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:

• 

  DO NOT BUY THIS CAR - 2013 Fiat 500
  By cathi30 - June 24 - 3:12 am

  By FAR the worst car I have ever owned. From the day I drove it off the lot it had nothing but problems. Steering column replaced twice because of thump when i turned the car, struts and strut mounts replaced, starter replaced 3 times, both regulators broke on power windows, same headlight burned out at LEAST a dozen times, wheel bearings replaced twice, jounce bumpers replaced twice and never resolved the issue,broken shock, exhaust kept loosening up,never resolved. The final straw was after only having 11k miles on it the tires needed replacing because of all of the issues ruined them and Fiat did nothing to remedy. Traded the car after 20 months w/11k miles and only got $7500. DO NOT BUY

• 

  WARNING - Dangerous vehicle - 2012 Fiat 500
  By wikolia - March 27 - 7:27 am

  while driving in left hand hand lane of I-95 in FL, (blood alley) the engine shut down and I had to drift over 2 lanes to the hard shoulder. got towed to dealership where the valve actuator, camshaft and generator had to be replaced. this vehicle had only 6000 miles on it. after NO help from dealership or FIAT corporate office I have no faith in this brand at all. Im lucky to be alive. please note this is an automatic vehicle. there was no option for automatic in the dropdown menu.

• 

  FIAT 500E Do NOT BUY or Lease!! - 2015 Fiat 500e
  By SunB - December 22 - 11:29 am

  This car is cheaply made. I leased 2015 500e, already the charging cable is broken and the plugin part is loose and the prongs that fit into the outlet is burning y outlet. The house almost caught on fire! Customer service is really bad and could not even tell me if the charging cable is under warranty. My car has only 15K miles!!! Its now in the shop and cant drive it as cant charge it!!!

• 

  Customer service # 1 Priority??????/ - 2012 Fiat 500
  By Susan Riley - August 24 - 2:04 am

  I purchased this car from a dealer within 5 miles of my home. Within one year of purchasing this car the dealer went out of business. I then started to take the car to a dealer near to where I work but they are no longer providing any service that is under warranty for Fiat as they have a dispute with Fiat. My check engine light is on and I am now told that I can have the car towed to a dealer that is a 90 minute drive from my home but it is my responsibility to pick it up. Calls to and emails to Fiat go unanswered. It is a great car and I loved it but dont buy a Fiat. You cannot count on their relationships with their dealers.

• 

  Dont waste your time or money - 2016 Fiat 500x
  By Josh McNabb - December 19 - 4:07 pm

  We were excited to be the first 500X owners in our town. We showed this car off to all our friends and family. A month after purchase, the car started shifting very firm and overheated. After going to the dealer, I was told that there was water in the oil ( telling me that a head was cracked or a seal was bad) we got the car back the next day and was told everything was fine. No notes on the paperwork about water being in the oil. Assuming everything was fine, we took the car back. A week later the car would stall during hard braking or hard acceleration. Today while picking my daughter up from a friends house, the car stalled and would not start for over 2 hours. No help from dealership on this matter as of yet. It could be our car, but after reading other reviews I dont think were alone in this matter.

• 

  DONT Buy ONE, Mayor REGRET! - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By Frank - July 18 - 2:05 pm

  use it was cute, looked fun. I regret the day I did that, Ive never had a vehicle with so much issues. lights go off frequently. Breaks inconsistent, lastly panel board goes crazy, with engine light, and others go off I call the dealership to take it in, I setup an appointment to have it diagnosed, they keep it for a week to advise me that the transmission is gone at 70,000 miles. I challenged that since I drove it there. I had researched recalls on this model, and was told that all the recalls where completed, I asked where and when and was told that the place it was originally done is no longer in business, sketchy with Fiat INC. they avoided me with follow up which made it even more frustrating. I highly recommend YOU to stay away from looking at this disaster of a car, the so called Corporate side of them is in complete denial, Im now stuck with a car, that I serviced & maintained when due, to have this extra expense of a new trans that they priced at $5,400 to repair, is disheartening!!!

