Why do FIATS go thru so many owners? Why is this car traded so often?

It's NOT a good car.. and people buy them because they appear cute.... it's all flash.... A slick marketing thing.... plus, they're basically Chrysler cars and sorry to say, but Chysler cars are junk...read this, http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/12/fiat-sales-crumbling- america/

Awesome n4 Thank you so much!

F.I.A.T. = Failed Italian Attempt at Transportation.

Theres quite literally NOTHING Chrysler in any Fiat, theres quite literally millions of Fiats happily running around Europe, Brazil, south Africa & India on a daily basis that are cheap to run, more reliable than anything else even vaguely similar & generally put a smile on your face. Most Fiats have the well proven FIRE petrol engines, a superb engine dating back to the mid 80`s, and with normal, basic maintenance is easily capable of 2-300,000 miles without issue. I have been running Fiats (& Jaguars) on a daily basis for decades, both of which have been spectacularly reliable, unlike other "premium" German cars I've owned. I`ve had my current 1990 Fiat for over 9 years, & to date it's been completely reliable. I've not even had to change the battery yet. My brother, a driving instructor, has a 2012 Abarth 500 which has done 180,000 miles, to date its only needed a starter, an alternator, a front exhaust flexy, a set of engine mounts & a few batteries. Thats it.. Its left him stranded once with a broken coolant hose clip, & that was sorted within half an hour. The worst thing for Fiat is its reputation in certain countries, including the USA, & going by the ignorant statements on your question, I`d say that ill founded reputation (often quoted by people who've never touched a Fiat, let alone owned one) is still very much in effect.. Another problem because of this "reputation" is poor residuals, this leads to people skipping on servicing & maintenance, in many cases completely ignoring all servicing requirements completely, which, obviously, results in cars wearing out or failing much sooner, which then results in the skinflint, half arsed owners moaning about the manufacturers reliability. Frankly, you are infinitely more likely to be left stranded in a VW, Audi or BMW than you are in a Fiat, contrary to popular belief.

Well, it's not just an opinion about reliability....why don't you look at sources such as True Delta....the First 500 L has a terrible record... Really.."skipping maintenance"...can just about send any car into turmoil.... not a good idea...

I`m speaking from experience Markw1952, having been a long term Fiat owner & someone who knows many happy Fiat owners, what's your direct, personal experience with Fiat, other than reading posts on websites that are specifically there for people to complain on? Theres roughly 400,000 Fiat 500`s currently registered in the UK (where I am), as well as 100,000 Panda`s (which have the same chassis & running gear as the 500) and over 200,000 Punto`s (which shame the running gear & most of the electrics), thats approaching 3/4 of a million cars just in the UK alone, theres virtually no streets in London that dont have at least one 500 in them, and you cant go 5 minutes without seeing a few driving, you cant move for them, yet how many times have I Fiats broken down at the side of the road? I can't recall a single one since my brothers coolant pipe clip broke a couple of years ago (@ around 150,000 miles), yet I see broken down BMW`s, Mercs & VAG cars stranded at least twice a week, that tells me everything I need to know... On top of that, when you look at the reviews on reliability website, how many issues are related to actual reliability? A squeaky seat, a burned bulb, a broken heater knob, even a cracked windscreen.. I mean, seriously? Whats actually left you stranded? People moan about the stupidest of things, and in many cases broken trim & switchgear breaking will often be down to an owner with the mechanical sympathy of a Rhinoceros, so I'm afraid I don't take their stories seriously.

I have 2 fiat 500. 2012 and a 2014. One with 200,000 miles one with 130,000 miles. Never had an issue at all. I find it hard to believe that I just happen to get two that are good and so many are bad. These cars are great.

People reporting that the Fiat 500 is a bad car are ignorant as hell, and very likely never had one. The Fiat 500 is a outstanding car in the reliability department. I have a 2012 one with 152,700 miles on it, and here is what it needed: 1 battery, rear bushings replaced. That's it.. It has been, by FAR the most dependable vehicle I have ever owned., and I mean by FAR.

Does anyone have experience with the 0,9 twinair motor? Reliability and mechanically, like is it a good engine I cared for properly?

I have a fiat 2014 that only has 74,800 miles and the dealership reports that it has a bad engine. Please tell me how is this possible? I've never gotten into a car accident with the car nor to I drive on empty when it comes to gas. I've went on 2 road trips and always get my car maintenance. Please help me if you can because this is tremendously OUTRAGEOUS!! I will not buy a new engine for a car that still can be sold brand new. I haven't gotten my time out of it plus I LOVED MY CAR but I'm in fury for being sold a car with a faulty engine email me splunge22@gmail.com

Hey Markw1952 You have no idea what your talking about. Pabs is right. Everything he said was correct about the Fiat 500. There are literally thousands and thousands of them driving around in the UK alone, not to mention many other countries throughout the Globe. The Fiat 500 is a outstanding car with outstanding reliability overall. Brian

I have a 2015 Fiat 500 Sport with 90k miles and zero problems. You have no idea what you're talking about when you give spurious blanket statements. Get a life!

