2012 Fiat 500 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls
70% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2012 Fiat 500 are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 91% of the 1,789 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 42 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 62%).
Looking at a specific 500?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.
Check a VINDoes the 2012 Fiat 500 have transmission problems?
Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 247 of 354 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Fiat 500 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (70%), and the largest group is filed under power train (201). For comparison, the 2013 scores 68%. On a test drive, check for shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.
Complaints by component
The years either side
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
Cleaner alternatives
Other subcompact cars with no elevated signal
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
Three of 247 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on the 2012 Fiat 500 (4)
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 Fiat 500
- Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
- Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
- Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
- 4 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
- Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Questions people ask about the 2012 Fiat 500
Does the 2012 Fiat 500 have transmission problems?
Owner complaints say yes, heavily, as a model-year pattern. 247 of 354 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Fiat 500 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (70%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the transmission and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.
Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2012 Fiat 500?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2012 Fiat 500. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.
Which Fiat 500 years are better?
Among the Fiat 500 years we track, the 2017 (43%), the 2015 (49%) and the 2013 (68%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2012 (70%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.
Should I buy a 2012 Fiat 500?
That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2012 Fiat 500 has an elevated transmission complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing transmission work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the transmission. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Check a VINExperimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.