The contact owns a 2015 Fiat 500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and attempting to downshift, the vehicle failed to respond as intended while the RPM continued to rev. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the gear shifter was significantly difficult to move up or down, causing difficulty in engaging the brake as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the manual transmission gear pin had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 16V302000(Power Train) nor 19E044000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
The worst 2015 Fiat 500 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission32
- Electrical26
- Engine12
- Fuel system6
- Acceleration5
- Lights5
- Steering5
- Brakes4
- Seats4
- Visibility4
- Body3
- Suspension3
- Wheels3
- Airbags2
- Driver assistance2
- Tires2
- Locks1
- Seat belts1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2015 Fiat 500
Recalls 3
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Fiat 500 vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not illuminate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
- Risk
- A TPMS warning light that fails to illuminate can result in the vehicle being driven with improperly inflated tires, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the TPMS electronic control unit module, free of charge. Owners were mailed July 11, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 80B.
Recall number 24V474000 · Recall details
Power train: manual transmission
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If the clutch diaphragm spring fails, the driver may not be able to shift gears or the vehicle may lose motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 16V302000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Fiat 500 battery electric vehicles manufactured March 8, 2013, to March 7, 2015. The Electric Vehicle Control Unit (EVCU) of the affected vehicles may set a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) that may cause the transmission to unexpectedly shift to neutral.
- Risk
- If the vehicle unexpectedly shifts to neutral, the loss of drive could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EVCU, free of charge. The recall began June 19, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R20.
Recall number 15V291000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 2015 Fiat 500
Defect investigations
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications.  The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V‑668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU.  In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle.  Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW. These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (âEOSâ) that can be generated in certain severe crashes. An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time.  In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU. This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners.  Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW. The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation. The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage. There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation. The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU. If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC. Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC. All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled. In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V‑668, 18E-043, 18V‑137, 18V‑363, and 20V‑024. With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
EA19001
Technical service bulletins for the 2015 Fiat 500 167
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Broken Exterior Driver And/Or Passenger Door Handles XB2 Warranty Extension Customers may comment the...
- High Voltage Air Conditioning Refrigerant Dye
- Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood, hinges...
- Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood, hinges...
- Verify Reman part number availability
- "Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood,...
- Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC)...
- Air Bag Warning Lamp Illumination Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination
- Lifter
- Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair...
2015 Fiat 500 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 24-30 | 32-38 | 27-34 |
| Electric motor Electric 87 mi range | FWD | 122 | 108 | 116 MPGe |
What 2015 Fiat 500 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2015 Fiat 500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the manual transmission was unable to shift into gear. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the clutch diaphragm spring and clutch assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 54,000.
A recall has been open on this vehicle for over 5 years. I have been waiting for a year and 2 Fiat dealerships cannot complete the recall because the manufacturer has failed to manufacture a spring part for the repair. The spring has been back ordered since May 2023 for my order, but according to the Madison dealership, owners before me were waiting for 8+ months with no parts available. Recall info: Manufacturer Recall NumberS34 the federal safety agency Recall Number16V-302 Recall Status: Recall Incomplete Summary THE CLUTCH COVER DIAPHRAGM SPRING MAY FATIGUE AND/OR FRACTURE. Safety Risk A FAILED CLUTCH COVER DIAPHRAGM SPRING MAY RESULT IN THE INABILITY TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH, SHIFT GEARS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
The contact owns a 2015 Fiat 500 Pop Hatchback. The contact received notification the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V302000 (Power Train) however, the parts to repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The local dealer was notified of the recall notice and confirmed that the parts were not available. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the manual clutch failed and the contact was unable to steer the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided with a customer care case number 89214492. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
The quality of the exterior door handle is an issue. My passenger side door handle has snapped completely off and my drivers side door handle has partially broken, but still functions. The rear door hatch also stopped working. The arm rests both broke rather easily as well. My last car was a 2013 fiat 500 pop and the exterior door handles both broke, the rear latch stopped working, and both arm rests broke. I live in Iowa and it gets extremely cold, but I'm unsure if that's related. I have not been aggressive with any of these parts so I don't know what the issue is.
In March 2023 my wife was driving our Fiat 500 on the freeway and the sunroof exploded with a loud bang. Small pieces of glass shattered everywhere and fell all over here. The sound and glass caused her to swerve, luckily no other cars were around. We got insurance involved and sent the car to a body shop to get fixed. No one really knew what caused the problem, though they all suspected a pebble. There was no other evidence to suggest a pebble. In August 2023 when entering the freeway (speed was less than 45 mph) the sunroof exploded again with a loud bang. My wife and I were both in the car. Once again we got insurance involved and the car was sent to a different body shop. The body shop did not find and evidence that a rock or pebble did the damage and were not sure how it could have been caused. This is our family car and we need to drive it daily. It puts everyone’s safety at risk when driving since the shock of falling glass and the sound of the sunroof exploding can cause knee jerk reactions. Therefore, not only is our safety at risk but also the other drivers were we to swerve unintentionally into someone. This happened twice in a span of 6 months.
The contact owns a 2015 Fiat 500. The contact stated that upon having the vehicle inspected, the mechanic noticed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side headlamps had failed to operate. The brake warning light and the headlamp warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the mechanic reconnected the front driver’s and passenger’s side headlamp connector. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that after the vehicle was started, the contact noticed that the headlamps failed to illuminate. The contact then stated that the rear driver’s and passenger’s side brake lights failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken back the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lighting wirings had burned out and the connectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Fiat 500. The contact stated that after driving at low speeds, upon parking the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle was slow to respond while stopping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer again to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the clutch and clutch cord needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was due to her driving style. On another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 48,204.
Driver side seat belt has worn prematurely, no longer retractable or locking in place. Seat belt is often wet during rainy weather, the vehicle is only 6yrs old to already have a safety belt malfunction. It is unknown to me why the seat belt has malfunctioned.
After bringing vehicle to a complete stop at a traffic light, it died and gave a propulsion system warning. After about 20 attempts to turn off and reboot the vehicle, it restarted and behaved as if nothing had happened. This was a very dangerous situation with the vehicle stuck in the middle of the road. There have been two recalls on this very specific issue (and this vehicle has had that related software updates). Vehicle did the exact same behavior for no reason. (the federal safety agency campaign: 16V303000 & 15V179000). And because the vehicle wasn't sold in Georgia, no local dealers know how to work on it.
Compare the 2015 Fiat 500
Other model years
Questions about the 2015 Fiat 500
Is the 2015 Fiat 500 reliable?
Owners have filed 92 complaints about the 2015 Fiat 500, close to a typical 500 model year.
What is the 2015 Fiat 500 year score?
The 2015 Fiat 500 scores 74 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Fiat 500: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2015 Fiat 500?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 32 complaints, typically around 48,204 miles. Next is electrical (26).
How many recalls does the 2015 Fiat 500 have?
3 recalls, covering tires and power train.
What gas mileage does the 2015 Fiat 500 get?
Official estimates for the 2015 Fiat 500 range from 27 to 34 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.4L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 24-30 city and 32-38 highway.
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