Hi guys, I'm clearly late to this thread which now appears to be about a year old, but I'm going to give it a try anyway. I just test drove a pre-owned 2012 Fiat 500 Pop convertible. The silky 5 speed gear shift, amazing gas mileage and of course the totally fun & unique styling~ well, safe to say, it "had me at hello". I've been researching Fiats and people seem to be on the fence about them here in the US, where we've seen a huge decline in sales over the past couple years. There also appear to be a lot of used ones for sale here with very low mileage, so I can't help but wonder why people are so quick to trade these in? I worked in England & Denmark years ago where they were a staple on the streets. But we seem to have more horror stories here in the US, with reported long wait time on back- ordered parts, lots of recalls, unreliability, etc. That said, the devout fans are out there who claim to have experienced nothing short of sheer joy from their Fiat purchase. Soooo, I'm at a crossroads and really wishing I had a crystal ball right about now. Wondering if I'm just falling for a (very) pretty face, or if these cars can be trusted. All thoughts, insights and crystal ball predictions are welcome! Thank you~

Yo Mark, you act bare solid fam. Me and the Fiat 500 lads, will go 0-500 on yo head. You know nothing fam. Ive had a Fiat 500 for 7 years and Ive done 1.5 million miles and not a single breakdown. Me and the mandem challenge you to a race, Tesco car park, next week. We can grab a meal deal and settle our difference. Ya boy, Wilfred III

I've owned one for 7 years and 160k miles. Most reliable car I have ever owned. It's fun to drive with the manual transmission. It still has the original Clutch and brakes. I bought it in June of 2011, as a 2012 model. Other than a few minor warranty repairs, I was blown away how cheap it is to maintain. I've owned nothing but Toyotas before, but the last ones were garbage and parts cost 2 to 3 times than my fiat. They have one really big negative weakness- resale value. Never buy a new one. Buy one with 10k miles that are a year old. You'll save 40 percent and will have a fun car, for half the price of a new Toyota Yaris.

I bought a used 2014 Fiat 500L with 74,000 miles. The turbo went out in 1000 miles. Supposedly it had been in a previous accident and damaged the oil tubes to the turbo. I have 85,000 now with various check engine lights , service electronic throttle control warning, so I just bought a plug in diagnostic reader and downloaded a app on my cell phone to read. I now just reset the codes, also if it sits a week without starting it will not start, the lights just flicker on the dash as it cranks over. The battery is fully charged. If I leave the battery on a trickle charge it starts perfect. The clutch is very hard to push down, you have to push it very firmly to the floor to change gears. I love driving this car and get 30 mpg at 85 miles per hour on long trips. If I drive 65 mph I get 35 mpg. I use 0w40 Castrol Syntax synthetic oil. Never uses any oil between oil changes. I plan on keeping this car for ever because the are worthless on trade in.

Maintenance is always critical with any car. All the standard maintenance stuff applies to the Fiat 500 ... to any Chrysler ... and even to a Rolls Royce. And there are variations in ANYTHING that is mass produced .... that may lead to reliability problems later. And of course... throw in IDIOTS who don't properly care for their car. The US version of the Fiat 500 requires Premium grade fuel, so put Premium in it. Be sure to use ONLY the correct motor oil recommended by the manufacturer. DO NOT TINKER WITH the SAE ratings for the oil set by the manufacturer. 5w-30 means 5w-30 ... or whatever the spec says. And just for good measure use Fully Synthetic. With the longer oil change times, these days, it is worth the extra to get Synthetic. Also... as with any engine... a brief warm up period at idle ... (No Revving!) ... allows the oil to properly circulate during warm up. And for those of you with Turbos --- News Flash: Turbos require maintenance. More than non-turbo engines. Check the owner's manual and be sure to do whatever it says to do. In short... LEARN HOW TO READ the Owner's Manual... and be sure to do what it says. Do not try to outsmart the engineers who built the car. And, that advice applies to ANY car you buy, regardless of who built it, or how expensive it is. One last thought, specific to the Fiat 500. My take on people buying the 500 and then selling it after a short time is... I don't think people FULLY understand how small this car really is. If it is your only car, you will hate it within a week. As a second or third car... a commuter... in particular on city streets, this is a great car! I think people in general ask their cars to a wide variety of things. The Fiat 500 simply can NOT fill all those roles... all those functions... simply because it is too small. But, if you use the car "within the box" it was designed to be used in, I think its a great little car!

I just got a Fiat 500 Lounge.... I think they call it here in the US. It is a 2017 model with 4,000 miles on it. Basically a new car. People stop me and make comments about it all the time.... oddly enough... most have never even seen one. After 6 years of sales in the US ... the car is still basically unknown. I find that amazing. US sales for 2018 of the 500 were only 12,000 units.... which is really low. RELIABILITY: which is the topic of this thread. I bought this car as a second car, as a commuter car. It does not need to haul groceries around or kids to soccer practice, or anything like that. It needs to take ME to work and back ... which is a 10 mile round trip. The car it replaces, I was putting 3,000 miles per year on it. So, starting at 4,000 miles.... and adding 3,000 per year... I predict the 500 will last me 30 years, or so. BUT ...the catch is... that I am 59 years old... so I probably won't last another 30 years, or at least I will not be DRIVING another 30 years. Plus... the work commute goes away when I retire... so... realistically, this could easily be the last car I ever need to buy. I may have to replace car #1... my wife's car ... which is a Chevy Malibu that I absolutely hate. So... sorry... what was that about dependability? At 3,000 miles per year... I figure I will get many years of FUN dependable driving out of the little 500. I could care less if it falls apart at 80,000 miles, or whatever, because I will be long done with it and I won't be the person driving it, at that point. My ONE concern is RUST up here in Michigan. THAT one is tough to avoid, even if only driving a few miles, every year. I had some friend of mine make a big deal about changing out the Thermostat because they are "all bad from the factory" .... and I laughed. I'm not tearing apart a basically new car, still under warranty ... because a friend of mine says so. People are nuts. These cars are FINE. My one concern is that because it is FUN to drive it a little bit harder.... around town... I may wear things out ahead of schedule... like tires. But THAT is on me ... for hot rodding around just for fun. And this car IS fun. And maybe at age 59 ... I could use a little fun. Sorry to see there are so many Americans who don't get it. THE CAR IS FUN. Name a more fun car available in the US and I will trade the 500 in for it! Well?

