NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Fiat 500. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500L (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE, THE SENSOR ON THE REARVIEW CAMERA FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SENSOR FOR THE REARVIEW CAMERA NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V103000 (POWER TRAIN); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.
COLD WEATHER PROBLEM. 29 DEGF OUTSIDE ON OCCURRENCE. SHIFTER WILL NOT MOVE FROM "PARK" POSITION. THIS HAS CLEARED UP BEFORE AFTER LETTING VEHICLE WARM UP. IT IS STILL IN THIS CONDITION PRESENTLY. I ROCKED VEHICLE FORWARD AND BACK, CHECKED FUSES, LET IT WARM UP TO 39 DEG F OUTSIDE WITH THE VEHICLE RUNNING FOR 20 MINUTES. STILL STUCK IN PARK. LAST WINTER THE SHIFT LEVER WOULD MOVE INTO POSITION, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE UNTIL AFTER THE VEHICLE WARMED UP. THE FIAT DEALERSHIP DID A FIRMWARE FLASH UPDATE WHICH CLEARED THAT UP. NOW THIS. THIS IS A 2014 FIAT 500L I HAVE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM ON FIAT OWNER BLOGS INDICATING THIS IS A "COMMON" PROBLEM WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. ONE BLOG SUGGESTED IT MAY BE VOLTAGE RELATED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,200.
I HAVE MET THESE CARS ON THE ROAD NUMEROUS TIMES AND EACH TIME (AT NIGHT) THE HEADLIGHTS WERE SO BRIGHT I THOUGHT THEY WERE ON HIGHBEAMS. THIS IS ABOUT ANY YEAR MODEL THEY MADE THESE. I HAVE ASKED DRIVERS OF THESE CARS FOR THEIR LOWBEAMS, AND THEN GOT HIGHBEAMED. WHAT I THOUGHT WAS HIGHBEAM WAS ACTUALLY THEIR LOWBEAMS, SO WHEN THEIR HIGH BEAMS CAME ON I WAS TEMPORARILY BLINDED. I KNOW SOMEBODY WITH A FIAT 500 AND THEY CONCURRED THAT THEY GET FLASHED A LOT SINCE THEY BOUGHT THEIR CAR. IS THERE A RECALL THAT CAN BE MADE TO GET THE LIGHTS RE-AIMED? OR POWERED DOWN? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,491.
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT NORMAL SPEED OF TRAFFIC AND THE CAR LOOSES ACCELERATION. THE CAR GOES FROM 55 MPH DOWN TO 0 AND I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND STOP THE CAR AND THEN START AGAIN. THE GAS PEDAL IS DEAD IS HOW IT IS DESCRIBED BY THE TECH NO RESPONSE TO ME PUSHING IT DOWN. THIS IS A DANGER BECAUSE IT HAPPENS AT RANDOM AND IN THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP GOING AT NORMAL SPEED AND THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS WHERE I FELT IN DANGER OF BEING REAR ENDED ... THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES RANDOMLY... THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING AND NOT OFFERING ANY INSIGHT INTO HOW TO FIX IT AT ALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, FUMES WERE SEEPING INTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY WAS LOW WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. AS A RESULT, THE BATTERY WAS REMOVED AND PLACED BACK INTO THE VEHICLE BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 432. UPDATED 7/29/15*CN UPDATED 9/19/2017*CN
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
I HAD NOT DROVE MY CAR IN 3 DAYS IT WAS PARKED INSIDE OUR GARAGE, I PUT IN THE IGNITION KEY, AND CAR WOULD NOT MAKE A SOUND, NOT EVEN A CLICK, WHILE THE KEY IN THE START POSITION, ALL KINDS IF THINGS STARED TO COME ON THE DISPLAY, . I HAD TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY JUMPED THE CAR TO GET IT OUT OF MY GARAGE, AND HAD THE CAR FOR 5 DAYS, EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE I SMELL GAS FUMES INSIDE THE CAR, WE SPENT 24,000 FOR THE CAR, AND IT JUST DOES NOT SEEM TO BE RIGHT. *TR
AT A STOP TO SHOP, EVERYTHING LOCKED UP. COULD NOT TURN CAR KEY ON OR OFF OR REMOVE KEY. COULD NOT OPEN DOORS OR WINDOWS. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES IT WAS OK. I AM ELDERLY AND QUITE NERVOUS ABOUT SUCH THINGS. NEXT DAY TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY STILL ARE WAITING FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS AND TELLING ME A BUNCH OF NONSENSE THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN IF STEERING WHEEL AND FRONT WHEELS ARE NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY. *TR
