MODELYEARINDEX

Fiat 500

596 complaints across 6 scored model years and 7 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Fiat 500 Full report
F
Grade 2012–2017
2012 vs model median 2.6×
Model median3× median
Drivetrain 83
Electrical 27
Engine 23
Avoid

2012 · 2014

Best

2016 · 2017

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2012
2.64× 239 F
2013
1.13× 93 C
2014
1.55× 143 D
2015
0.88× 85 C
2016
0.35× 23 B
2017
0.18× 11 A

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

Combined MPG29.5
City / Highway27.5 / 33
Engine1.4L, 4 cyl
DriveFront-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost$2,575

Recalls

7 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
19V817000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT 2012, 2013 51,788
16V302000 POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION 2012–2016 39,185
24V474000 TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS 2014–2017 12,675
15V291000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2013–2015 3,851
19E044000 POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY 2012–2017 740
11V550000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID 2012 340
16V667000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS 2016 32

Others in Subcompact Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Model Years to avoid Grade
Chevrolet Aveo
none flagged
B
Chevrolet Sonic
20122013
C
Chevrolet Spark
20132014
B
Fiat 500L
2014
C
Ford Fiesta
20112013
C
Honda FIT
20132015
C
Hyundai Accent
20122013
C
Hyundai Ioniq
none flagged
B

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2012 500
Complaints in window
239
Severity-weighted
353
Model median (weighted)
134
vs model median
2.64×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
4
Open investigations
0
Score 24 F