I've got a 2015 Abarth with the 1.4L Turbo engine. Currently it has 114k mi. It's been meticulously maintained- I bought it new in October 2014. Anyone who says Fiats are unreliable is flat out wrong. Other than scheduled maintenance here's what's been done: 3 sets of tires Front brake pads and rotors Passenger side window regulator Emissions purge canister That's it. This car has had fewer unscheduled repairs than my 2009 Mini Cooper S did in 30k miles. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Fiat. I'll also never buy another Mini- that thing was always in the shop.

I bought a 2016 500x..i like the look and the design of the car but i dont like the way it drives. The transmission seems really off..theres not much get up and go until it really warms up. Ive only had it for a short while and while nothing majorly bad has happened its a monthly visit at least to have something fixed bc some random light has gone on. The worst part is the Fiat service center near me takes forever to get you in so you drive around w yoir check engine light on for weeks only to find out Fiat wont even fix the problem until the try to run a software update..so the next day light comes right back on and nothing is better. Its been giving me anxiety attacks bc i feel like something is always going to break. It also has alot of clanky road noise. Its a sickly little car. I wanted to love her but its been much like purchasing a sick puppy and constantly being at the vet.

@jackie Yours should be easier to fix than the 500 Hatchback- even though they are both called 500s, your X is really a Jeep Renegade. Same vehicle mechanically. Try a different dealer.

We bought our daughter a used 500 X 2016 it's got 44K miles on it and were just told the engine mounts were bad and needed replacing. There are 3 mounts. Is this expensive?

Ive owned a 595 Abarth from new, purchased in Sep 2016. Its been very reliable, cheap to insure, and is great fun to drive. It may not be very practical as an every day car, but as a second vehicle, its a great addition along side my Audi A3.

It's a great car, I drive 600 miles a week, close to 100.000 miles now, original tires replaced at 92.000, changing oil and that's it, mpg was up to 51.3 according to the computer, great value car and it's fun.to drive with the manual

It's a great car, I drive 600 miles a week, close to 100.000 miles now, original tires replaced at 92.000, changing oil and that's it, mpg was up to 51.3 according to the computer, great value car and it's fun.to drive with the manual

Just came across this site. I live in the US and own a volcanic red 500L with the white roof and white wheels. It's eye catching and gets lots of compliments and the ladies say it's a Red Velvet Cupcake car. The car is not small...a tidy hatch with lots of usable space and great visibility. It's my daily commuter with 81k miles on it. Over the years, I have owned many Chrysler-made vehicles...this is not anything like those...it's completely Euro. I went in to buy a Jeep and came out w/a Fiat, mainly because I wanted a hatch and loved the small footprint and roomy inside. US drivers have/had issues with the twin-clutch automated trans. You see that in so many reviews...of VWs and recently, Hyundai, who dropped it from their line entirely. Honestly, it took me about a week to get used to it and it performs great on the highway (a little less so from a dead stop). So, what is my "issue"? well the US service centers seem to be clueless when it comes to repairing this vehicle. I had a few minor things to fix, but one big problem---the heating & cooling system. I went back about 6 times....first, the AC went. They replaced compressor. Then the heat became uncontrollable...you could not reduce flow or temp. It was INSANE. Many trips to the dealer and they pretty much took the damn thing apart and rebuilt it (PS, it was the actuator motors that control the flow). But, it's truly aggravating when Fiat has your car over a month...partly because they don't know what's wrong and then waiting for parts that take FOREVER. So, while I really do like my little red-velvet cupcake of a car, the service experience has been dreadful. I'd be hard pressed to buy another Fiat or an Alfa for that matter.

Markw doesn't know what he's talking about I've had a fiat 500 for 2 yours and I've had very little issues

I've owned a 2012 500 sport 6 speed auto trans from the beginning. 80,000 mile now. zero issues mechanically but i will grumble about fit and finish. kinda poor, and i take care of my stuff as well. I view it as a far less significant than the joy i get in owning and driving it.

I have had a Fiat 500L for 4 years now. I have maintained it very well and it still looks new. I drive a lot. My sweetie has 85,000 miles on it and it has never given me any trouble at all. The drive is tight and smooth. I have had to replace the tires, that's all. Absolutely fabulous car. I look forward to it being my roadway host for at least 4 more years. Markw1952 - I am a very satisfied Fiat owner and I know many very happy Fiat owners. Your assessment is completely incorrect. I have owned two Hondas, 2 Lexus SUV, and a Mercedes, and the Fiat ranks in longevity right up there with Lexus in my experience. My brand new Mercedes broke down every other week. This cute little car has been the most reliable and I love taking long trips in it. LOVE MY FIAT!

