VehicleVerdict

Fiat 500 years to avoid

The Fiat 500 years to avoid are 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 — each drew complaint volumes well above the model's norm or has an open safety investigation. The 2019 is the cleanest year on record.

1,118

Total complaints

7

Recall campaigns

2011–2019

Years covered

4

Years to avoid

Complaints by model year

Fiat 500 NHTSA complaints by model year537 complaints2011: 2 complaints2012: 537 complaints2013: 215 complaints2014: 172 complaints2015: 141 complaints2016: 27 complaints2017: 19 complaints2018: 5 complaints2019: 0 complaints
Fiat 500 NHTSA complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

500 years to avoid

YearWhyComplaints
2012High complaint rate537
2013High complaint rate215
2014High complaint rate172
2015High complaint rate141

Every 500 year

YearComplaintsRecalls
201902
201852
2017192
2016274
2015avoid1414
2014avoid1724
2013avoid2154
2012avoid5374
201121

Common questions

What are the worst Fiat 500 years?

Based on NHTSA complaint rates and open investigations, the 500 years to avoid are 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. The cleanest year on record is 2019.

What is the best year for the Fiat 500?

By complaint volume, 2019 has the cleanest NHTSA record among 500 years with enough data to compare.

How many recalls does the Fiat 500 have?

Across all model years, the 500 has 7 distinct NHTSA recall campaigns and 1,118 consumer complaints on file.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.