I PURCHASED THE BRAND NEW VEHICLE JUNE 8, 2014 WITH 98 MILES ON IT FROM PREMIERE FIAT OF FREMONT. AFTER ONLY OWNING THE CAR FOR 4 DAYS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON JUNE 12, 2014. IT WAS TOWED TO THE NEILLO FIAT STUDIO IN SACRAMENTO WHERE THEY FIRST DETERMINED A BROKEN RELAY TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE LIGHT. AFTER TEST DRIVING THE CAR, THE LIGHT STILL CAME ON. THEN THEY DECIDED THE PROBLEM WAS A BROKEN O2 SENSOR. THEY ORDERED THE PART, AND REPLACED IT. THE LIGHT STILL CAME ON DURING A TEST DRIVE. AT THIS POINT, THEY NOW HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR OVER A WEEK WITH LITTER IDEA OF WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THE LAST UPDATE I RECEIVED WAS THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR A PART TO COME IN SO THEY COULD TEST THE POWER CONTROL MODULE. THERE IS NO ETA FOR THIS. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CHRYSLER IN ORDER TO TRY TO SEE WHAT MY OPTIONS ARE, AS THIS CAR NOW SEEMS LIKE A LEMON AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THEY ARE PROVIDING LITTLE ASSISTANCE OTHER THAN CONTACTING THE STUDIO FOR UPDATES AND TRYING TO DETER ME FROM ASKING FOR A TRADE. THERE DOES SEEM TO BE SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THIS BRAND NEW VEHICLE, WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN GOOD FAITH AND ONLY DRIVEN FOR 4 DAYS. *TR
AIR CONDITIONER DOES NOT STAY COLD NO MATTER WHAT SPEED, STOPPED, FACING OR NOT FACING THE SUN, RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC OR NOT RUSH HOUR, ON FREEWAY OR SURFACE STREETS. AIR IS COLD AND AFTER A COUPLE MINUTES BECOMES HUMID AND COOL, NOT COLD. IT DISPLAYS SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AS IS IF THE CONDENSER IS ICING OVER. WENT INTO SHOP ON 5/23 INTERNAL CIRCUIT FAILURE AND REPLACED THE A/C CLUTCH RELAY. RETURNED TO SHOP FOR EXACT SAME ISSUES ON 5/29/14 FOR FAILURE IN NEW RELAY AND WAS REPLACED WITH NEW A/C CLUTCH RELAY. RETURNED TO SHOP ON 6/13 FOR SAME ISSUE OF NOT STATING COLD. WAS TOLD NEW POWERTAIN COMPUTER MODULE WOULD FIX THE ISSUE. WHEN I WENT TO PICKUP CAR ON 7/3/14, CAR DID NOT START SO UNABLE TO VERIFY IF A/C WAS FIXED. SINCE NO WORK WAS COMPLETED ON A/C UNIT FIGURE THAT SINCE THE MODULE DID NOT FIX THE STARTING ISSUE THE A/C WOULD MORE THEN LIKELY STILL FAIL. *JS
INTERMITTENT NO CRANK NO START, WHEN TURNING THE KEY TI TO START THE CAR THE ENGINE DOES NOT ENGAGE ON THE FIRST TRY. YOU CAN HEAR THE CLICKING OF THE STARTER AND ALL ELECTRONICS POWER UP BUT ENGINE DOES NOT ENGAGE AND START, SIMILAR TO NOT HAVING ENOUGH COMPRESSION IN THE ENGINE. AS TIME PASSES THE MORE FREQUENT THE ISSUE BECOMES. 5/23/14 1ST VISIT TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT, UPDATED POWERTRAIN MODULE. RETURNED CAR TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 5/29/14 FOR SAME NO START ISSUE, SOFTWARE UPDATE AND REPROGRAMMED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MODULE SOFTWARE. 6/9/14 CAR DID NOT STAT, RETURN TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT 6/13/14, INTERNAL CIRCUIT/SOFTWARE FAILURE REPLACED AND PROGRAMMED NEW POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE. 7/3/14 WENT TO PICK UP CAR FROM SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND CAR DID NOT START. BACK IN SHOP AND WAS TOLD NEEDED AN UPDATE THAT HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED TO PICK UP CAR AND DEAL WITH NO STARTING ISSUES UNTIL UPDATE IS READY. LEFT THE CAR AT DEALERSHIP SAYING NOT ACCEPTABLE TO PICK UP IF NOT FIXED. STILL WORKING ON TRYING TO GET IT FIXED. *JS
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, ENGINE IDLING ROUGH ,TRANSMISSION SHIFTER LIGHT BLINKING, TRNASMISSION GEAR LAGS ON SHIFT. *TR
DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHILE DRIVING, VERY DANGEROUS BEING ON THE EXPRESSWAY WITH FAMILY. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHIFT AGAIN. REPEATED PROBLEMS OCCUR SPORADIC THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. *TR
