There are 3 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2012 Fiat 500in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I AM A REAL ESTATE AGENT. LAST YEAR 2019 I WENT TO AN OPEN HOUSE AND PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WHICH WAS ON AN INCLINE - WITH A PLATEAU FOR PARKING. I'VE BEEN DRIVING A STANDARD TRANSMISSION FOR 30 YEARS. WHEN I PARK I PLACE MY GEAR IN 1ST WITH THE PARKING BRAKE FULLY ENGAGED. I PARKED THE CAR, WENT INTO THE HOME TO VIEW THE HOME, AND WAS INSIDE 15 MINUTES. WHEN I WENT BACK TO MY CAR, IT WAS GONE. THE CAR HAD ROLLED BACKWARD DOWN THE HILL AND INTO A GUARDRAIL. THERE WERE NEIGHBORS ALL AROUND MY CAR, AND ONE MAN SAID, "IT MAKES NO SENSE IT THE PARKING BREAK IS ENGAGED." THE NEIGHBORS HAD VIDEO OF THE CRASH. THE CAR WAS PARKED APPROX 10 MINUTES BEFORE ROLLING DOWN THE HILL. MY CAR WAS DAMAGED BY THE GUARD RAIL, AND THANKFULLY NO HUMANS WERE HURT. HAD THE GUARDRAIL NOT BEEN THERE -- THE CAR WOULD HAVE GONE OVER A RAVINE AND INTO A HOME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT LEVER FAILED TO MOVE THE SEAT BACK DOWN. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE OCCUPANT WOULD BE UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FIAT CHRYSLER (181 HALL ROAD, MCCALL, MI 48044, 586-286-0200) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT LEVER CABLE FAILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500 SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING THE HIGHWAY AT 20 MPH, THE REAR ROOF WING BECAME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE AND FLEW INTO INCOMING TRAFFIC. BOTH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER WERE UNWILLING TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026