• 

  WAY more expensive than you can even imagine!! - 2016 Fiat 500e
  By Holly Johnson - October 25 - 11:01 am

  DO NOT BUY THE FIAT 500e!! There is a major design flaw that will cost you $2000 at least once, and likely $2000 / year. This is NOT covered by the warranty. Before buying one, take a look at the plug (where the gas cap would normally be). It is very fragile plastic. Now think that for 8 hours or more a day, this will be plugged into a charger with a handle slightly smaller than a gas pump handle. Now think that if a small child bumps that even once, the plastic connector will snap. That simple looking connector costs almost $2000 to replace. It is part of a cable bundle that runs to the front of the car. It takes 7 hours to replace (at least thats what they bill). This will break!! Beware before buying this car!! Warranty will not cover it because they say it is the childs fault for bumping into it, not a car problem.

• 

  Never Buy a Fiat! Worst Investment - 2012 Fiat 500
  By Star - February 8 - 3:41 am

  Good afternoon all, To anyone reading this I hope this review helps you in not repeating the same mistake I have made with this affiliation. Although Fiats are cute in shape there are so many future faults. I currently own a 2012 Fiat 500c Lounge. When I purchased my car Certified Pre-owned at 23k miles I was provided with a car report which only stated car went in for routine maintenance. Fast forward to about 10k miles later I have to get a new battery, tune up etc. I thought nothing of it. I am currently at 58k miles and 8k out of warranty and my transmission light comes on randomly one day stating "check transmission - see handbook". I contacted the Fiat customer service (1-888.242.6342 spoke with Robin, Brenda, Mercedes & Josh -Total Calls 8) to see if they could assist with any repairs. They advised me my car history states my fiat has been sent in twice for a new radiator and once for sunroof repair (No wonder previous owner traded it in. A new radiator was installed first 2k miles no accidents just manufacture faults. I had NO prior knowledge of this issue it was never reported nor communicated to me when purchasing). Brenda, then stated they would need it to be diagnoses first to see what they can do. However, in order to do so I would need to take it into the fiat studio etc. Fiat Studio address: 196 South Dupont Highway Newcastle, DE phone no: 3023231666 service advisor: Tony - not helpful had no clue what was going on just guessing games. I was charged a total of $460 just for them to tell me an incomplete, inconsistent diagnosis (Diagnosis code P0741 had been provided to them at drop off before any work was performed - Tony said that was not helpful could mean anything. (Diagnosis means: Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off). Since Fiat customer service said they needed additional details I told "Tony the unhelpful" he would need to provide additional details which is why my initial price sky rocketed from $99.95 (because I had a coupon original price $115.97) to $460. The only diagnosis I was provided was that it was a mechanical issue and repairs would be $5,975 (no lie I will never forget this number). In order to get a better understanding because I am a female and cars arent my forte. I asked "Tony the Unhelpful" what can cause these kinds of issues? He stated its a computer issue and would need rewiring. I provide this feedback to Fiat customer service who now state since I am out of warranty theres nothing they can do. I understand that, however they shouldve advised me that before I went ahead and authorized Tony to do absolutely nothing but fiddle around with gadgets? The customer service gave me the impression I would be covered. I have begged, pleaded, cried, went to FCA customer service only to be directed back to Fiat customer service. I even asked that they at least cover half of the diagnosis due to useless customer service as well as mechanical faults. They continuously stated "no". In the mist of all of this I still remained optimistic. I continuously attempted to find the root to this problem. I thought maybe this couldve have been due to water. I then contacted my insurance company who then performed an extensive investigation and stated after careful review there was no evidence of water damages - claim denied. I contacted the Fiat to advise them of this and also advise that I was told "this is a mechanical issue". Fiat Customer Service then states "Carmen Chrysler Jeep Dodge" told them my car was "maintained poorly and it was water damaged". (My car has a low tire thread on left side everything else is in great shape I promise). I advise the rep of this and also advise her there were no signs of water damages after my insurance performed their investigation. She then contacts shop to verify they then agree that yes in fact the only thing is the tire and confirm no water damage. Fiat still advises me there still nothing they can do since I am out of warranty. They advised that it was my fault since the tire is low it impacted my transmission. I am perfectly fine with that response. I will take full responsibility if that was indeed the case however, that was NOT the case!! After further research and second opinion from AAMCO turns out it was a system issue / computer issue - Mechanical failure the tires had absolutely NOTHING to do with this mechanical failure in fact AAMCO was $300+ cheaper (they waive diagnostic fee if you repair issue). This was all caused by a fault in the transmission so to wrap this review up my Fiat was a complete LEMON when it was first installed. I was lied to upon purchase information was never placed on carfax if it had been I would have NEVER joined the Fiat family because this is a common issue that I had no idea about until now. In conclusion, I would advise anyone seeking a fiat or even going for servicing at this location especially females to look elsewhere. For interested fiat lookers look elsewhere bad c