I just made my first Fiat purchase. It is a 2013 Abarth 500. Used with 50k miles on it. I’m a hobbyist mechanic who’s built hot rods in the past. They ranged from antique to muscle cars. The Abarth was neglected when I received it. It will now be properly maintained and cared for. So far I’m pleased with my purchase, this car is sensory pleasure to drive. Once again I can feel connected to the road as I did in my youth. The car is easy to repair and maintain. So put down the cell phones, roll down the windows and enjoy the drive as we once did.

I am a proud owner of Fiat 500 L 2014. It runs great. Mine is Manuel shift. It works fir me better. I live in Ohio. Nit many people own it but all the iwners are happy. Markw1952 as Pab asked you what is your direct experience ? You did not answer.

I have had two manual POPs. The first one came with an alignment problem right off the lot that no dealer completely fixed. I put a lot of miles on it right away, so about two years later I traded it for another, only to intensify my problem. The second one ate 1/2 quart of oil between 3,000 mile oil changes. The dealer told me it was “normal” and so didn’t qualify for the warranty. When I brought the car in for the left daytime running light to be repaired at 23,000 the dealer failed to diagnose the faulty socket. Good on gas, easy to park in cities, and equipped with great visibility, I have found my Fiat and Fiat dealership experiences to be too glitchy to recommend. At 80,000 miles I have just finished replacing the battery and both front struts. The front running light, after 2 long drives to the dealership, remains unfixed for what I imagine is a power surge problem.

My wife bought a pre owned 2015 Fiat Abarth Convertible with an automatic transmission and only 15k miles. Purchased thru a friend, it was a 1 owner car that the he decided that he wanted something different. He owns a few cars and he bought the Abarth for fun. She commutes in it, gets great fuel economy and generally loves driving it. One year later and 35k miles, we've installed new tires, front brake rotors / pads and 2 oil changes. That's it, No issues... Just basic maintenance and fun driving. I liked it so much that I recently bought a pre owned 2014 Abarth for myself with 30k miles, manual transmission coupe. The manual is in my opinion, way more fun to drive. I'm looking forward to using is as a weekend car and some commuting. Mechanically both these cars have been great, build quality, not so much. The current Fiat's in the USA use cheap plastic, rubber, the paint and everything else. It's absolute crap quality, but that's not why we own 2 of them. His and hers / hers and his... The Abarth's are simply just fun as ____ to drive...

Are the European-built Fiat 500s built with different materials and to different specifications than the ones sold in the USA and built in, I believe, Mexico?

In just my immediate family, we have 6 Fiats across 6 drivers. 2- 500 Abarths 2- 500 Sports 1- 500 Pop 1- 500 L If you count extended family, the count increases an additional 4 2- 500 Abarths 2- 500 Pops That’s a total of 10 Fiats. All daily drivers. They run like champs. I drive my 2012 500 Abarth and in since I’ve owned it I’ve had no major malfunctions. Just had to maintain the normal wear items (tires, belts, brake pads, fluids etc.). At 127,000 miles I had the first check engine light appear for an O2 sensor. That’s it. None of my Fiats has ever left us stranded. They’re good simple cars. Find a new one or low miler and you’ll be happy. I have a preference for the Abarth because it’s a ton a fun.

Bought my 2015 Fiat 500 Sport with 3300 miles in June of 2017, currently over 34K as of June 5th 2019. Only thing went bad is the driver side arm rest that broke off, the fuse for the cigar connector went out (but I think this was my fault because I had a high-end small vacuum where it required a cigar connection to power on and I guess it was insufficient watts), and the radio buttons letters are starting to fade off. The armrest and fuse was replaced under warranty, never bothered to ask about the normal wear on the radio buttons but overall, its a great vehicle. These cars remind me and feels like I'm driving a 6th generation Honda Civic to be honest.

I have run Fiats as my automotive carrier bags for thirty years now, keeping Alfas and Ferraris for the champagne time. No current 500's though ran a new 500 F in 1971/4. Scrapped an Uno 45S at 406,000 miles. Only major failure on a Punto diesel at 227,000; long oil change interval breaks down cardboard oil filter. Warnings not diagnosed on computer, broke timing chain. Currently have Doblo mini motor home, Panda diesel, 1.4 Punto 1.4 16v Sporting and 1996 Cinquecento Sporting, all at over 100,000 miles. If something does need changing, parts prices are mostly trivial.

2013 Fiat 500 Sport owner here. They are very reliable. I've done more maintenance on mine than I have needed because of all the fear shysters. Replaced all of the brakes and rotors to only find the old brakes and rotors were fine. Replaced the timing belt at 200k miles with fear the motor would blow at any moment. Found out the existing timing belt had absolutely no signs of wear or degradation. Change the oil every 3000-4000 miles and run a little Sea-Foam through the tank every 10 fill-ups and you will never worry about anything. Most important, be sure you are running the right oil in the motor. Basically, use Castrol and you'll be fine. The engine requires additives that many oils don't have. Use Castrol and you won't have to worry about it. It doesn't even need to be synthetic Castrol. But be certain it IS Castrol.

My wife wanted the 500, bad decision, not even 1year 1/2 old, and they said it needs a new engine. I have done all service requirements to include oil changes, $9000.00, who sales a car knowing it has engine problems and don't inform the prospective buyer? who does that?

I have a fiat 500 sport convertible 2012 brought it new it’s now 2019. 8 yrs I’m very hard on cars. And hands down this is my favorite car. I have 126,100. Miles. I keep up with all Mantiance. It’s fun it’s reliable. I would definitely buy another fiat. However, I don’t have my Mantiance done at fiat. They are hirer priced and always find something wrong. I go to a private mechanic. Who’s honest. I “LOVE MY FIAT”

my little gumball is a 2012 Sport model. bought it used about 5 years ago with 65K miles on it. now at over 126K miles. we've had a few little hiccups....it seems to go thru headlamps faster than any other car i've ever owned, and it likes to go thru batteries too. i suspect a short somewhere in the electrical system but nobody's found it yet. beyond that, it's been a dream to drive. i'm super picky about maintenance and keeping up with oil changes and scheduled services, and i expect many, many more years out of my adorably neurotic little car. :)

I bought a 2015 Abarth 500 and it had gone through 3 owners. I don't know why it's a great little car. Best of all there are all kind of mods out there for this car.

Hello - Bought my 2014 500L Easy in 2015 as I was waiting for real specials(saved tons of $$) Manual was the reason, as auto was not a good choice back then. Have 65000 so far. Done my oil maintenance a little before recommended/(oil and filter changes around 5000, cleaned unit and replaced oil valve around 40K - just because, replaced manual transmission oil around 50k - just because, had the starter going bad a little time after warranty - set me back $300, passenger and rear passenger door locks don't work - don't care about it as I can lock manually when in need).I still have no regrets as it is a COMFY and CONVENIENT vehicle to drive. My 2 cents!

I have the 2012 fiat since new and haven't even changed the battery, I've kept up with oil changes and that's about it I haven't had one problem out of it at all and that thing is making long trips here in Texas! Mines the 6 speed I only wish it had 2 more gears to ride at our highway speed of 75 at two thousand instead of 3. So I drive at 60 takes longer but going anywhere on Texas takes forever lol

In texas

Most Fiats over here in the UK are kept for a long time, because they are so easy and economical to run. It is actually quite hard to buy a used one because they are inexpensive to buy new. There is a risk that those that do get traded have suffered from poor maintenance but that applies to all cars. Recent rear wheel cylinder replacement on 13 year old Panda, not vital, had parts cost of £28, the pair. Only the second "repair" of its life. BMW wanted £1500 for a new ABS unit on a not much older 318. So let's keep Fiats in perspective. I am actually glad the uninitiated rubbish them. Means I can afford them. Owning a car requires only a little bit of management ability.

By management ability, it helps if you can give your garage a bit of a clue of what you think needs attention, the same as with your doctor. Wonderful computer diagnostics are great if the youth who wrote the programme imagined the fault you have. Most such diagnostics only seem to be aimed at issues for warranty in my opinion. If you expect to be carried around and never use your brain, life is inevitably going to become more and more expensive and unsatisfactory. Admittedly, more and more, as with the medical side, you need to push quite hard to be allowed to be part of the process. Friends with German cars have needed advice when confronted with quotes of £4500 just to pass our annual Mot test at five years old. Our Japanese stuff seems more robust but parts if needed can be eye watering.

Quite literally nothing Chrysler in Fiat??! The Abarth model was designed and built by Chrysler in Detroit. FCA - Fiat Chrysler America. Nothing Chrysler in Fiat..ROFL

I own a Fiat 500 pop 2015 it has about 95,000 miles on it. Since 2017 I had to replace my battery but as of yesterday I couldn’t start my car and it was making a clicking sound when I turned my ignition. Anyone have any ideas on what it could be?? I always service my car when I’m suppose to as well.

Worth checking the earthing of the battery to the body. Occasionally you can get a poor connection or even a break in the earth lead. Also check that the connections on the battery terminals are clean. The clicking is often from the various relays switching on and off because they have insufficient voltage. It is also worth having, when running, the alternator output checked, especially at tickover under load. With all the heavy electrical loads, fuel pump and the electric power steering (fused at 40 amps), the life of the brushes in the alternator is about half the 200,000 mile life of the older cars. If replacing the alternator, there is a range of them from 65amps up to 105 amps. I think it is worth fitting at the upper end of the range.

Wife's 2014 Honda Jazz (bought new). Supposedly so reliable, yet seat belts had to be replaced under warranty, airbag replaced under recall, fuel gauge went awry for a while. radio stations get muddled once in a while, panel gap on steering column not quite right, shoddy blobs of welding visible on the inside, and last but not least the red paint scratches very easily.

I have had my fiat pop 500 for 7 1/2 years. I work close to home and have just reached 50,000 miles. I literally haven't had to do thing to it. just oil and gas...it runs great, and I get 34 MPG . Its fun to drive, and looks brand new, even though I don't have a garage and live in the Redwoods where it can rain 100 inches in a year. I love love love this car...

I have 155000 on a 2014 500l new battery under warrenty light bulbs often I had one in the 1960 drove 175000 3 starter is all they are fun to drive

We have two 2013 Fiat 500 Pops bought at different times and places. They have both had the exact same maintenance issues to the tee. Both window regulators cracked and broke during operation first passenger side then drivers side..apx 87.00 a piece for a total of four of them! Brake booster pumps went out on both cars at dripping oil everywhere, cost 280.00 online or 350.00 at dealer just for parts.the hubcaps pop off when you go over speed bumps ocassionally or just randomly on the road replacement cost online @65.00 a piece lost 3 so far... Its worth noting alot of owners in the USA have this experience ..also found out after owning them for a while ..they dont come with spare tires ..they are optional?..and clunky steering collumns that need replaced and all before 70 thousand miles on the odometer....Last BUT NOT LEAST the camshaft cracked at apx 60k miles and dealer replaced it for 1500.00 dollars !! No not reliable ...ok so that aside we do like the styling and handling and they are fairly zippy on acceleration and great on gas mileage..just be ready for all those things I mentioned going wrong..everyone I talk to here in Arizona has had aome of those things happen and quality in parts suppliers are highly questionable for Fiat Chrysler for these..im keeping mine because ive replaced enough things on it theres no point in trading it off and I dont like being in debt and I'm pretty much an expert in repairing them after all of this lol