WHILE IN MOTION, VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF 2ND GEAR -- UP OR DOWN. I ALSO TRIED SHIFTING MANUALLY WITHOUT SUCCESS. I STOPPED VEHICLE ON SIDE OF ROAD. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT START -- NO ENGINE CRANKING. AFTER 10 MINUTES, SOMETHING WAS FELT DISENGAGING AND VEHICLE STARTED AND WAS DRIVEN WITHOUT INCIDENT TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. ANOTHER 500L LOANER CAR WAS PROVIDED AND THE NEXT DAY, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO IT. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF 2ND GEAR. CAR AND DRIVER ALSO RELEASED THEIR REVIEW IN FEBRUARY WITH SIMILAR ISSUES AND MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM ONLINE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS STATED THAT IT IS A KNOWN SOFTWARE ISSUE THAT CANNOT BE RELEASED WITHOUT EPA APPROVAL. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT ONLY UNRELIABLE, BUT UNSAFE. *TR
WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE SINCE BEFORE CHRISTMAS WITH OUR NEW FIAT 500. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYING ON, AND ONCE IN A WHILE THE SHIFTER PANEL LIGHTS FLASHING FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT WHILE WE WAITED FOR PARTS. IT TOOK TWO WEEKS FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO GET A NEW CONTROL MODULE IN, FIRST THEY GOT A MODULE THAT DIDN'T WORK, THEN THEY GOT ONE THAT DID WORK AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED. LAST NIGHT MY WIFE IS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND SUDDENLY THE "NO GEAR FOUND" ERROR POPS UP ON THE THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY, THE TRANSMISSION DISENGAGED INTO NEUTRAL. NO ACCELERATION WHATSOEVER. THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING, THE BRAKES WORK, THE LIGHTS ARE ON, BUT NO GEARS. SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER, CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND GOT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. WE ARE WAITING ON PARTS AGAIN. *TR
HAD CAR FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND AFTER COMING HOME FROM VACATION, 1 WEEK, BATTERY TOTALLY DEAD. AFTER AAA ATTEMPTED TO CHARGE BATTERY 3 TIMES IT FINALLY CHARGED UP BUT WAS TOLD TO DRIVE DIRECTLY TO DEALERSHIP. I GOT ABOUT 3 MILES FROM HOME WHEN CAR AGAIN DIED IN MIDDLE OF ROAD BUT WAS ABLE TO STEER TO THE SIDE BEFORE STEERING LOCKED. AFTER CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THEY NEVER REALLY SAW THIS BEFORE, A TOTALLY DEAD BATTERY THAT WOULD NOT CHARGE UP. NO EXPLANATION, ACCUSED ME OF POSSIBLY LEAVING LIGHTS ON WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE. THEY SAID IF I WAS GOING TO LEAVE THE CAR SITTING FOR EVEN A FEW DAYS I SHOULD HAVE SOMEONE START CAR TO KEEP BATTERY CHARGED. FUNNY BUT MY DAUGHTER'S 2010 FORD FOCUS SAT FOR THE SAME WEEK WITHOUT BEING STARTED AND WHEN I STARTED IT THAT CAR HAD NO PROBLEM. *TR
ON DECEMBER 26TH MY KEY WAS NO LONGER RECOGNIZED BY THE FIAT IGNITION SYSTEM. I CALLED HOME, HAD A SPARE DELIVERED, AND THE SPARE STARTED THE CAR UP. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TWO WEEKS LATER THE KEY WAS REPLACED. ON FEBRUARY 14TH I ONCE AGAIN HAD THE SAME ISSUE WHERE THE IGNITION SYSTEM WOULD NOT DETECT THE KEY. ONCE AGAIN I HAD THE NEW SPARE DELIVERED AND THE CAR STARTED RIGHT UP. I AM CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE BAD KEY REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP. BOTH TIMES THE BAD KEYS WOULD GIVE THE INDICATION OF A CAR WITH A PADLOCK OVER IT. THE OWNERS MANUAL INDICATES THAT THIS MEANS THE KEY IN THE IGNITION IS NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE SYSTEM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE GAUGE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND A VOICE ACTIVATED INDICATING THAT THE CLUTCH WAS OVERHEATING AND WARNED THE CONTACT TO PARK THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN VARIOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE SHIFT LEVER FAILED TO SHIFT OUT OF THE PARK POSITION. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,045.
