2012 Fiat 500 Fiat 500 2012

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2012 Fiat 500 repairs by problem area

Engine (19%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (9%)

Brakes and Traction Control (2%)

Suspension and Steering (13%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (28%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (23%)

Other (6%)

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Chart based on 323 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2012 Fiat 500.

2012 Fiat 500 electrical repair cost distribution

$2500+ (0%)

$1000 - $2499 (0%)

$500 - $999 (5%)

$100 - $499 (12%)

< $100 (83%)

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Chart based on 60 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2012 Fiat 500 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 160hp 1.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD

1000 mi Tachometer malfunction 
2300 mi instrument/gauge cluster replaced 
20000 mi TPMS at right-rear tire was faulty. 
28000 mi

US $54
Headlight burned out; replaced. 
33300 mi

US $35
Replace headlamp. 
41100 mi The GPS cradle was defective. Dealer ordered a replacement. 
22000 mi Passenger seatbelt warning frequently triggering even when buckled 
71000 mi

US $10
Change small bulb in the HVAC control panel backlight 

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2012 Fiat 500 2dr Hatch

101-horsepower 1.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

31000 mi Clock ran fast On occasion the car will not start first crank but will fire off with no issue on second crank 
50000 mi Every now and then car won't start on first try but will fire right off on second try. 
45800 mi

US $50
Rear third brake light only lights when brake is pressed and hatch was open. Short in connection so when it closed it would turn off and not come on at all. May been related to TSB performed on rear washer nozzle. 
82000 mi

US $450
Window regulator plastic piece broke causing rattling in window and loose. Was repaired. 
12000 mi Telling me that Air Bags need to be serviced. Also other warninga like overheating when it was not. They flashed ECM and asked me see it it keeps happening. Starter sounds weird at times. Today it sounded like it was grinding. When I tell dealer they are not able to repeat it so nothing is done. I have a bad starter and know it. 
16000 mi Warning light about front running lights. Was told it was only a lose socket... but then they said the light was bad and replaced. Continue to have weird starter issues. They have in the past told me is was a safety issue as the starter doubles as oil pump for the head. Now they tell me oh so that is what it is doing. Can't replicate it but friends hear it often. 
32620 mi The cluster was making a loud noise. 
62000 mi Head unit not working 
24000 mi electric trunk latch would not open, interior blinkers would not make a noise when activated 
12000 mi Engine stalling and not starting. Couldn't replicate. Battery was low, replaced under warranty. 
55180 mi Factory recall for backup lights - speeds up the time it takes for the backup lights to be triggered. Had an oil change done. 
47000 mi

US $105
Rear tail light went out 
64000 mi

US $12
Replace daylight running bulbs 
74000 mi

US $12
Replaced rear running and stop light bulbs 
21200 mi TPMS warning (no reading) started triggering every time car started. Sometimes TPMS failure light also came on. Both go away after driving a minute or two. Tire pressures checked and fine. 
25000 mi

US $500
Hatch release failed. Wiring problem. Same problem repaired under warranty about four years ago. 
2300 mi PCM update to fix an error where the engine temp gauge would rise to the max temp and a "check coolant" message would briefly display for about 5 seconds. 
20000 mi

US $176
Battery died. I bought the car w/ VERY low mileage in 2014 and frankly was surprised to see it die already. Replaced battery. 
6000 mi Blue&Me had failure and would not read text messages. There was considerable distortion in sound quality when using Bluetooth; system was given update to correct issues. USB port stopped working and required replacement port. 
16000 mi Wiper switch broke, replaced by dealer. 
17000 mi Dealer did not hook up the horn button at the steering wheel when they removed it to replace broken wiper switch. Made return to dealer for correction. Received free oil change. 
21000 mi Clock spring behind steering wheel began making clicking/creaking noise again and required replacement. 
17700 mi Dash heating and A/C light controls backlighting - bulb failed 
42300 mi Had the dealer flash all three systems with the latest firmware to correct timekeeping running slow on clock. The flash fixed the problem and now the clock in the instruments display is not running slow. Auto transmission now shift smoother 
46000 mi

US $20
Replaced failed DRL bulb. Replace the other DRL bulb since it would fail shortly afterwords. 
37000 mi

US $350
TPMS saying "unavailable". Replaced module but still getting error message. Need to take in again. 
30000 mi replaced burnt out headlight. 
34000 mi Replaced another burnt out headlight. 
11780 mi blinking odometer reading, blueone communication not pairing. 
50220 mi I complained about the IRRITANT noise whenever I place my seatbelt on. Drop off my vehicle at the dealership @ 8 am and picked up @ 5 pm. nothing was done by the mechanic because he is busy and suggested to bring the car back. 

