POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2016 Fiat 500X
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 154 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 Fiat 500X, most frequently naming the engine, powertrain (other) and electrical categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 229 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2018 | 1 | 35 |
| Nov 2018 | 1 | 36 |
| Dec 2018 | 2 | 38 |
| Jan 2019 | 3 | 41 |
| Feb 2019 | 2 | 43 |
| Mar 2019 | 3 | 46 |
| Apr 2019 | 1 | 47 |
| May 2019 | 2 | 49 |
| Jun 2019 | 1 | 50 |
| Jul 2019 | 5 | 55 |
| Sep 2019 | 5 | 60 |
| Oct 2019 | 4 | 64 |
| Nov 2019 | 3 | 67 |
| Jan 2020 | 7 | 74 |
| Feb 2020 | 3 | 77 |
| Mar 2020 | 1 | 78 |
| Apr 2020 | 1 | 79 |
| May 2020 | 2 | 81 |
| Jun 2020 | 2 | 83 |
| Aug 2020 | 6 | 89 |
| Sep 2020 | 2 | 91 |
| Oct 2020 | 2 | 93 |
| Nov 2020 | 3 | 96 |
| Jan 2021 | 2 | 98 |
| Feb 2021 | 3 | 101 |
| Apr 2021 | 2 | 103 |
| Jul 2021 | 1 | 104 |
| Aug 2021 | 2 | 106 |
| Nov 2021 | 2 | 108 |
| Dec 2021 | 1 | 109 |
| Apr 2022 | 1 | 110 |
| May 2022 | 1 | 111 |
| Sep 2022 | 1 | 112 |
| Oct 2022 | 1 | 113 |
| Nov 2022 | 3 | 116 |
| Jan 2023 | 1 | 117 |
| Feb 2023 | 2 | 119 |
| Apr 2023 | 2 | 121 |
| Jul 2023 | 3 | 124 |
| Sep 2023 | 1 | 125 |
| Nov 2023 | 1 | 126 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 127 |
| Feb 2024 | 2 | 129 |
| Apr 2024 | 2 | 131 |
| May 2024 | 1 | 132 |
| Jun 2024 | 1 | 133 |
| Jul 2024 | 3 | 136 |
| Sep 2024 | 1 | 137 |
| Nov 2024 | 1 | 138 |
| Dec 2024 | 1 | 139 |
| Jan 2025 | 1 | 140 |
| Apr 2025 | 1 | 141 |
| Jun 2025 | 1 | 142 |
| Jul 2025 | 2 | 144 |
| Oct 2025 | 1 | 145 |
| Nov 2025 | 1 | 146 |
| Jan 2026 | 3 | 149 |
| Mar 2026 | 1 | 150 |
| May 2026 | 1 | 151 |
| Jun 2026 | 3 | 154 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Engine5222.9%
- Powertrain (other)4921.6%
- Electrical4821.1%
- Driver assistance2310.1%
- Exterior lighting146.2%
- Steering83.5%
- Body & structure73.1%
- Brakes62.6%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2016 Fiat 500X. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH through a green light, another vehicle driving through a red light and attempting to make a turn, the front bumper of the contact’s vehicle crashed into the front passenger’s side door. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact exited the vehicle safely and had a passenger in the front passenger-side seat and another in the rear middle row seat. The contact was adamant that the air bags should have deployed. The contact sought medical attention for whiplash, chest pain, bruises, a sore stomach, swollen right leg, and left leg. The contact's front seat passenger sought medical attention due to additional damage caused to a previous medical procedure on the right calf. The child passenger sitting in the rear middle row seat sought medical attention for back pain. The contact stated that the local Fire Department arrived on scene to extinguish a fire under the hood. The source of the fire was unknown. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard; however, it was unknown whether it had been declared a total loss. The local dealer where the vehicle had been purchased was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11746740
- Incident
- Apr 2, 2026
- Mileage
- 96,000 mi
3 times my car had died going under 30 mph, it must turns off or goes into this neutral position and won’t let me change gears, when i restart it, the engine makes an awful squealing sound. all these “drive mode unavailable “ “check esc system” “service electronic brake” it seems it is related to the S55 / 16V529000 safety defect …. “intermittent switch to neutral while driving”
- NHTSA ID
- 11744651
- Incident
- Jun 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Fiat 500X. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle using the Push-to-Start button, the engine failed to crank or start. The vehicle was started after the fifteenth attempt. Additionally, the contact stated that the brake pedal was extremely firm and difficult to depress while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11744260
- Incident
- Jun 1, 2023
- Mileage
- 80,000 mi
I was driving vehicle and it all of a sudden get stuck in gear in either park gear or some other gear that wont allow me to turn engine off. Sometimes it just slow down to a stop and will not go into gear again for a while or appears the gears are not engaging putting me at risk for accident on highway. Once it slowed down in traffic and I nearly got hit trying to drive it off the highway. The gears were not engaging putting me at risk of many vehicles hitting me. I was praying someone noticed I had car trouble to slow down as I was no longer in full control of vehicle. After some
- NHTSA ID
- 11737019
- Incident
- May 1, 2026
