RoadVitals

2013 Fiat 500 Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints 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.
8
Latest Nov 16, 2023
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 164 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Fiat 500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistancePowertrain (other)Steering
Filed Nov 16, 2023

The car is difficult to accelerate and makes a loud hum over 50. It wont shift into reverse. It is confirmed that it is a transmission issue and the whole thing has to be replaced. I found on a mechanic's site that there is an open recall S34 however my VIN is not included despite the fact that my car has the same issue as the recall. 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.

NHTSA ID
11555448
Incident
Jul 18, 2023
BrakesDriver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 18, 2020

SO - I'VE GOT A 2013 500E AND IT STARTED DOING THIS LAST WEEK OR SO. THE RBC, THE ESC, THE ABS, AND EVEN THE HILL ASSIST TRANSIENTLY, AND ONCE OR TWICE EVEN WENT INTO 'PROPULSION SYSTEM SERVICE' ERROR MODE AND WOULDN'T RUN. AFTER A RE-START IT WOULD THEN RUN. EVEN DID THE BATTERY TRICK. NOT SURE IF IT HELPED OR NOT. SO, I DECIDED TO DO THE OBD2 - WITH THE KONNWEI AND THE ALFOBD - FULL PROGRAM - AND IT WAS ABLE TO CLEAR THE CODES AND PULL UP THE ERRORS : U0001, U1201, U1487 - AND EVEN THOUGH IT RECURS AND I FEEL A CLICK AND CHANGE IN BRAKING WHEN THE RBC LIGHT GOES OFF, AND THE ESC LIGHT, AND EVENTUALLY THE ABS LIGHT TOO, AND IT STARTS MAKING FUNNY NOISES FROM THE BRAKES WHEN STOPPED AND PRESSED DEEPLY, BUT I'M ABLE TO CLEAR IT AND GOES BACK TO NORMAL. BUT IT ALWAYS RECURS. ONCE IT WENT AWAY FOR 2 DAYS. ANYWAY - FOUND A TSB ON THIS : NUMBER 08-045-16 - FROM APRIL 22, 2016. AND DESCRIBES PRETTY MUCH ALL THIS AND THE CODES. APPARENTLY THE RBC, AND ABS MODULES NEED REFLASH BY THE DEALER - OR SOMEONE WITH THE WITECH SOFTWARE AND INTERFACE. HERE'S A LINK TO THE PDF ITSELF: HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2016/SB-10076281-3639.PDF - MY MAIN PROBLEM IS MY LOCAL DEALER IN TUCSON DOES NOT HAVE 500E CERTIFICATION NOR A TECH TO SERVICE THE 500E. I'D HAVE TO DRIVE 100 MILES OR SO UP TO PHOENIX TO GET IT DONE. SO I WOULD NEED TO HAUL IT UP THERE. THIS SUCKS. CALLED THE FCA SUPPORT LINE, THEY SAY THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO, I HAVE TO GET IT THERE.

NHTSA ID
11340069
Incident
Jul 7, 2020
Mileage
66,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalFuel system
Filed Apr 12, 2017

MY CAR CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING OR BEING IDLED. I WOULD DRIVE IT IN THE CITY AND AFTER ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES OF DRIVING STOP AND GO. IT WOULD CUT OFF WHILE I'M STOPPED AT A LIGHT. THEN I WOULD PUT IT IN PARK AND IT WOULD RESTART. THEN AFTER THAT IT WOULD READ AS HIGH COOLANT. ALSO GOING UP STEEP HILLS IT WOULD CUT OFF WHEN I TURN IT AT THE TOP OF THE HILL AND READ NOTHING JUST COMPLETELY TURN OFF. I FINALLY GOT TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITH FIAT SERVICE AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP IT FROM CUTTING OFF. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AND REPLACE BY FIAT

NHTSA ID
10972136
Incident
Mar 28, 2017
Body & structureDriver assistanceExterior lighting
Filed Mar 2, 2017

WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT MY CAR I HAD ISSUES WITH A TAIL LIGHT GOING OUT WITHIN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS. THEN A HEADLIGHT 2 MONTHS AFTER THAT THEN 12 MONTHS A TAILLIGHT THEN ANOTHER TAILLIGHT AND HEADLIGHT WELL YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN THEN THEY RECALLED A CLUCH ON MY CAR BUT THEY DIDNT HAVE A REPLACEMNT PART YET AND THEY NEVER CONTACTED ME ABOUT THE RECALL I ASSUME IT WAS THIS ORGANIZATION BUT WHEN I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT THE CLUCH JUST DROPPED OUT FROM UNDER MY FOOT AND ALMOST CAUSE ME TO CRASH WHEN I RECOVERED AND HAD TO STOPO BECAUSE OF A RED LIGHT I THROUGH ON MY EMERGANCIES AND ANOTHER TAIL LIGHT WENT OUT BUT THIS TIME I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT I WAS SWITHCHING LANES I NEVER RECIEVED A WARNING LIGHT THAT MY TAILLIGHT WAS OUT NOW I HAVE HAD MY TAIL LIGHT GO OUT AGAIN AND A HEADLIGHT WITHIN A MONTH OF EACH OTHER AND STILL NO WARNING SIGN ALSO NOW THE BATTERY IS GOING OUT ON ME SOMETHIMES I CAN START THE SOMETIMES I CANT BUT NO WARNING SIGN UNLESS ITS NOT GOING TO TURN OVER AT ALL THEN I GET ALL THE BELLS GOING OFF FOR THAT WHEN THEY WERE REPAIRING THE CLUCH I ASKED ABOUT MY WARRENTY AND THEY SAID IT ALREADY RAN OUT BUT THAT WASNT TRUE I WAS CLOSE BUT I HAVE RUST PINHOLES COMING FROM UNDER THE PAINT ALL OVER MY WHITE CAR.

NHTSA ID
10958017
Incident
Jan 20, 2017
Mileage
49,920 mi
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Mar 6, 2014

WHILE ACCELERATING THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD NOT READ ANY HIGHER THAN 20 MPH, EVEN WHEN GOING SPEEDS WELL OVER 20 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD READ AT 0, HOWEVER ONCE ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING FROM OVER 20 MPH WOULD NOT BE REGISTERED. THE CAR WAS TURNED ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES, AND SHIFTED THROUGH ALL THE GEARS, STILL NO FIX. *TR

NHTSA ID
10567694
Incident
Mar 6, 2014
Mileage
6,630 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 15, 2014

THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (ETC) LIGHT CAME ON AFTER SLOWING DOWN AND THEN HAVING TO ACCELERATE FAST TO AVOID AN ONCOMING CAR AT AN INTERSECTION CROSSING. AT THE SAME TIME THE CAR LOST SPEED AND ACCELERATION. WE CONSULTED THE MANUAL IMMEDIATELY AND DID WHAT IT SAID, THAT IS TO RESTART THE CAR. WE DID THIS AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF. TO DO THIS WE HAD TO PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE AND PARK AND THEN GET BACK ON. WHEN GETTING BACK ON I HAD TO SLOW DOWN AND AGAIN ACCELERATE QUICKLY AGAIN TO PROPERLY MERGE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON THE 4 LANE WE WERE TRAVELING. THE ECT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND WE AGAIN STOPPED AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE ECT LIGHT WENT OUT. ABOUT 4 MILES LATER AT AN INTERSECTION I SLOWED THEN ACCELERATED AFTER MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN (THE LIGHT WAS GREEN).THE ECT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND THIS TIME I IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND ACCELERATION AND COULD NOT GET THE CAR ABOVE ABOUT 40 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR.WE HAPPENED TO BE TRAVELING TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP ON ANOTHER MATTER (PHONE PAIRING) AND WE WERE ONLY A HALF A MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP SO WE TOOK IT IN TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THEY GAVE US THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AS A LOANER.WE WENT A FEW MILES THE ECT LIGHT CAME ON IN THIS CAR (FIAT 500) SO WE WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THIS IN TWO CARS. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT I HAD TOUCHED OR PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDDLE AND THE ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME AND THIS CAUSES THE ECT SYSTEM TO ACTIVATE AN ECT LIGHT TO COME ON. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT IF YOU EVEN TOUCH THE BRAKE FOR EVEN A SECOND WHILE THE ACCELERATOR IS ENGAGED OR ESPECIALLY IF IT IS TRYING TO INCREASE SPEED TO THE TIRES THE ECT WILL ENGAGE AND LIGHT WILL COME ON AND TO RESET YOU HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY STOP THE CAR TURN IT OFF SO THE SYSTEM WILL RESET. THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE TO ME WOULD INDICATE A SAFETY PROBLEM OR A DESIGN DEFECT. SIMILAR PROBLEMS SEEN ON INTERNET WITH THE ECT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10560114
Incident
Jan 15, 2014
Mileage
354 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 5, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. *TR

NHTSA ID
10523336
Incident
Jun 28, 2013
Mileage
10,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed May 28, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17. *TR

NHTSA ID
10513814
Incident
May 28, 2013
Mileage
17 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .