed into a parking space. The contact stated that she was transported by ambulance to the emergency room. The Police was on the scene and filed a report. The contact stated that she had not broken any bones, however she had severely bruised her coccyx bone. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact had received a recall letter from the manufacturer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V817000 (Power Train). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

1 injured

As reported by numerous consumers the power steering just stop working while driving with no warnings. This caused a wreck involving my son & I and we're admitted to hospital. Apparently this is a widely reported problem yet it has not attention. It's extremely dangerous and cost more to fix than what the car is worth.

Crash

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the clutch was squishy while shifting gears. The dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available until February. The clutch later failed, and the vehicle was inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

While I was driving on a busy dyreet the warning light flashed and my car shut off, I was nearly hit by another vehicle. I took my car in to have it checked out and the dealer days the steering module loss confection and the steering column needs to be replaced. I see that this has been a known issue by Fiat but they fail to include all vehicles in their recall. I request that this be addressed. This is a safety issue.

In the morning (6AM) of September 19, my car car caught on fire while parked in my driveway. There were flames 3-4 feet height coming from the engine hood area. Once the fire was extinguished by the local fire department, I found the car was extensively damaged in the front outside and inside driver cabin. Upon further inspection I found the fire might have started with or around the battery, as it was completely melted. Further inspection on the back side of the car showed some stripped wiring in the assembly connecting to the rear hatch mechanism, lights, and other. In the days previous to this incident the battery had loss its charge completely twice in the span of a week and a half.

Fire

In the morning (6AM) of September 19, my car car caught on fire while parked in my driveway. There were flames 3-4 feet height coming from the engine hood area. Once the fire was extinguished by the local fire department, I found the car was extensively damaged in the front outside and inside driver cabin. Upon further inspection I found the fire might have started with or around the battery, as it was completely melted. Further inspection on the back side of the car showed some stripped wiring in the assembly connecting to the rear hatch mechanism, lights, and other. In the days previous to this incident the battery had loss its charge completely twice in the span of a week and a half.

Fire

The air bag light will come on then turn off Is their a malfunction of the air bag or is it just coming on and off and will the air bag respond normally in a crash it been happening for approximately a year now it hasn't been inspected

I've had 3 different issues with the transmission- There's been 1 recall on the clutch- The transmission put me in Great danger I was driving on the freeway about 60 mph when the car just popped into neutral- I was terrified and I managed to pull to safety to put the manual transmission into gear- I didn't want it to happen again- I had to hold the gear until I got to an exit to get off the freeway- I had the Fiat towed to the dealership and fixed- then 6 months later driving again and it jumps out of gear into Neutral another scare- I put it in the shop and it cost me $4646,00 to replace the transmission, I really would like this serious safety hazzard investigated so no one gets hurt- I was Blessed to be able to think fast to save my life on a busy Highway my safety and others was put at risk because it could have caused a crash- It gives no warning at all- car is available upon request I have all receipts I can send -for some reason I was unable to download to this Site

I bought this car about a year ago, ever since I got the car the first issue started within a month it just started to shut off for no reason first at a traffic light, afterward while I was driving called the dealership who sold me the car I was told to bring it to find out they did not have a certified Fiat Mechanic that would be able to look at the car so it was towed to another dealership. I was told they fixed the issue but once again the vehicle started doing the same thing even more frequently fast forward my car has yet to be fixed I feel like I am going to get rear-ended and hurt really bad and all I get from the dealership is that they can't fix it. My question to them is why I sell me a car that you knew you could not repair or you knew you really didn't check properly as per your words you don't have a certified mechanic.

Check engine light keeps reappearing after the parts have been replaced with new parts the computer codes stated need replacement. Specifically, the spark plugs and coil packs. They’ve been replaced twice now. And the light keeps coming back.

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that while depressing the clutch, the clutch was vibrating and shuddering. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, the vehicle started vibrating while the accelerator pedal was being depressed. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in gear, the shuddering was not felt. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch plate needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The contact attempted to reach out to the dealer by phone but was not successful. The manufacturer was not contacted nor notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that the vehicle would not reverse while the gear shifter was in Reverse. The dealer had previously replaced the gear shifter in June 2021; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle had previously been serviced in 2019 under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V817000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was 117,525.

Every time I pump fuel in the vehicle, the pump stops prematurely. It’ll pump for a few seconds and then seize. I would have to continuously press the handle every time the pump stops and clicks every few seconds. After I’m done fueling, it smells like gasoline inside my vehicle. I took my Fiat 500 to the dealership in January of 2019 to have Sunland Park technicians check the issue. Technicians diagnosed the vehicle and claimed it was a faulty fuel tank. Fuel tank was replaced and issue had gone away for approximately a year then proceeded to do the same issue again. Went back to the dealership when I began having the same issue and technicians say there is nothing wrong with my vehicle and they said that the repairs of my whole fuel tank were no longer under warranty. My fiat 500 is still having the same fuel issue of clicking nonstop and odor of the fuel is still strong. There are many fiat 500 owners going through this same issue continually paying fiat dealerships just to have the same issue of inhaling fuel and not being able to pump fuel in properly. This is a major hazard and needs to be resolved.

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that she was having difficulties refueling the vehicle as the gas pump would constantly stop pumping gas though the tank was not full. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel tank sensor had failed, and the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that it was a known failure however, she would be responsible for the cost of the repair since there was no recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

Transmission gear box. Having issues with shifting - 11/23/2021

I bought this car from a dealer in Fortville (Carlux) who said it had a clean history, this car was meant to be driven by my 17 year old to school, after driving it for 1 week she noticed weird sounds on turning and the engine being very loud and not responding to acceleration or deceleration, thankfully she made it back home safely, I then took it to my local mechanic who noticed major safety issues with the vehicle and on running the VIN number found out there are 2 safety recalls on it. Is there a law or regulation against the dealership that does that? It could have cost my child's life. Their address is: 222 W Broadway street, Fortville , IN 46040 and contact # is (317) 777 1931

The car has two recalls for power train. In the past year and a half of owning the Fiat, the car’s power train has been stuck in park 3 times. The shift is unable to move out of park without being forced out manually. When the car is driven, it has to be manually removed from park to move and the dashboard goes blank. The car doesn’t show speed or gas amount. This is dangerous and can lead to crashes resulting in death. It is emotionally, mentally and financially exhausting having to do a $600+ repair every so often because the power train becomes damaged. This issue has caused me to lose lots of sleep and money since my car is my main source of transportation during this tough time. It is unreliable to its driver and the Fiat dealership has deemed it as okay to drive when it clearly is a safety hazard for drivers and pedestrians.

While driving it fails to switch gears.It gets stuck on first gear.

The contact owns a 2012 FIAT 500. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked, when she noticed there was a crack in the center of the windshield going towards the driver's side. There was no impact to the windshield that could have caused the crack. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,045.

DRIVING VEHICLE NEAR MY HOME ON A CITY STREET WENT TO SHIFT GEARS AND THE CLUTCH DID NOT FULLY DISENGAGE. HAD TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF TO PUT IT IN SECOND GEAR TO GET BACK HOME. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THE S34 RECALL HAD BEEN COMPLETED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 20,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 38,000 MILES AND IT IS EXHIBITING THE FAILED CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE FINGERS. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE BASICALLY TOLD ME THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL LIMITER WAS INSTALLED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CHECK REAR DRIVER LIGHT WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THE LEFT LICENSE PLATE BULB WAS NOT ILLUMINATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER ARRIGO FIAT WEST PALM BEACH (6500 OKEECHOBEE BLVD, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33411, (561) 618-3160) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE REAR LIGHTS ASSEMBLY TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 51,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIR WOULD COST $475 AT THE DEALER. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE LICENSE PLATE BULBS AND PERSONALLY INSTALLED THE BULBS.

THE REAR HIGH BRAKE LIGHT WIRING ON THE CONVERTIBLE WEARS AND BREAKS IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE C PILLAR DUE TO USE OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP RENDERING THE BRAKE LIGHT NON-OPERATIVE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FIAT 500 CONVERTIBLE.

2012 FIAT 500C MILEAGE 86649. WHEN DRIVING OVER A BUMP OR POTHOLE A LOUD METALLIC SOUND IS HEARD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND TO A LESSER EXTENT FROM IN FRONT OF THE ENGINE DOWN LOW WHEN BOTH WHEELS GO OVER A CRACK IN THE ROAD SIMULTANEOUSLY. CARCOMPLAINTS.COM SAYS SOME PERSONS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE CONTROL ARM DISENGAGING FROM THE STEERING MECHANISM ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. OTHER'S REPORT A BROKEN BALL JOINT CAUSING CAR TO LOSE CONTROL. ONE PERSON REPORTED THAT WHEN "FIRESTONE" TRIED TO GET A "D/S" AXLE REPLACEMENT PART THEY WERE TOLD IT WAS A "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION RECALL." BUT WHEN THE FIAT 500 WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THEY SAID NO SUCH RECALL EXISTED AND WANTED OWNER TO PAY THE TOTAL COST. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS 2012 FIAT 500C SPECIAL ORDER DEALER SHOWROOM MODEL. THOUSAND OAKS FIAT ORDERED [XXX] WITH ALL THE TOP FEATURES, COLOR COMBINATIONS AND OPTIONS SPECIAL FROM THE FACTORY FOR THEIR SHOWROOM AND NOT INTENDED FOR GENERAL SALE. BEING A GOOD TALKER AND HAVING A LOAD OF CASH I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THIS MACHINE. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN DRIVEN GENTLY. NOW WITH THE CLUNKING NOISE AND LEARNING OF OTHERS HAVING SERIOUS BALL JOINT AND CONTROL ARM SEPARATION CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A REPORTED CUSTOMER "SATISFACTION" QUIET RECALL - I THINK FIAT KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND SHOULD HAVE A RECALL FOR ANY OWNER REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE TO REPAIR THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS INSTALLING THE CAR SEAT INSIDE THE VEHICLE, THE SEATBELT DETACHED FROM THE SEAT ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT 'S WIFE WAS WAITING TO SPEAK WITH A SUPERVISOR. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.