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2012 Fiat 500 2dr Hatch

101-horsepower 1.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD

32400 mi

US $24
headlight (driver side)daytime running lights and break lights needed replacement 
60000 mi Hatch release switch intermittent failure, hatch cannot be opened when in failure mode. 
17000 mi Tachometer dial would fail randomly, showing very high or low numbers. Usually after a big bump. 
47000 mi Air conditioner stopped blowing cold air around 42,000 miles. 
46700 mi Daytime running lights sometimes wouldn't turn on. Took car to dealer, dealer was unable to find a reason for the problem. Lights were working at that time. Since then the lights have always worked. No complaints or issues with the service. 
71100 mi Rear windshield wiper not working. Dealership unable to determine source of problem or corective action. 
48000 mi Battery had 2 dead cells, car wouldn't start, dash went crazy. 
95000 mi

US $425
Rear hatch would not open, No quick release lever on this model version. Problem was common in Fiat 500./ Worn wiring harness at hinge of hatch. Only way to open hatch was to repair wiring. 
65000 mi

US $700
Replaced Alternator and battery 
16000 mi LCD elements in the instrument cluster multifunction display would be extremely dim after the car was parked in 90deg+ weather in direct sunlight for a few hours. The cluster was replaced. 
23300 mi Driver's door speaker did not function. Took dealer a week to repair wiring harness, then many more days to replace various sensors they "later found problems with". 
17000 mi The air bag failure light came on. The tech discovered it was due to a faulty sensor in the driver's seatbelt. New seatbelt ordered. 
8000 mi When vehicle is turned to the right, AC set to recycle air, the fan blows much harder. Once turn is stopped or if a left turn is made, the level is less. NO FIX 
27000 mi The TPMS system failed. I was told I "don't drive like other people" so they couldn't fix the car. 
93000 mi

US $300
The wiring going through the roof to hatch grommet are all broken and the electric locks no longer work, nor the rear defog, nor does the rear wiper, nor can you open the hatch BOTH windows need new regulators! One broke on it's own and the other had help from my 9 y/o ;) The rear defog has become detached from the window. AC was not cooling as it used to. Verified charge and levels were fine. Issue found to be bent fins on condenser coil. Due to the CHEAP design, they cannot be combed straight again. 
94000 mi

US $120
Cut all wires from roof to hatch that pass through the grommet. Removed grommet and added new lengths of wire and hose to grommet. Spliced new hose and wires to existing and rear hatch functions were repaired. 
37000 mi Driver window modulator replaced;  
38000 mi Driver window module replaced again 
2790 mi core changed and recharged after 
26000 mi Clock was routinely slow and there is a TSB repair on this issue. Clock/odometer assembly was removed and returned for update. 
22700 mi Ventilation mode selector would not stay in defrost mode. Fixed, but in the process the dealership broke the adjacent recirc knob.  
24780 mi Attempted to fix malfunctioning recirc knob; only partially fixed, and now lighting on the control unit flickers. 
27900 mi Replaced 2nd defective control head (flickering lights, defective knob). 
30060 mi Electrical issue causing license plate lights to cut out. "Greened out" wiring discovered in tailgate handle - tailgate handle was replaced. 
23000 mi took care to dealer for third time that ac stopped working. No definitive answer as to why the ac stops. they said " we think there is a problem with the -re charging system but not sure" so I traded it in for a 4 door 
42300 mi Rear Hatch won't open. Wire severed. second time this has been repaired. 
20000 mi

US $5
Car's readout told me to check rear 'stop lamp'. Rear brake lamp burned out. Went to auto parts store, bought replacement and installed both rear brake lamps within 30 minutes. Its cool that the car told me what to do. 
8000 mi AC in the car has been always weak but it stopped working at 6k miles. I took it to the FIAT dealer, they put new Freon, made sure that the dash controls were working and finally had to change the compressor because it wasn't starting at all 
8800 mi Cigarette lighter stopped providing constant current. The problem was fixed by replacing the connector itself. 
4000 mi USB port stopped recognizing my IPOD....removed two fuses to reset audio system...back to work! 
52000 mi

US $24
I replaced the headlight bulb on the driver's side. 
4640 mi Clock in cluster running fast. 
the climate control portion of the instrument panel does not illuminate. 
27000 mi heater quit blowing hot air, fan only blew at lowest speed 
42600 mi

US $548
blower failure 
1500 mi AC motor replaced. making loud noise. Clock within instrument cluster not holding correct time. Instrument cluster replaced. 
6000 mi switch that changes temperature mode (air on the floor, defrost, mix air) doesn't stay in place in cold temperatures. Switched tightened. 
3000 mi A/C dash switch stopped working. 

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2012 Fiat 500 2dr Convertible

101-horsepower 1.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

6000 mi Clock running slow 
6500 mi New instrument cluster installed to fix slow clock. 
9000 mi Speedometer error of 1-2 MPH with new cluster. Replaced again. 
34000 mi

US $60
Headlamp bulbs replaced. 
1600 mi Short in heated seat wiring, causing AC fan to not work 
7300 mi The FIAT bluetooth system, Blue and Me stopped working. Dealer had to order a new module. Part arrived the next day installation took about one hour. 

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2012 Fiat 500 2dr Convertible

101-horsepower 1.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD

14000 mi Intermittant starter issues that the dealer could not repair! 
2900 mi clock loses time, requires new cluster 

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See TrueDelta's information for all Fiat models.

2012 Fiat 500 Electrical Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2012 Fiat 500 problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.