I have a 2012 FIAT 500 Sport, and it has been the absolute worst car I have ever owned. Before I continue with my negative experience, I will acknowledged the only thing that the FIAT excels in; it has the most wonderful and fastest heater I have ever had in a car. I was nice and toasty warm when the 2019 Polar Vortex descended on Illinois. Now for the bad. The fuel mileage isn't even REMOTELY close to what it is claimed. I have consistently gotten 22mpg from the car. The air conditioning failed 3 years ago, it has EVERY WARNING LIGHT on at all times. It drinks a quart of oil every 200 miles or so. The arm rest broke in the first year of ownership, the rear brake seized up, it blows a tire every two or three months, and it DOESN'T COME WITH A SPARE TIRE! To add insult to injury, the standard tire cost is absurdly expensive, with the "discount" bottom of the barrel tires running over $100 EACH. The exhaust is so shoddily constructed that I get a headache if I have to drive it for more than one hour. The door handles are the absolute worst ever made; first, the driver's side ripped right off after the third year of ownership. The hinge on the passenger door is broken, and while it is still usable (barely), it too is threatening to rip off. The engine had to be replaced at 45k miles because the solenoids that operate the intake valves FAILED. The transmission shattered the 4th gear, costing me $3500 to replace, which I did because I am an idiot, that was at 70k miles. It has failed EVERY emissions test on the first go, and the last time, I only managed to get the car registered due to a financial hardship waiver, which I had to spend $400 on a lawyer and 3 days of work missed to go to court to get the waiver granted. The seats are cracking on the vinyl sections, and the retaining ring on the shift-boot broke within a year of purchase. There is EXCESSIVE road noise, even worse than my 1986 Toyota Corolla SR5 that I had removed all carpet, rear seats, and sound insulation from. And now the rear hatch doesn't open, so if it doesn't fit in the passenger seat, it isn't going with me. I actually have no idea what is in the cargo space, because I haven't been able to access it for the last six months. And I have NO protection under lemon laws, because I bought the car used. I have been gentle and kind to it, and it only gave me 15k trouble-free miles in the six years I have owned it. Compare that to my 1995 Mazda Miata that I owned previously; I took that car to the track at least 6 times every summer, it NEVER got to be kept in the garage, I used it for all seasons. It was vandalized, had a hit and run, and it was a rebuilt title! My brother crashed it when he borrowed it for his first date with his wife, which damaged a lower control arm. The replacement part was $70, and I was able to do it with basic tools in my driveway. Here's the interesting thing, both cars had 30k miles on them at the time of purchase. The Miata had 150k VERY HARD miles with me, and its engine only failed aft 187k miles. My FIAT, again, purchased with a clean title and 30k miles, only had 15k miles with me before the engine failed, and 45k miles when the transmission decided to show me its best impression of a hand grenade (that is EXACTLY how the mechanic described the damage to me, like a hand grenade). The worst part is, it has NEVER seen a track day because the suspension system is too high and the SCCA considers it prone to roll-over accidents during track events (the Abarth is allowed to run though), and I drove very gently until lately, when I lost hope. When my friends asked me, "why don't you trade it in?" I had to answer with "I would, but I am so underwater on this car that I will have TWO car payments if I trade it in!" I am going to make that pile of junk suffer for what it has done to me. And this is where it gets rather dark, and say what you want to or about me, I don't care. The honest truth is, I had to call "the helpline." You know the one... Yes that one, the one that people should call if they ever feel the urge to commit the Not-Alive-Anymore. The "permanent solution to a temporary problem," phone number. Now while I will admit that there were other factors that pushed me into that frame of mind, and while those other factors are a private matter that I do not wish to elaborate on, the FIAT 500 was the tipping point, though, to its credit, was also what made me realize "Whoa, dude, you need help NOW! You're about to end it all because of a CAR?!" In summation, I hate this car. I hate this company. I hate everything associated with FIAT. This car has been one of the worst, most upsetting things in my entire life. Also, please support your local crisis hotline, and don't belittle anyone who needs to use it, because something as trivial as a freaking car might push somebody to do the worst to themselves. Thank you for reading my response.

Im thinking of buying a used 2015 500 with autoatic tranmission BUT I heard horrible stories of how unreliable they are. I cant afford much maintenance (oil change andbrakes is all I can afford) so with 68km(abour 45miles) I wonder if I should buy it....(canadian model still made in usa or mexico not sure!) This is the only car with fiesta (ford) that fits my budget...what is your 2 cents? they come for sale all the time...wonder why....

It doesn't seem like you have read through the comments ahead of yours in this conversation. This bad reputation is just false news, If you get out and talk to owners you will discover that, or go back and read the comments here! I love my 2012 sport, manual transmission, with just 36,000. miles. My mechanic and my car dealer friend both think i should sell it. I don,t drive it everyday, but this little zoomer can really kick it, up and down winding mountain roads like nothing else. it is so fun in the hills outside of Napa... weeee ...