AFTER A WEEK, CAR MIL STARTED TO BLINK , BUT MANUAL MENTIONS IT CAN BE DRIVE AND COMPUTER MAY RESET ITSELF, BUT THEN MALFUNCTION LAMP WAS ON ALL TIME , AND THEN CAR STARTED TO STALL , TO STOP COMPLETELY . STARTED CAR JUST TO PARK IT, THEN WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM EXHAUST WHEN REVERSING . IMMEDIATELY TOWED CAR TO REPAIR SHOP, IT TOOK 3 WEEKS FOR REPAIR AS PARTS ARE NOT EASY AVAILABLE. PARTS AFFECTED ARE: MULTI AIR ACTUATOR , GASKET NO, GASKET CY , AND WIRING EN. *TR
TODAY IS THE 30TH DAY OF THE PURCHASE OF MY CAR AND HAVEN'T MAKE A PAYMENT YET. WHILE DRIVING IN THE NORMAL MORNING COMMUTE TRAFFIC AT 5 TO 10 MILES PER HOUR AND MAKING FREQUENT STOPS DUE TO THE TRAFFIC JAM, SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT OF THE AIR VENT. INITIALLY I THOUGHT THAT THE VENT WAS OPEN TO THE OUTSIDE AND THE SMELL BELONGED TO A TRAILER NEXT TO ME; BUT NO... THE AIR WAS CIRCULATING FROM WITHIN THE VEHICLE. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR HEAVY SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE CAR WAS GOING TO SET ON FIRE, I WAS TRAPPED BETWEEN TWO LANES AND I PANICKED BECAUSE IF AN EXPLOSION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED TOO MANY CARS WERE CLOSE TO ME DUE TO THE HEAVY TRAFFIC. PANEL DID NOT LIGHT UP WITH ANY INDICATIONS OF "CHECK ENGINE" OR "TEMPERATURE" RISING. TEMPERATURE WAS NORMAL ACCORDING TO THE THERMOSTAT. I PULLED UP TO THE SHOULDER AND GOT OFF THE CAR AND OPENED THE HOOD AND IT WAS FULL OF SMOKE. AT THE BEGINNING CAR ENGINE DID NOT RUN BUT LATER THE TOW TRUCK WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR OVER THE PLATFORM. CAR WAS LEFT AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR FURTHER EVALUATION SINCE IT IS A BRAND NEW MODEL THAT JUST CAME TO THE USA. UNKNOWN DEFECT AT THIS TIME. *TR
CAR DOES NOT SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE. INSTRUMENT PANEL RELAYS MANY WARNINGS (GEAR NOT AVAILABLE, TRANSMISSION WARNING, SEEK SERVICE) AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THIS IS OCCURRING DAILY NOW AND FIAT DOES NOT HAVE A FIX. CODES CAN BE CLEARED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TRANSMISSION MODULE IS WHERE THE WARNINGS ARE STORED. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO LET THE CAR WARM UP FOR 2 MINUTES BEFORE PUTTING IT INTO DRIVE. *TR