2016 Fiat 500X
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2016 Fiat 500X has 258 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 3.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (20% of all complaints), specifically: my fiat 500x is brand new barely 350 miles...it has been towed twice so far and is presently being worked on now. i am afraid to drive it since it stalls out while driving and eventually will not restart. i have been researching online and have found similar issues. i feel unsafe driving this vehicl. ⚠️ 4 fire reports filed.
258
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
3.2x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
ENGINE
52 complaints- • MY FIAT 500X IS BRAND NEW BARELY 350 MILES...IT HAS BEEN TOWED TWICE SO FAR AND IS PRESENTLY BEING WORKED ON NOW. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT SINCE IT STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING AND EVENTUALLY WILL NOT RESTART. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND SIMILAR ISSUES. I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICL
- • I WAS MAKING A SLOW TURN IN A PARKING LOT AND THE CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE RADIO REMAINED ON AND DASH LIGHTS/GEAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED BUT THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE OTHERWISE. I REALIZED IT HAD TURNED OFF SO I RESTARTED IT & IT CONTINUED TO DRIVE NORMALLY. ABOUT 50 MILES
- • ENGINE IS VERY SHAKY WHEN STALLED AT STOP LIGHTS, ETC. SERVICE LIGHT RECENTLY CAME ON AND CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR EVALUATION AS IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE COOLING FAN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BUT IS ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER WITH NO ETA. CAR CAN NO LONGER BE DRIVEN IN TRAFFIC AS IT QUICKL
“MY FIAT 500X IS BRAND NEW BARELY 350 MILES...IT HAS BEEN TOWED TWICE SO FAR AND IS PRESENTLY BEING WORKED ON NOW. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT SINCE IT STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING AND EVENTUALLY WILL NOT RESTART. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND SIMILAR ISSUES. I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICL”
— NHTSA complaint filing
TRANSMISSION
50 complaints- • MY 500X THAT I PURCHASED IN JULY OF 2016 HAS SHIFTED GEARS TO THE + SYMBOL 4 DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE IM DRIVING. IT STARTED IN SEPT BUT I THOUGHT I HAD IT A BUMP OR SOMETHING. IT HAPPENED AGAIN 3 TIMES I DID GO BACK TO THE BETTENHAUSER DEALER FOR SERVICE 3 TIMES AND THEY SAID I HAD TO NOT TURN THE CAR
- • VEHICLE GOES INTO "LIMP MODE" ANYTIME WHEELS SLIP, UNTILL COMPUTER CLEARS NO THROTTLE OR MOTION, VEHICLE IS INOPERABLE FOR OVER 5+ SECONDS AND THEN ACCELERATED AT WHATEVER POSITION THROTTLE IS AT. DEALER AND MECHANICS SAY ALL NEW FIATS 2 AND 4WHEEL DRIVE ALL HAVE THIS ISSUE AND THEY CANNOT FIX. I PU
- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FIAT 500X. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE GEAR SELECTOR ERRONEOUSLY SWITCHED FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (RICK CASE FIAT/CHRYSLER OF DAVIES, FLORIDA), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE
“MY 500X THAT I PURCHASED IN JULY OF 2016 HAS SHIFTED GEARS TO THE + SYMBOL 4 DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE IM DRIVING. IT STARTED IN SEPT BUT I THOUGHT I HAD IT A BUMP OR SOMETHING. IT HAPPENED AGAIN 3 TIMES I DID GO BACK TO THE BETTENHAUSER DEALER FOR SERVICE 3 TIMES AND THEY SAID I HAD TO NOT TURN THE CAR”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRICAL
47 complaints- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FIAT 500X. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 8 MPH, THE DRIVE MODE UNAVAILABLE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS DIAGNOSED THE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE VEHICLE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE DEALER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE A
- • MY FIAT 500X IS BRAND NEW BARELY 350 MILES...IT HAS BEEN TOWED TWICE SO FAR AND IS PRESENTLY BEING WORKED ON NOW. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT SINCE IT STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING AND EVENTUALLY WILL NOT RESTART. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND SIMILAR ISSUES. I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICL
- • CAR HAS APPROX 26K MILES. DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THIS MORNING AND WARNING CAME ON "SERVICE ENGINE. DRIVE MODE UNAVAILABLE". I HAD THE SUN ROOF OPEN AS I WAS DRIVING AND I KEPT THINKING I WAS SMELLING A HOT OR BURNING SMELL, BUT COULDN'T BE SURE. I POPPED THE HOOD WHEN I GOT HOME AND DIDN'T