I received a letter stating that there was a recall emissions/catalyst efficiency,I have called a fiat dealership several times to get this fixed and it never did, now I am seeing that there is no recall now. So I'm confused on what's going on. U90 is the emissions recall number.and letter said there are others w80
- NHTSA ID
- 11726453
- Incident
- Apr 5, 2025
I am submitting this complaint to report a failure related to an emissions recall repair. The vehicle identified by VIN [XXX] was fully operable, properly maintained, and in excellent condition prior to an emissions recall repair performed by an authorized dealership. Immediately after the recall “fix” was completed, the vehicle began experiencing serious operational problems and became undrivable. The servicing dealership towed the vehicle and attempted an additional repair. After the vehicle was returned, it failed again on its first use and is now completely inoperable. Despite the fact that this failure occurred only after the recall repair, the dealership and manufacturer are refusing to assume responsibility for towing and correction unless the owner pays to have the vehicle towed more than 75 miles to another location. We do not believe it is appropriate for the owner to bear the cost of correcting a defect that arose directly from recall work. Another authorized dealership has advised that responsibility remains with the dealer that performed the recall repair. The original servicing dealer has now stated they are “not responsible,” despite having performed the recall work. This situation has left the vehicle undrivable and created a significant hardship, and we believe it represents a recall remedy failure. I spoke with the service manager at the dealership and he said it is up to me to prove that they did the damage to the car. The vehicle was operable before the recall repair The vehicle became inoperable immediately after the recall repair The recall is still showing as open The dealer already acknowledged a problem by towing it once and attempting a second repair That establishes prima facie responsibility. In plain English: 👉 Cause-and-effect is already evident. We are requesting that NHTSA document this issue and review the manufacturer’s handling of this recall repair. Thank you for your attention to this matter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (F
- NHTSA ID
- 11711355
- Incident
- Jan 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Fiat 500X. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unintendedly shifted from drive(D) to neutral(N). The RPM became elevated; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. While driving approximately 15 - 20 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. While in LIMP Mode, the contact coasted to the side of the road and waited for several minutes before continuing to drive. The failure had occurred twice. Additionally, the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle had been taken to a certified mechanic, who determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be rebuilt. The dealer also diagnosed that there was a failure with the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster lights were cleared; however, the transmission was not repaired. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V529000 (Power Train), for the transmission for the same year, make, and model. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11710295
- Incident
- Dec 22, 2025
- Mileage
- 144,000 mi
Car suddenly slowed down while driving on Christmas Day. This was a very unsafe situation because I was on the highway in traffic traveling at 70 miles per hour and the car suddenly slowed down which could have resulted in an accident leading to harm. A warning light then came on to service transmission right as the car slowed down. I Tried to step on the gas pedal and it would not accelerate. There was no warning light prior to this incident. The car was towed to the dealership the next day. On the following Monday we were told the transmission needs to be completely replaced after they completed a diagnosis test. Enclosed is a pic of the invoice.
- NHTSA ID
- 11708302
- Incident
- Dec 25, 2025
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 Lamp On
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 Lamp On
ENGINE
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders:
ENGINE
"2.4L Excessive Oil Consumption XS1 Warranty Extension The customer may describe one or more of the following: ● Oil pressure low indicator lamp illumination between oil changes. ● Excessive oil consumption This bulletin involves performing an oil consumption verification test and possibly replacing the long block. "
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 Lamp On
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 Lamp On
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.