I’ve had 2 Fiat 500s in the US. I’m a cautious driver, I don’t speed and have never had an accident. I kept up on ALL maintenance yet both of their engines blew up before 50,000 miles. My elderly grandmother had a 500, and the transmission was ruined at about 70,000 miles? My mother owned one and the head gasket broke at about 80,000 miles. They are great cars if you want to replace a car every 2 years. In Europe, they might be better (I.e- UK), because you commute such small distances, but in the US, a 5 day commute at 70mph is not a good plan for such an unreliable car.

Although I am in Europe (UK), there is something weird here. A lot of people experiencing reliability, in the US as well as Europe, others dire problems. Is it the dealers and their tech competence? Fiats will be new to them and relying on any make's computer diagnostics is a route to disaster. As for Europe having mild commuting I can only say my commutes typically have been 70 miles each way, I have been stopped for 100 mph and mileage has been 200k to 400k per car. My experience in the US is that driving there is gentle. Our major trips in Europe are 1200 miles each way, done in a day and a half. I say drive them as the Italians do, flat out. As I do.

In 2017, I bought a used 2013 Fiat 500 Sport with automatic transmission. I mainly use it to commute, for road trips and errands. It has almost 65,000 miles on it. Oil changes and fuel mostly. I drive it like a hotrod, so I only get about 27 MPG. I recently had the timing belt replaced (probably didn't need to, but I have the timing belt replaced on my other cars at 60K) I've had to replace the brake light switch behind the brake pedal and the USB jack for the phone charger in the glove compartment. I also added a spare tire kit (the car didn't include a spare tire!) and a cold air intake for the engine. Overall, owning a Fiat 500 for the last 3 years has been a decent experience for me. It's not my only car, but if it was, I could do worse.

how long to rebuild engine heads

Depends which model but with head removed from car say four to six hours for a production rebuild, I reckon, plus any time spent on detail improvements, eg to improve flow. Then add time to remove and refit to car. Varies according to model/complexity. Just my opinion based on some practical experience. They are nice production items. While the head is off, check/replace thermostat. I have found that on some a rubber gland around the valve grows with age (100,000 miles plus) leading to restricted flow and head gasket problems. Ciao.

Hello. I own 2 Fiats. One is 500S 2012 and the other one is 500L 2014. I love those cars for many reasons but I got to say I am puzzled about their quality. Glad to hear and see some people are lucky to have had them used for as much as 200K miles. My 500S 2012 run great for about 40K miles after I got it used at about 30K+ miles . But at about 75K miles the car started having major issues starting with the BCM which was entirely replaced and then literally few weeks later the whole engine blew on me high speed on the freeway needing a new engine. I have maintained the car, oil changed it etc. Felt hurt and disappointed and honestly angry at Fiat for the crappy quality. Ok, moving on to the second Fiat 500L 2014. Purchased at about 70K miles and few months after got the engine light on with . Car had excellent records of dealership maintenance but even after repair of the PO325 and PO324 codes which basically knock combustion vibration control sensor, the engine light is still on. Per the mechanic the sensors function properly and car is ok to drive ( which I have been) but the god damn codes won't go away. Now if you have two Fiat and both have engine problems what should one think? I mean I basically have 100% failure by them. Wanted to reach out to anybody who has been able to successfully handle such situations. Please email me at nadia_bankova@yahoo.com . thank you.

Hey guys. I own a 1999 Jetta3/Vento 1.8i CSX & a 2001 Fiat Palio 1.2mpi with 117k km on. My mom used to have an X19 back in her day. So she loves Fiats. Me too. I like their history. Compared to my Jetta, the Fiat is not as risilient. Service it ontime or you will see the efficiency drop. When you hear a noise, have it looked at asap. When something rattles, fix it. When a new dashlight comes on, have it checked. I have had no issues on this car except normal stuff that goes. Waterpump, clutch, brakes. Seats wear quick. Hard plastics have not broken. The Jetta you can take a chance with driving on shot tie rod ends for another 10k km. The Fiat not. So point of my story: If you want to skimp on maintaining your car, dont badmouth the Brand for skimping on maintaining you.

I’m looking at a 2014 500L easy. It has the dual clutch automatic system. Ive learned of the certain restrictions to that transmission and I see the mixed feeling about the car so I wanted wanted to know if the transmission (and the car in general) is reliable?

I think dome one doesn't know what he is talking about. I have owed two of them. 2012 lounge and 2014 Abarth. Never any trouble with them. The Abarth when threw tires butt that might of be me having to much fun driving fast

I drive delivery 800 to 1200 miles per week in north east Tennessee mountains. Will a 500 stand up off road?

I’ve never had a car with such problems before... First it was an oil leak, then the radio completely died, tire after tire went out on the car... every year a battery died. In the beginning, it was great. Then when I started approaching 100k the nightmares began. It was like being in a bad relationship I needed out of. I was at the mechanics shop every other weekend. When I was done putting money into it I sold it for $1000. I informed the person that it needed a new timing belt. They didn’t care. They claimed they could fix it. Two days after selling it, they wanted their money back claiming there were too many problems. WTF?! I can’t even get rid of it. Sure, some people are lucky, but if a bunch of people claim these cars are problems, maybe you should listen.

I have a 2013 Fiat 500 Lounge. Currently at 168,000 Kms, it has the convertible roof. Not my first issue at 163000kms when my battery and brakes needed replacing. So long as you perform maintenance and get your oil changed regularly the car should have no issues. Cruise control works great, love the roof down too.

