FaultScore

Fiat 500 fuel system problems

44 of the 1,118 complaints filed about the Fiat 500 are about the fuel system — 4% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2012.

44

Complaints

4%

Share of all complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

Fuel & Propulsion complaints by model year

2012 500 23 52.3%

Median failure at 54,000 miles

2013 500 12 27.3%

Median failure at 16,500 miles

2014 500 2 4.5%
2015 500 6 13.6%

Median failure at 92,000 miles

2017 500 1 2.3%

Median failure at 32,000 miles

What owners said

2014 Fiat 500 Arlington, TX

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

the electric vehicle was previously recalled for battery malfunction but now the OBCM module malfunctioned making the vehicle unable to charge(receive power) leaving me stranded in the charging station and unable to go home. The module is the brain of the battery and should have been replaced with the battery if it's what's causing a similar issue. OBCMFAILED CAUSING BPCMAND EVCU NOT TO WAKE UP . NEED TO REPLACE OBCMAND PROGRAMTO VEHICLE

NHTSA complaint #11524421 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Fiat 500 Charlotte, NC

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

In 2019 my 2013 500e wouldn't start/take a charge. I towed it to the dealer and after more than a month and $2250 they replaced the PIM module and HV battery pack. Fast forward to 2022 and I received the SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM error. I drove the car to the dealer. They are claiming the failure is the HV battery cooling system is leaking coolant in to the battery itself and the only repair is full replacement. They are also claiming the battery is not under any warranty at this time. Any thoughts or advice on next steps would be appreciated. I cannot believe the HV battery would need to be replaced twice in 3 years.

NHTSA complaint #11496179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Fiat 500 Alpharetta, GA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

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. (NHTSA campaign: 16V303000 & 15V179000). And because the vehicle wasn't sold in Georgia, no local dealers know how to work on it.

NHTSA complaint #11492602 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Fiat 500 San Francisco, CA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I was driving our Fiat 500e (31K miles) in late June, when suddenly the HV Battery System (and primarily the PIM/Power Inverter Module that controls the HV battery system and propulsion system) failed, causing my moving vehicle to lose it's ability to use power steering. I was on a steep hill and was barely able to control the car. I contacted my local Fiat dealer, had the car towed there, and it has sat there for 3.5 months, while the dealership and Fiat USA have argued over how to repair it. In the meantime, the 8 year warranty on the HV battery system has winnowed down and will go out of warranty this month. It is my belief that Fiat USA has purposely delayed a resolution so they could not have to pay to repair the car under warranty. The PIM controls the HV system and propulsion and yet Fiat claims that the PIM is not their responsibility to repair. This is an otherwise perfect car with only 31K miles and the idea that it would be junked and sent to landfill over a bad PIM controller (a small component the size of a football) is a tragedy. Via online messaging boards, I have spoken to numerous other owners of Fiat 500e autos who have suffered a similar PIM failure and whom Fiat also refused to help. Fiat should stand behind the cars they sold to us and should pay to repair the PIM controller so the car runs. Barring that, they should pay the market value of the car. I have specific engine error codes and reports that I would be happy to provide. Thank you in advance for your help.

NHTSA complaint #11488690 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Fiat 500 Houston, TX

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

When putting gasoline at the gas pump, pump clicks off constantly. Makes you think the tank is full when it is not, Have to pump very slow. takes 10-15 mins to fill up and have to know how many gallons are needed.

NHTSA complaint #11459309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Fiat 500 Port Isabel, TX

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Ed Payne Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM 2101 E Expressway 83, Weslaco, TX 78599 +1 956-272-1902 For the past years, I have complained to the car dealer I take my vehicle into that there is an issue with the fuel tank. I have been told that other Fiat car owners have had the same issues as I. Issues, the 2013 - 2014 Fait Sport 500, tank issue, when filling up the tank, the tank does not fill up normal. When filling up the gas take, the gas handle stops every 10 sec, I have to keep clicking on the gas pump handle every 10 sec. To keep the flow of gas to fill the gas tank up. I was told by the car dealer that the issue was the gas tank on the Fait, not the gas pump machine. When adding a new gas tank to the vehicle, the problem stop, and the owners were able to fill the gas tank without any issues. I keep having headlights, blinkers, stop lights burn out all the time. I believe there's an issue with the wiring in the Fait Sport 500.