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FIAT 500X. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 8 MPH, THE DRIVE MODE UNAVAILABLE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS DIAGNOSED THE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE VEHICLE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE DEALER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE A”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
33 complaints- • MY 500X THAT I PURCHASED IN JULY OF 2016 HAS SHIFTED GEARS TO THE + SYMBOL 4 DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE IM DRIVING. IT STARTED IN SEPT BUT I THOUGHT I HAD IT A BUMP OR SOMETHING. IT HAPPENED AGAIN 3 TIMES I DID GO BACK TO THE BETTENHAUSER DEALER FOR SERVICE 3 TIMES AND THEY SAID I HAD TO NOT TURN THE CAR
- • I JUST FILED A COMPLIANT REGARDING MY CAR SHIFTING GEARS TO NEUTRAL SCINCE SEPT. I WAS DENIED MY COMPLIANT AND REQUEST OF A REPURCHASE BY THE NCDS THIS FEBURARY .I HOPE YOU GOT MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT. I DID STATE THAT MY COMPUTER WON,T UPLOAD INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTS BUT I HAVE IT. I WAS DENIED BE
- • MY FIAT 500X IS BRAND NEW BARELY 350 MILES...IT HAS BEEN TOWED TWICE SO FAR AND IS PRESENTLY BEING WORKED ON NOW. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT SINCE IT STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING AND EVENTUALLY WILL NOT RESTART. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND SIMILAR ISSUES. I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICL
“MY 500X THAT I PURCHASED IN JULY OF 2016 HAS SHIFTED GEARS TO THE + SYMBOL 4 DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE IM DRIVING. IT STARTED IN SEPT BUT I THOUGHT I HAD IT A BUMP OR SOMETHING. IT HAPPENED AGAIN 3 TIMES I DID GO BACK TO THE BETTENHAUSER DEALER FOR SERVICE 3 TIMES AND THEY SAID I HAD TO NOT TURN THE CAR”
— NHTSA complaint filing
LIGHTING
14 complaints- • VEHICLE FOG LIGHTS HAVE AN ISSUE WHERE ONE LIGHT GETS TOO MUCH VOLTAGE, CAUSING IT TO BURN OUT THE BULB AND THE HOLDING UNIT. SOMETIMES THE BULBS WILL RANDOMLY SWITCH (FOR EXAMPLE ONE DAY THE DRIVER'S SIDE WILL BE OUT, THEN THE NEXT DAY THE PASSENGER SIDE). I HAVE TAKEN IT TO GET REPAIRED: THE MECH
- • DAYTIMERUNNING LIGHT. BRAKE LIGHT. PARKING LIGHT ALL OUT SAME TIME VEHICLE ONLY HAS 12,000 MILES ON IT.
- • I BOUGHT THIS CAR SECOND HAND. 33200 MILES STILL ON THE WARRANTY. AFTER FEW MONTHS, 650 MILES OF USAGE, A WARNING LIGHT FOR FOR THE ENGINE AND "DRIVING MODE UNAVAILABLE" STARTED POPPING UP, SO THIS A PLATE LIGHT WARNING POP UP AS WELL. BROUGHT TO FIAT, THEY SAID IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT WHICH IT WAS TH
“VEHICLE FOG LIGHTS HAVE AN ISSUE WHERE ONE LIGHT GETS TOO MUCH VOLTAGE, CAUSING IT TO BURN OUT THE BULB AND THE HOLDING UNIT. SOMETIMES THE BULBS WILL RANDOMLY SWITCH (FOR EXAMPLE ONE DAY THE DRIVER'S SIDE WILL BE OUT, THEN THE NEXT DAY THE PASSENGER SIDE). I HAVE TAKEN IT TO GET REPAIRED: THE MECH”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 258 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐ENGINE: MY FIAT 500X IS BRAND NEW BARELY 350 MILES...IT HAS BEEN TOWED TWICE SO FAR AND IS PRESENTLY BEING WORKED ON NOW. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT SINCE IT STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING AND EVENTUALLY WILL NOT RESTART. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND SIMILAR ISSUES. I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICL
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐TRANSMISSION: MY 500X THAT I PURCHASED IN JULY OF 2016 HAS SHIFTED GEARS TO THE + SYMBOL 4 DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE IM DRIVING. IT STARTED IN SEPT BUT I THOUGHT I HAD IT A BUMP OR SOMETHING. IT HAPPENED AGAIN 3 TIMES I DID GO BACK TO THE BETTENHAUSER DEALER FOR SERVICE 3 TIMES AND THEY SAID I HAD TO NOT TURN THE CAR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ELECTRICAL: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FIAT 500X. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 8 MPH, THE DRIVE MODE UNAVAILABLE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS DIAGNOSED THE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE VEHICLE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE DEALER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE A
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: MY 500X THAT I PURCHASED IN JULY OF 2016 HAS SHIFTED GEARS TO THE + SYMBOL 4 DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE IM DRIVING. IT STARTED IN SEPT BUT I THOUGHT I HAD IT A BUMP OR SOMETHING. IT HAPPENED AGAIN 3 TIMES I DID GO BACK TO THE BETTENHAUSER DEALER FOR SERVICE 3 TIMES AND THEY SAID I HAD TO NOT TURN THE CAR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Fiat 500X — Year Comparison
How does 2016 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 258
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 4
- Crash reports
- 0
- Injury reports
- 0
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2016 Fiat 500X