• 

  Biggest mistake EVER. Nothing but headaches - 2014 Fiat 500L
  By L. Kozloff - July 26 - 7:09 am

  DON"T buy Fiat if you want a quality automobile, if you are looking for cute and disposable then your in the right place, but if you like a return on your investment or a car that is safe and reliable or a company that cares about quality and helps their customers .. over 8 months of dealing with their Customer Service call center, multiple weeks of car being in for service. The car loses power when accelerating leaving the driver with no ability to move the car out of busy intersections, or the ability to go at all from stops. Random occurrences so problem is hard to replicate, have had the service engine light come on - even have pictures of it on - still to be told that the computer never shows or records a problem so there fore they can do nothing. I have called and open a "case" with FCA and all I am told again and again is sorry until I can show and have a service tech with me when it happens they cant do anything. I guess my word isnt enough, all the other online complaints I have found of others having the same issue mean anything. I am told it must just be an isolated incident. I figure until they are forced, sued or have someones death on their hands from an accident the issue will never be addressed. Dont buy FIAT ! To be safe avoid any and all FIAT/Chrysler products!!

• 

  Beware... - 2016 Fiat 500x
  By Wm. Skelley - February 20 - 6:00 am

  Purchased this Fiat 500X Trek, several weeks ago. I experienced my first breakdown, halfway, during my one hour drive home from the dealer. It shut off at 40 mph, and was difficult to start afterwards. Was instructed by my salesperson to take it to the service department the very next day, which I did, with the engine light on for the entire trip. They read the onboard diagnostic. The service tech expained that the computer was reading fault codes and self correcting as it learns. This conclusion set uneasy with me, but I was inclined to take my service managers advise. Was sent out the door with instructions to return if any further problems. This very same day, I made it half way home, when I stopped for a soda. Upon attempting to restart my vehicle, it would not start. After several attempts of starting the moter, I called the service dept back to report my problem, but was only able to leave a message. After waiting 20 minutes for thier call back, I again attempted to start the motor, and was successfull. Engine light was on however, and it seems to be running out of tune, with little power. The service department finally returned my call, and instructed me to return the vehicle again, which I did the very next day. And was awarded a rental car. After about 8 days, I was advised that my Fiat had a new onboard body computer module installed, and that it was fine and ready for pick up. I finally made my first successful trip home with this car. However, the very next day, The vehicle became difficult to start, and remained in 3rd gear at all times, with the engine light on. So, again, another call to the service department, and I was advised to have the vehicle towed, which I did with the assistance of the Fiat Roadside Assistance, and a local towing service, and was awarded another rental vehicle. After several days, I was advised that there was a loose/corroded ground wire on the side of my transmission, which was repared, and my vehicle was ready for pick up. Once again, I picked up my vehicle, and did make a successful trip home. However... the very next day, having driven about 30 miles, the vehicle shut off while driving at about 25 mph. I did finally restart, but stayed in 3rd gear at all times, and showed an engine light on. I pulled off the road again, and called the service department. There were several attempts at reaching them on this occassion. And my family and I found ourselves stranded for some significant period of time. After a long period of time, the vehicle restarted, engine light did stay on, however it was switching through the automatic gears successfully, so I limped the car back home. Once again, another rental vehicle and yet another tow sevice back to the service department, where my vehicle sits at this time. To summerize, my vehicle has been in service 4 times in as many weeks, remains there to date, has less than 500 miles, all of them being to the service department and back. I have serveral hundred dollars tied up in rental car deposits, and am very disappointed. The most distressing thing is shutting down while in motion. I find this to be very dangerous under some driving and traffic conditions. I will on Monday, ask this Fiat dealer to buy back my car. It is my hope that this car is the "lemon:, and not the entire model. As I do really like this line up of cars, I am sure my dealer could satifactory place me in another like and kind of Fiat, 500X AWD, and look forward to that discussion. Just saying...beware.