NHTSA complaint #11453372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2012 Fiat 500 El Paso, TX

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Every time I pump fuel in the vehicle, the pump stops prematurely. It’ll pump for a few seconds and then seize. I would have to continuously press the handle every time the pump stops and clicks every few seconds. After I’m done fueling, it smells like gasoline inside my vehicle. I took my Fiat 500 to the dealership in January of 2019 to have Sunland Park technicians check the issue. Technicians diagnosed the vehicle and claimed it was a faulty fuel tank. Fuel tank was replaced and issue had gone away for approximately a year then proceeded to do the same issue again. Went back to the dealership when I began having the same issue and technicians say there is nothing wrong with my vehicle and they said that the repairs of my whole fuel tank were no longer under warranty. My fiat 500 is still having the same fuel issue of clicking nonstop and odor of the fuel is still strong. There are many fiat 500 owners going through this same issue continually paying fiat dealerships just to have the same issue of inhaling fuel and not being able to pump fuel in properly. This is a major hazard and needs to be resolved.

NHTSA complaint #11446257 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2012 Fiat 500 at 67,000 miles Apache Junction, AZ

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that she was having difficulties refueling the vehicle as the gas pump would constantly stop pumping gas though the tank was not full. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel tank sensor had failed, and the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that it was a known failure however, she would be responsible for the cost of the repair since there was no recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

NHTSA complaint #11443764 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Fiat 500 Eastvale, CA Crash

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request: High voltage battery system, the vehicle is available for viewing. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?: Long time garage storage of vehicle and limited owners manual description on procedure to maintain high voltage battery during extended non use of vehicle. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?: The problem has been reproduced and the vehicle is currently at a Fiat/Chrysler dealership. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?: The component is currently under inspection, the vehicle has been at the Fiat/Chrysler since 8/11/2021, it is now 9/18/2021. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?: Error message display on cluster stating HV battery unable to be charged. General Description: Fiat 500e parked in closed garage for a year after following Fiat's Vehicle Storage instructions instruction shown pages 321 & 322 of the owners manual for the Fiat's electrical system. Returned after one year found Fiat's electric system a car went in fail mode. The instructions are limited and do not long term issues of fire danger in a enclosed space like a garage and power outages or brown outs. Fiat will not honor the vehicles warranty as the milage is a 42,625 and the warranty is only good up to 40,000 miles. The California Lemon Law does not cover this as well as it's as well. I need help!

NHTSA complaint #11433432 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Fiat 500 Thousand Oaks, CA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I am a retired master certified automotive technician. Ever since I bought this 2015 Fiat 500e [it is battery electric] in 2017 with NO warning all kinds of trouble/service lights will go on as the car shuts down & stops as if it was thrown into Park, & most of the time it does this it is at highway speeds on crowded L.A. freeways, which has become very close to getting me killed several times I have taken it to local dealers for this problem since shortly after I bought it in 2017, long before the bumper to bumper warranty expired. Most of the time the dealer reads/clears the codes, then parks it in a back lot for days, weeks, & months, then after a while tells me it's done & I can pick it up, but normally within 100 miles the exact same thing happens so I have to take it back to the dealer. Most recently it did not even make it off the dealers lot before it did it. The latest dealer I have been taking it to for this problems, [5 times in a few months] clearly doesn't know the car or what they are doing & is now brazenly lying on repair orders. They have also been claiming it had no problems or trouble codes when I brought it in, after the service writer read & printed out dozens of codes, which they promised to give me a copy of but then refused to give to me. Because this is the exact same problem covered by previous recalls on this car I believe dealers have charged for services & doing recalls that they did not do, because I marked the parts & see NO indication they changed the parts required or did the procedures required to perform the services claimed. This car has had the exact same dangerous problems covered by the recalls since I bought it & I must now pay dealers to service it even though the propulsion system is under warranty. At this point I believe this is brazen dangerous widespread fraud with the factories participation

