Overview & Reviews
Fiat is one of the earliest and grandest names in automobiles, dating from the establishment of Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino ("FIAT") in 1899. During the early years, its racing cars were the envy of every nation. Later on, the Fiat Topolino ("Little Mouse") was as famous as the Volkswagen KDF (subsequently known as the "Beetle") in the 1930s and '40s. The 1950s saw Fiat put much of Italy on wheels with the hugely popular 500, sparking the "Italian Miracle," a renaissance of European consumer products.
Sadly, the company's fortunes in the United States were mixed. Here, the Fiat 1500 won over a fair share of enthusiasts in the mid-'60s, and the early-'70s saw the Fiat 850 (Spider and Coupe) become popular among college students. Yet the Pininfarina-designed Fiat 124 sports car did the most to keep the Fiat image alive in America, as cars like the front-wheel-drive 128 and midengine X1/9 ultimately failed. Even Lancia, Fiat's premium brand, withered quickly after an introduction in the mid-'70s. Ultimately, Fiat's poor reputation for quality and its inability to cope with ever more stringent emissions regulations led the Italian company to pull out of the U.S. market altogether in 1984.
In 2000, General Motors acquired a stake in Fiat as part of a joint venture to create a new generation of small, affordable cars for Europe. GM's financial troubles led to the unraveling of this agreement in 2005, but Fiat had invested the GM money wisely in new air emissions technology. When the bankruptcy of Chrysler took place in 2008, Fiat saw an opportunity to return to the U.S. In 2009, Fiat acquired a controlling interest in Chrysler.
The Fiat 500, debuting for 2012, was the first of Fiat's new generation of cars to come stateside. Staying true to its lineage, the new 500 is very small, nimble and stylish. In addition to the 500 coupe, there are also the 500 convertible and hot-rod 500 Abarth to further tempt those looking for a small car with plenty of personality. More recently, Fiat has expanded its lineup with the fully electric 500e and the family-friendly, four-door 500L.
User Reviews:
Showing 11 through 20 of 263.00-
Very Unhappy - 2012 Fiat 500
By veryunhappy52 - April 8 - 12:23 pmI was driving at a speed of 55 mph when without any warning my car shut off. Thank God I or someone else was not hurt. My fiat is a 2012 with 53000 miles on it. The only thing Ive had to do is replace both brake lights at the same time and a headlight. When the car died, I could not get my key out of the ignition nor could I get the car out of gear. It had totally locked up. Just called the dealership and the car wont even communicated with the computer to find out whats wrong. Sounds expensive to me.
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Fun car - just hope nothing breaks - 2012 Fiat 500
By centraca - January 26 - 1:47 pmI have really enjoyed my 2012 FIAT Sport. It is a fun car to drive, but there are issues. at 61,000 miles I am having to put in a new transmission, as the pressure plate has failed. I am not the only one, I am now at two weeks without my car, waiting on the parts. Everything that has needed to be done on this car takes a long time for the parts to come in. If you are considering a FIAT, turn around and RUN away from these cars.
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Do NOT buy this Car!!!! - 2013 Fiat 500
By ray2172 - January 23 - 6:08 pmI have a 2013 Abarth. I will start on a High note and say that it is a Blast to drive, sounds great, and is an amazing small performance car. Now for the bad! I bought mine used with 4100 miles on it for about $10000 less than a brand new one, $27,500 sticker price. This should have been a sign that they dont hold their value at all. I missed having a larger car and wanted to trade it in, they offered $14,000 trade in with 6000 miles on it. Now with 16,700 miles on it I have had a brand new radiator put in it and have an appointment for a speedometer that stopped working today! Do yourself a favor and by a Honda Civic Si,VW GTi or Ford ST! I wish I had taken my own Advise!