I agree Brittany! I bought a gorgeous little 2012 500 Pop convertible 2 years ago. Just turned 60k miles and the only thing I’ve had to do so far is change the starter. It runs beautifully & the 5 speed manual is a joy to drive (especially in Sport mode!). And did I mention how cute it is? Love that they managed to incorporate some charming vintage Fiat style into the modern design! I live in a blustery cold climate so I only drive this little gem in the summer- but it’s the highlight of my year when I get to roll her out of storage each spring for a few months of ‘topless’ cruising. To anyone thinking about buying one- do your homework, hv it checked over by a reliable mechanic & just take general good care of it and you’ll likely be fine. They’re not a big family car, or built for off roading- just a fun little comuter car that’s great on gas, fits into the teensiest parking spaces, and looks fantastic ;)

I’ve never owned one and have been looking to purchase a used one. I have a friends whose sibling is selling a 2014 with 140k miles. Any thoughts or concerns with this year and miles? Thanks in advance. Appreciate it.

I want to tow a light weight car behind an RV that I just purchased. I found a 2016 fiat 500, manual transmisssion for sale for $5,000.00. It is being sold cheaper than normal due to some scraping and gouging damage on the the left rear quarter panel. It will need to be be replaced. I will have my mechanic check it out. Anything to beware of on a 2016 Fiat 500? It looks good but my mechanic is down on Fiats from their reputation and the cost of parts he says.

By my last post my fiat had close to 100.000 miles, now it has 150.000 miles and it stil runs very smooth, it's time for timing belt change, it would not be cheap, but totally worth it.

I've seen many harsh critiques of the FIAT. I can only report on mine. 2015 500L 6-speed manual, 75k miles. A surprisingly good car, wierd, but good. The only issue I ever had was caused by a dealer that didn't put the air filter assembly back together properly and almost burned up my turbo. Another good mechanic found it and solved it. No issues since. Due to the price point, I think many owners fall into the "drive it , not care for it" group. Don't use cheap gas in it and use the right oil. The engine is a bit noisy, but my mechanic says that is heavy duty injectors needed to power the small 1.4 liter engine. My 4 door has plenty of head room (I'm tall) and I enjoy the Beats sound system. It has been a lot cheaper to operate than my BMW.

I have owned Fiats in the past and currently own one now. A 500 L Trekking which has plenty of room. I am 6 ft 3 inches tall and have plenty of room. It runs great and I have never had any major problems at all. They are great cars. Chrysler has some influence on the engine and basically marketing this model to sell in America as a competitive small SUV/ Hatchback. Make no mistake, this is still a Euro/ Italian made vehicle. I speak if my experiences with Fiats...Great, reliable, and fun to drive.

Super cars. Reliable, fun, and my current Fiat is very good on gas. Very low maintenance..

Did Anyone really answer the question on dual clutch automatic transmissions? I was looking to purchase one 2013 sport with that transmission which was later discontinued due to reliability issues, especially in the 500L.

Hey Guru9WGX5C, I can only speak from personal experience, but I have a 2013 Fiat 500 Lounge with the sport option. I bought it second hand at 138,000kms, and it’s now at 182,000kms. Over the past 3 years I have had the vehicle I’ve only needed to replace my brakes and battery. I’ve never had a transmission issue and when I purchased it, the transmission had never had any issues. Hopefully this is helpful.

Thanks, that helps and it was a hoot on test drive. I am currently driving my mom's old 1999 Chevy Prizm (rebadged Corolla) which has been reliable but boring. At my senior age am seeking for some more fun on the road!

I hear lots of cap being said about the 500 as well as for chrysler. We have a 2013 500 pop sport, everything but the sunroof. car never fails has never been in for anything other than very minor repairs gets awesome mileage and is fun to scoot around in traffic with not to mention it can fit in a motorcycle space for parking. As for Chrysler i am a ford guy but i have owned a 68 Chrysler Newport Gold for 30+ years everything works and is original other than the paint never fails to start even after sitting in storage for months at a time, i have also owned three Pt Cruisers never once have i been left on the side of the road even when the odometer past 250k. Most cars will last a long time with proper maintenance and care a good example my 01 Jeep will go 15k on an air filter but go past the 15 and it will flick on the check engine light every dam time. Chrysler is always best with regular maintenance as is the Fiat. I will not buy a GM Nissan Mitsubishi suzukie or an infinity... PS our Fiat is well loved and even past the warranty we have decided to keep it 70k and still looks brand new!

My 2013 FIAT Sport is GREAT!! I have 238,000 miles and put nearly 200,000 of them on it in the last 5 years. I am not a timid driver and routinely drive 80-90 mph (not a wise option with any care). I have regular maintenance and understand vehicles well enough to identify and have maintenance done before a routine problem becomes a huge problem. The biggest challenge has been tires since the original tires were not good for any potholes. I have upgraded 2-3 levels (just short of having pirreles put on) and have great traction in all weather with few pothole challenges (compared to before). However, I have yet to get information from Chrysler (or others) that can verify when (or if) the timing belt for it needs replaced. My 2005 Jeep Liberty has 348,000 miles and lost compression (in the drive way) at 328,000 miles. The replacement engine had 120k. It still has the original transmission and all else is good.

I am planning on buying a Fiat 500, 2013 model, manual transmission, for my daughter. Is it a good idea? After reading some of the comments! From South Africa