NHTSA complaint #11431825 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Fiat 500 Oakland, CA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

the problem is: I can not charging, light indicator is red plug , charger indicate (charging) I can not shift gear to D or R , just accept shift to P and N message warning : 1-service electric vehicle system , (yellow car) indicator lamp 2-service charging system (red plug) 3-service propulsion system

NHTSA complaint #11418124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Fiat 500 Port Isabel, TX

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

DEALRS ARE AWARE OF THE FUEL TANK ISSUES, IT REFUSE TO FILL THE TANK THE NORMAL WAY. YOU HAVE TO KEEP PUMPING EVER SECOND UNTIL THE FULE TANK IS FULL. DEAL ADVICE TO CORRCT THE ISSUE, THE FUL TANK WAS BE REPLACE A $1000 ? VALUE. I REPORTED THE ISSUE AUG 8,2020 CASE # 76990681 TO THE FCA/MOPAR 800-853-1403. NOTHING HAS BEEN CORRECTED ON THE ISSUE, IM STILL HAVING PROBLEMS FUELING MY CAR WITH GAS. ELECTRIC ISSUE AS WELL, FRONT AND REAR LIGHT BUBBLE KEEP BURING OUT. DEALER NAME ED PAYNE2101 E EXPRESSWAY 83, WESLACO, TX 78599 (956) 272-1902

NHTSA complaint #11378251 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 Fiat 500 at 32,000 miles Parkland, WA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

CAR STOPPED AND QUICKLY SLOWED DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD VERY LITTLE TIME TO STEER CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE RBS/ABS SYSTEM STARTED SLOWING THE CAR ON ITS OWN. I HAD ONLY BEEN GOING 30 MPH, HOWEVER HAD I BEEN IN A CENTER LANE ON A FREEWAY AT 60 MPH, I WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD.

NHTSA complaint #11375410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Fiat 500 Brooklyn, NY

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

HELLO, I BELIEVE I NEED AN ATTORNEY AND LEGAL ADVICE. I HAVE A DEFECTIVE CAR THAT SHOWS ON THE FIAT DEALERSHIP WEBSITE AS A RECALL. THE YEAR MAKE AND MODEL OF MY CAR HAS A RECALL (2/2013 RECALL N09 REPROGRAM POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE) I HAVE HAVE BEEN REPORTED MY ISSUE TO FIAT DEALERSHIP FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS AND WAS TOLD THAT BASED ON MY VIN NUMBER I DO NOT HAVE A RECALL. WHEN I SERVICE MY CAR AT DEALERSHIP THEY JUST TURN OFF MY ENGINE LIGHT. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PASS INSPECTION OF MY VEHICLE IN OVER TWO YEARS. MY MECHANIC EXPLAINED TO ME THAT I HAVE A RECALL AND HE CANNOT PASS INSPECTION. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR, BUT CANNOT SELL IT OR TRADE IT IN DIE TO THE ENGINE LIGHT ERROR. I HAVE A RECORD OF ALL OF MY RECEIPTS. THIS STARTED IN JANUARY 2018. I BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD FILE CHARGES AGAINST FIAT AND WOULD NEED LEGAL ADVISE. THANK YOU.

NHTSA complaint #11323015 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2012 Fiat 500 at 54,000 miles Austin, TX

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SUDDENLY ONE DAY I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO PUMP GAS INTO MY VEHICLE. WHENEVER I TRY TO FILL UP MY GAS TANK GAS WERE JUST BACK UP, NO MATTER HOW EMPTY MY TANK WAS. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO MY DEALERSHIP, AND A STATED THAT THERE WAS A VALVE AT THE TOP OF MY GAS AT THE TOP OF MY FUEL TANK THAT IS PREVENTING THE GAS FROM DRAINING INTO THE TANK. NOTHING THAT I DID OR COULD HAVE DONE CAUSED THIS ISSUE TO BREAK. AND WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT REPLACING THE VALVE THEY STATED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK SYSTEM, BUT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER FOR 1 TO 2 MONTHS BECAUSE THEY WERE SOLD OUT.

