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What 394 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Fiat 500 Bev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (394)Crash / fire / injury (27)Transmission & drivetrain (200)Electrical system (63)Engine (51)Airbags (32)Fuel system (23)Suspension (21)Steering (19)Brakes (13)Lights (12)Speed control (12)

3 of 394 complaints match · Steering · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 22, 2023SteeringCrash

As reported by numerous consumers the power steering just stop working while driving with no warnings. This caused a wreck involving my son & I and we're admitted to hospital. Apparently this is a widely reported problem yet it has not attention. It's extremely dangerous and cost more to fix than what the car is worth.

NHTSA ODI 11513202

Jun 16, 2016SteeringSuspensionCrash

AT 47,500 MILES AND 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, MY PASSENGER SIDE LOWER FRONT BALL JOINT BROKE. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF PROBLEMS LEADING UP TO THE BREAKAGE. UNFORTUNATELY FIAT NO LONGER MAKES THE 2012 LOWER FRONT BALL JOINTS AND THE 2013+ BALL JOINTS REQUIRE A NEW ASSEMBLY SO THE ENTIRE BALL JOINT, CONTROL ARM, ETC. ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE CREATED.

NHTSA ODI 10874631

May 12, 2015SteeringElectrical systemAirbagsCrash

WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR LOST POWER. ALL LIGHTS ON INDICATOR DASH WENT OFF. NO STEERING ABILITY AND LITTLE/NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE. FAILURE RESULTED IN A CRASH. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS SIDE IMPACT TO BOTH SIDES AND FRONT END IMPACT. THE CAR WAS TOTALED.

NHTSA ODI 10715879

Working with the data? Download all 394 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 24, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Fiat 500 Bev verdict →