2013 Fiat 500 problems & reliability
164 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Fiat 500, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Fiat 500 vehicles were involved in 26 fatal crashes with 21 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 78 | 48% |
| Engine | 22 | 13% |
| Unknown OR Other | 18 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 17 | 10% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 10 | 6% |
| Structure | 10 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 4% |
| Steering | 7 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 47,263 miles (middle 50% between 20,600 and 74,549 miles), based on 107 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Systemic Hydraulic Defect & Safety Recall Circumvention I am reporting a critical safety defect in the clutch hydraulic system of my 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth, which directly mirrors the failures described in NHTSA Recalls 16V-302 and 20V-124. Diagnostic measurements confirm a 1.23mm hydraulic over-travel in the clutch…”
Power Train · filed Apr 30, 2026
“While driving 40mph, pressed clutch and the transmission would not shift into gear. Car began to slow in traffic ans I was unable to accelerate as the clutch would not engage a gear. Mamaged to sagely get iff road. No fluid leaks found. Would shift into gear with car off. Gear selection works, not a shift cable issue.”
Power Train · filed Nov 4, 2025
“In June 2025, while driving my 2013 Fiat Abarth at highway speed, the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. This happened on one of the hottest days of the year with another person in the car, creating a serious risk of a high-speed collision. The cause was later confirmed by a different Fiat dealership: a port in…”
Engine · filed Aug 14, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Electrical overstress
Engineering Analysis EA19001 · opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · led to recall 20V024
Technical service bulletins
133 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Fiat 500. The 10 most recent:
Broken Exterior Driver And/Or Passenger Door Handles XB2 Warranty Extension Customers may comment the following: ● One or both exterior door handles are broken. This bulletin involves replacing one or both exterior door…
23-021-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 4, 2026
Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood, hinges or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates.
31-001-25 REV. B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 16, 2025
Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood, hinges or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates.
31-001-25 REV. A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 14, 2025
Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood, hinges or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates
31-001-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 13, 2025
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders:
9100624 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 8, 2025
"Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood, hinges or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates. NOTE: Verify current…
31-001-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 24, 2024
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2013 Fiat 500 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 Fiat 500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 47,263 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.