NHTSA complaint #11308087 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Fiat 500 at 81,000 miles N LAS Vegas, NV

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO FILL UP GAS AT A FUEL FILLING STATION THE CAR WILL NOT TAKE IN ANY FUEL FROM THE GAS STATION PUMP. IT REACTS LIKE THE TANK IS FULL BUT IT IS NOT. A VERY SMALL STEADY FLOW OF FUEL WILL FLOW (APPROX 20CENTS) AND THEN OVERFLOW AS IF IT IS FULL. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM AT THAT THE GAS PUMP AND HAS ALSO CAUSED ME TO RUN OUT OF FUEL ON THE FREEWAY AS WELL WHICH COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. FIAT DEALER SAYS THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF THIS ISSUE, BUT I AM FINDING 1000'S OF OWNERS ONLINE WITH THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #11287463 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2012 Fiat 500 at 48,000 miles North Palm Beach, FL

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHEN STOPPED AT A FUEL FILLING STATION THE CAR WOULD NOT TAKE IN ANY FUEL FROM THE GAS STATION PUMP AS USUAL. IT REACTS LIKE THE TANK IS FULL BUT IT IS NOT. A VERY SMALL STEADY FLOW OF FUEL WILL FLOW AND FILL WHEN THE NOZZLE IS ENGAGED AS SUCH. THE DANGEROUS PROBLEM IS THAT THE GAS PUMP 'AUTOMATIC STOP' DOES NOT ENGAGE AND FUEL RUNS OUT OF THE FILLER AREA AND DOES NOT STOP UNTIL YOU MANUALLY PULL OUT THE NOZZLE. THE FIAT DEALER SAYS IT COULD BE THE ROLLOVER VALVE AND THEY HAVE SEEN IT HAPPEN BEFORE. THEY WANT TO CHARGE FOR SERVICE/INSPECTION, THEN REPAIRS. SOME DEALERS CHARGE FOR A NEW FUEL TANK @ $1200-1600 AND IT STILL HAPPENS. ONLINE CHATS REGARDING FIAT 500 ALSO DESCRIBE THIS ROLLOVER VALVE PROBLEM. MY CAR HAS 48,000 MILES AND IS A 2012.

NHTSA complaint #11242081 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Fiat 500 at 92,000 miles Easton, PA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE RECALL WAS STOPPED AT 74 000 MILES AND NOW I NEED TO BUY A NEW CARE I HAVE AN OIL LEAK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF\ENGINE BY THE CAM SEAL, ACTUATOR

NHTSA complaint #11193125 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2012 Fiat 500 Portland, ME

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHILE FILLING GAS TANK, "CLICK" AS TANK FILLED DID NOT OCCUR, TANK OVERFLOWED. TANK THEN BECAME DIFFICULT TO REFILL, VERY SLOW CAUTION LIGHT OCCURRED SERVICE GARAGE SUSPECTS MALFUNCTION IN TANK SYSTEM DEALER WILL WARRANTY IF "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" APPEARS

NHTSA complaint #11192611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2012 Fiat 500 at 64,000 miles Chapin, SC

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHEN PUTTING FUEL IN TANK, I COULD ONLY PUT ABOUT ONE GALLON AND IT STARTED BUBBLING OUT OF TANK. FUEL ROLLOVER VALVE IS PROBLEM AND HAS TO BE REPLACED BY REPLACING ENTIRE FUEL TANK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND COVERED ON THE 2012 FIAT 500 POP

NHTSA complaint #11190879 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other Fiat 500 problems