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2012 Fiat 500 Recalls & Complaints

4

open safety recalls on record

Serious

537 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.30 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious11V550000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Fluid

THIS COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE ALL BRAKE COMPONENTS THAT COME IN CONTACT WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKE FLUID. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 1, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 DODGE JOURNEY AND FIAT 500 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 24, 2011, THROUGH OCTOBER 26, 2011. SOME VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH CONTAMINATED BRAKE FLUID AND MAY EXPERIENCE A DEGRADATION OF THE SEALING COMPONENTS WITHIN THE BRAKE SYSTEM.

Serious19E044000

Power Train:Manual Transmission:Floor Shift Assembly

If the shifter breaks while the vehicle is in motion, it can raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious16V302000

Power Train:Manual Transmission

If the clutch diaphragm spring fails, the driver may not be able to shift gears or the vehicle may lose motive power, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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 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.

Serious19V817000

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Lever And Linkage:Floor Shift

If the shifter cable detaches from the transmission, the transmission may not shift into the gear selected by the driver.

Remedy & full details

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable adjuster, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB4.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.

Complaint volume

537 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

32Crashes
5Fires
21Injuries
0Deaths

Across 537 complaints. Severity Index 0.30.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Power Train193 · 36%Electrical System55 · 10%Engine51 · 9%Unknown Or Other35 · 7%Air Bags32 · 6%Suspension21 · 4%Steering19 · 4%Fuel/Propulsion System19 · 4%
  1. Power Train — 193 reports
  2. Electrical System — 55 reports
  3. Engine — 51 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 35 reports
  5. Air Bags — 32 reports
  6. Suspension — 21 reports
  7. Steering — 19 reports
  8. Fuel/Propulsion System — 19 reports
  9. Service Brakes — 12 reports
  10. Vehicle Speed Control — 12 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2011 (1) · 2012 · 2013 (4) · 2014 (4) · 2015 (4) · 2016 (4) · 2017 (2) · 2018 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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