AI Damage2018 Fiat 500: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Fiat 500 filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and seats. The maker issued 74 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 74
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 20% of all complaints
- 2 Seats 20% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 20% of all complaints
- 4 Wheels 20% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (20% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Seats: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Visibility: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Wheels: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.4 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
- automatic, 9-speed
- manual, 5-speed
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Powertrain | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Suspension | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Backover prevention | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Engine | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Exterior lighting | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel system | 0 | 0 | 1 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and was informed that the lug nuts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to a tire shop and was informed that the lug nuts needed to be shattered to be replaced. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure.
Car has 12xxx miles on it - 80% of which being freeway miles. Brought into the dealer today for a complaint of the car diving to the right when the brakes are applied aggressively at those speeds. Discs, pads, and calipers all found to be in perfect condition. Internet forums are crawling with the same complaint.
Bout the car and was cleaning the seats (I'm a smoker so wiping the ashes off) and noticed a depression/indentation in the driver seat and passenger seat as well as a plastic cord inder the seat cover on the passenger side.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,688 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 20% least complained about).
On average one model year of the 500 has 7 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Broken Exterior Driver And/Or Passenger Door Handles XB2 Warranty Extension Customers may comment the…
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…
- 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 or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates.
- 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 or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates
- Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders
- "Aluminum Body Panel Corrosion Repair Aluminum corrosion or bubbling along the leading edge of hood,…
"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…
- Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC)…
Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC) Inaccurate, Battery Charging Message, Presence of IBS related Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), or Battery Warning…
- Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair…
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, 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…
- 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 or other exterior surface areas of the hinges, doors, fenders, swing gates or liftgates. NOTE: **Verify current…
- LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is…
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.
- FCA Caribbean Warranty Bulletin ID-23-20 "Can / Am" Warranty Coverage - 594 / 595 / 596 WCC
- Warranty Bulletin D-16-03 - "Can / Am" Warranty Coverage - 594 / 595 / 596 WCC (Rev
NHTSA lists 74 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
- I Bought a CHEAP 2018 Fiat 500 on Copart… Will I make a Profit???amount per author: £900
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Fiat 500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, seats, visibility. Total complaints: 5.
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Fiat 500?
NHTSA lists 74 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Fiat 500 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.