MODELYEARINDEX

Which Fiat 500L years to avoid

Across 2 scored model years, the 2014 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Fiat 500L Full report
D
Grade 2014–2015
2014 vs model median 1.7×
Model median3× median
Drivetrain 33
Engine 11
Brakes 7
Avoid

2014

Best

2014 · 2015

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
2014
1.70× 96 D
2015
0.30× 24 A

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2014 D 96 reports · median 26,750 mi

  1. Drivetrain 33

    When stopped on a upward slope and I take my foot off the brake the vehicle rolls backwards 15 feet or more until I step on the brake again. It has an automatic transmission therefore this should not be happening. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 11

    This is the second time it has happened since I bought it three weeks ago. The first time I was going through a drive through and the car just coughed and turned over and then stalled. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Brakes 7

    This car has totally inconsistent brakes. I don't know if they are "brake-by-wire" electronics, but I'd bet so, and there probably needs to be a software upgrade. They cannot be modulated normally. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

8 crash · 1 fire · 3 injuries

2015 A 24 reports · median 9,500 mi

  1. Airbags & Restraints 4

    I received a recall notice in september 2014 regarding the knee airbag module needing to be replaced on my 2014 fiat 500l, due to recall. The car was purchased july 15 2014 from driver's village located at 5885 e. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Electrical 4

    The contact owns a 2014 (na) fiat 500l. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a lack of acceleration. The ttms and electrical throttle body warning indicators illuminated. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Drivetrain 4

    While under moderate acceleration the vehicle stopped responding to throttle input, seemingly stuck in gear and coasting. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

The best year for the 500L

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2015 is the best-scoring 500L model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 87.5 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2015 0.30× 24 A
2014 1.70× 96 D

Recalls

4 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
17V192000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) 2014 25,583
14V481000 AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER 2014, 2015 25,479
14V103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2014 18,100
15V590000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2015 15

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2014 were reported at a median of 26,750 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Fiat 500L years should you avoid?
2014 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Fiat 500L model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Fiat 500L?
2015 is the best-scoring Fiat 500L model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 87.5 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Fiat 500L have?
4 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Fiat 500L model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

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 2014 500L
Complaints in window
96
Severity-weighted
153.5
Model median (weighted)
90
vs model median
1.70×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
3
Open investigations
0
Score 50 D