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Not good - 2012 Fiat 500
By cacplanor - November 17 - 4:34 pm2013 Sport purchased new now with 34K. Same problems many others are facing. Starting stumble, clunks heard and felt through steering system, suspension bumpers, eating tires once a year! Its nice to look at and fun to drive but thats about it. Run away if you appreciate what a "good" car is. Chrystler doesnt care if your car is broken, theyll tell you its all "normal". You know, that "normal" clunk in the steering. The same clunk which would have stopped you/me from buying the car if a new one made it! Mine had that "norma"l clunk after only 6K miles. Thanks for that screw Chrysler, I wont soon forget it! Your cars suck and Uncle Sam shouldve let fail like you deserved.
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Fun unless you want something practical - 2013 Fiat 500
By erinandlil - November 7 - 10:09 pmFull disclosure: I bought this car on a whim. My car enthusiast friend fully endorsed my decision, touting it had the "best stock exhaust ever". Its fun to drive in the city, especially under the raised train tracks in Chicago - you can actually hear the car roar. Unfortunately its so far from practical its not even funny. Inevitably the fun runs out in a couple of months and you look up trade-in value to see that this car holds absolutely zero value. And good luck explaining to the car dealerships that your Abarth is in fact different than a standard 500. I really wanted to love this car... it just didnt happen. Oh, and I had SILLY repairs two months in.
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So far so good. - 2012 Fiat 500
By trojas001 - September 9 - 11:50 amI bought My fiat 500 sport used with 30.000 miles on it. It now has 65,000 mile. After readying some negative reviews. All I can say thats truly unfortunate . So far my car has been running strong I drive my fiat daily commuting to work 60 miles every day. I take my car to my mechanic for its regular oil changes he also lubes and looks over everything and every time I go to pick up my car he lets me know that everything looks good. Nothing to be concerned about. For those who take their car to the dealership and have had bad experience youre better off going to your own mechanic you trust. I have the best mechanic . There are some things that disappoint me about my fiat, as you all kno
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Never again!!! - 2012 Fiat 500
By prizm2356 - June 22 - 6:32 pmHorrible. Needs engine replaced at 34,000 miles due to a cracked head. Check engine light flashing all the time, arm rest broke off, ball joint in front so bad it failed safety inspection. Both emblems front and back fading out.
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I wish I didnt purchase this car. - 2012 Fiat 500
By nomorefiat500 - March 13 - 1:34 pmSigh..I fell in LOVE with my little 2012 Fiat 500 Sport until problem after problem. I just hit 30k miles and so far here are the issues Clutch plate needed fixed, sometimes it wouldnt start since day 1 boot shifter replaced 2x back windshield wiper fluid doesnt spray anymore, tire has a hole in it upon purchase, noticed next day, clock replaced as it wouldnt keep time, radio (CD Player) wouldnt eject CDs. I bought the car with 4 miles on it. I do not trust the Fiat dealerships and I do not trust this car anymore. I am trading it in soon. Its ashame, as I loved it.
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2500 Mile Review - 2014 Fiat 500L
By redgoldkc - November 10 - 10:19 pmThis car has excellent interior room for its size. For me, it is the perfect size vehicle. I wanted something smaller than a CUV, but still can fit some cargo. The exterior and interior styling is unique and looks upscale. The tech is user friendly. It has plenty of power and can be fun to drive. I say can because the vents and cheap interior plastic vibrate and rattle if not on a freshly paved road. Also, I hate to turn off the bass on the Beat audio because it made the plastic on the door rattle. Forgot putting stuff in the glovebox or center console unless you want the sound of a baby rattle. Occasionally the car wont kick-on when turning the key, but it has on a 2nd turn.
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Fiat 500 sport - 2012 Fiat 500
By fixitagaintony - August 16 - 8:40 amI bought it new with 60000 klm warranty. Most of my problems started after that and when I got to 85000 I traded it in for a honda fit. When I traded it the following repairs were required. Air conditioning not working, front end repairs for $1600. Leaking heater core, high beams that wont go to low. Brake power unit for $900. Paid 18000 and got 8000 on trade after 16 months and 85000 klm. MY dealer experience was awful. The salesmen were busy fighting over me, that on delivery I got the wrong car ( ordered white with bose stereo and got Grey with standard stereo.) Service dept. was not much better, as my request to return old parts for me to inspect were ignored. (commisons)
