2015 Fiat 500: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 92 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (34% of complaints); the 2016 and 2017 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Jun 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 92 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2015 Fiat 500 Pop Hatchback. The contact received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train) however, the parts to repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The local dealer was notified of the recall notice and confirmed that the parts were not available. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the manual clutch failed and the contact was unable to steer the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided with a customer care case number 89214492. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.”Owner report · Power Train · Mar 2024
“After bringing vehicle to a complete stop at a traffic light, it died and gave a propulsion system warning. After about 20 attempts to turn off and reboot the vehicle, it restarted and behaved as if nothing had happened. This was a very dangerous situation with the vehicle stuck in the middle of the road. There have been two recalls on this very specific issue (and this vehicle has had that related software updates). Vehicle did the exact same behavior for no reason. (NHTSA campaign: 16V303000 & 15V179000). And because the vehicle wasn't sold in Georgia, no local dealers know how to work on it.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Nov 2022
“Driver side seat belt has worn prematurely, no longer retractable or locking in place. Seat belt is often wet during rainy weather, the vehicle is only 6yrs old to already have a safety belt malfunction. It is unknown to me why the seat belt has malfunctioned.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Oct 2022
Show 7 more owner reports
“Our FIAT was rear-ended on October 20. My wife suffered multiple critical injuries. The accident occurred in Manatee County Florida. I have the accident report, a picture of the vehicle, and a reported recall of the vehicle for a seat problem that took place in Australia. There has been no recall in the U.S. I will upload the relevant documents. The company reports the front seat's guide tracks may not comply to safety standards do to a manufacturing fault. If the guide tracks are faulty, the seat could suddenly shift backwards or forwards during a crash, which poses an increased risk of injury.”Owner report · Seats · Oct 2021
“the problem is: I can not charging, light indicator is red plug , charger indicate (charging) I can not shift gear to D or R , just accept shift to P and N message warning : 1-service electric vehicle system , (yellow car) indicator lamp 2-service charging system (red plug) 3-service propulsion system”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · May 2021
“Began losing clutch, clutch/brake assembly had the 2 connecting bolts broken in half. Have pictures. Clutch interlock arrived bad, bypassed it; now the power steering, engine light and eos lights stay on. Car engine died then cranked up on its own while driving 60mph stating high temp (pull over, turn engine off) - had been in the car less than 1 minute, just long enough to get to 60 on the highway. Now clutch interlock, and brake interlock must be replaced.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2021
“The quality of the exterior door handle is an issue. My passenger side door handle has snapped completely off and my drivers side door handle has partially broken, but still functions. The rear door hatch also stopped working. The arm rests both broke rather easily as well. My last car was a 2013 fiat 500 pop and the exterior door handles both broke, the rear latch stopped working, and both arm rests broke. I live in Iowa and it gets extremely cold, but I'm unsure if that's related. I have not been aggressive with any of these parts so I don't know what the issue is.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2021
“While using cruise control and resuming or increasing the speed to a higher speed, the transmission slams into gear instead of transitioning.”Owner report · Power Train · Dec 2020
“I work at an independent auto repair facility. We have seen several headlight bulb connector failures where the connector melts. When the connector melts, the light stops functioning. The repair requires replacement of the connector and the bulb.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Oct 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2015 fiat 500. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the front driver's side window detached and fell inside of the door panel. The vehicle was taken to fiat of scottsdale located at 16301 n. 78th st, scottsdale, az 85260, to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the window regulator failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 44,000.”Owner report · Visibility · Jul 2020
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2016 Fiat 500 vehicles manufactured June 21, 2010, through January 12, 2016, equipped with a manual transmission. The clutch diaphragm spring may fracture and fail, causing an inability to switch gears.
Remedy: The remedy for this recall will include the installation of a clutch pedal limiter and a clutch pedal switch. The recall began on November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S34.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Fiat 500 battery electric vehicles manufactured March 8, 2013, to March 7, 2015. The Electric Vehicle Control Unit (EVCU) of the affected vehicles may set a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) that may cause the transmission to unexpectedly shift to neutral.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EVCU, free of charge. The recall began June 19, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R20.
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Fiat 500 vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not illuminate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the TPMS electronic control unit module, free of charge. Owners were mailed July 11, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 80B.
DLT, LLC. is recalling certain CravenSpeed Fiat Short Shifter shafts sold for use in 2011-2019 Fiat 500 vehicles. The Shifter Shaft may have been improperly manufactured with a through hole for the set screw rather than a blind hole, which may lead to the breakage of the Shifter Shaft.
Remedy: DLT has notified owners, and will provide a complete replacement shifter assembly with an updated shaft, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2019. Owners may contact DLT customer service at 1-503-505-6886.
How other years compare
Check your exact 500 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2015 Fiat 500 reliable?
NHTSA has 92 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2015 Fiat 500. The most complained-about area is power train (34% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2015 Fiat 500 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 32,514 miles or less.
Does the 2015 Fiat 500 have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning power train:manual transmission. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.