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2018 Fiat 124 Spider Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Jan 23, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
6
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2018 Fiat 124 Spider, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Airbags844.4%
  • Seat belts316.7%
  • Electrical211.1%
  • Engine211.1%
  • Fuel system211.1%
  • Driver assistance15.6%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

8
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

manufacturer is not able to perform recall service. No dealers have the proper tool necessary to complete repair. I've tried all dealers in Atlanta GA area.

NHTSA ID 11712931 · filed Jan 23, 2026

Hello, Can you please direct me to the proper office to file a complaint against a Fiat dealership which refuses to complete a recall? Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11689560 · filed Sep 24, 2025
All 8 reports naming airbags

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Both the drivers side and passenger side have to be hand pushed back up into their retreival mechanism after use, or they end up hanging down into the path of the closing doors. My car had less than 18,000 miles on it when I bought it, and it was already a problem. This is a known problem in the (2017 - 2020) Fiat 124 Spider world. Fiat should repair these free of charge. I have a 2006 Toyota Matrix that the seatbelts still work perfectly. It has 180,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ID 11578929 · filed Mar 22, 2024

The driver's side (left) seat belt does not properly retract when unbuckling and exiting the vehicle, making it difficult to use on a daily basis. I have not yet taken the car in for service, because apparently this issue is widespread for this model and the replacement parts are not available / are on backorder.

NHTSA ID 11421682 · filed Jun 21, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2018 Fiat 124 Spider. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and was made aware of an undisclosed NHTSA Campaign however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump and the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

NHTSA ID 11621474 · filed Oct 23, 2024

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FIAT 124 SPIDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT, KEYFOB, AND TPMS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CLASSIC CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM FIAT OF ARLINGTON (1111 I-20 FRONTAGE RD, ARLINGTON, TX 76018, (682) 226-6400) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SHIELD NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED AND KEYFOB REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500.

NHTSA ID 11337137 · filed Jul 2, 2020

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

We purchased a 2018 Fiat Spider from a dealer as a new vehicle. It apparently had recalls but the dealers never notified Fiat that we were the new owners and the dealer has been listed as the owner all of this time so we never received notifications. The vehicle is only used as a summer vehicle and the clutch just went out at 9000 miles. We have multiple manual transmission vehicles in the household and none have ever gone out before 120,000 miles. Additionally, we found out that there were recalls related to the transmission. In regard to repairs, they don't even make the original clutch anymore and have an updated clutch plate and assembly from Fiat for repair. Obviously there was a defect since they don't even make the original clutch. Also if we had been notified of recalls, repairing those may have prevented this problem. We have always had the vehicle repaired at certified Fiat dealers but never have had them fix any recalls aside from recommended service. It appears Fiat knew that there is a clutch defect. We contacted Fiat and they refuse to remediate the problem since its outside the warranty period. With the history of not receiving recall notices due to dealer error and the clutch assembly no longer available but rather an updated improved version, we would hope Fiat would cover at least parts. Repair cost is almost $9000 for a 9000 mile clutch on a car that is like new. Thanks. [XXX] and [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11582633 · filed Apr 12, 2024

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 FIAT 124 SPIDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT, KEYFOB, AND TPMS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CLASSIC CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM FIAT OF ARLINGTON (1111 I-20 FRONTAGE RD, ARLINGTON, TX 76018, (682) 226-6400) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SHIELD NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED AND KEYFOB REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500.

NHTSA ID 11337137 · filed Jul 2, 2020

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2018 Fiat 124 Spider. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle had been towed to the dealer several times where battery, spark plugs, starter, and other engine parts were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred approximately one year later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

NHTSA ID 11625934 · filed Nov 18, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Fiat 124 Spider. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The contact researched and was made aware of an undisclosed NHTSA Campaign however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump and the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

NHTSA ID 11621474 · filed Oct 23, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The Blind spot warning which illuminates on the side mirrors is indicating false positives, staying on for prolonged periods even one no other vehicle or object is within the blind spot. Also, the warning does not always illuminate when another vehicle is in the blind spot this would be a false negative response. This resulted in a near miss crash. This started one week ago and is continuous issue. On line forums demonstrate the same an/or similar problems.

NHTSA ID 11479895 · filed Aug 18, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .