Home · 2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio · Complaints
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.
32 of 392 complaints match · Airbags · clear filters · page 2 of 2
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
I CONSTANTLY GET A "DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG FAILURE, SEE HANDBOOK" NOTIFICATION ON MY DASHBOARD. THERE'S NO RHYME OR REASON. NO SET SPEED WHEN IT HAPPENS. IT HAPPENS TYPICALLY IF YOU GO OVER BUMPS, LIKE THERE'S A SHORT IN IT. BUT NO ONE CAN FIX IT. *TR
NHTSA ODI 10693614
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT END OF THE CONTACT'S. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT'S PROSTHETIC ARM HAD TO BE REPLACED AND A ROTATOR CUFF WAS TORN, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE DETAILS OF THE REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.
NHTSA ODI 10633640
AIR BAG LIGHTS ARE NOT SHOWING ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THE AIRBAGS ARE NOT WORKING! *TR
NHTSA ODI 10550428
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500C. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT FENDER AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A MILD CONCUSSION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
NHTSA ODI 10511307
A VEHICLE IN THE RIGHT LANE MADE A U-TURN, CROSSING THE LEFT LANE CAUSING THE FIAT TO T-BONE THE VEHICLE MAKING THE U-TURN. THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN THE FIAT DRIVER AND THE DRIVER CONTACTED THE STEERING WHEEL WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO CAUSE A SIGNIFICANT COMPRESSION INJURY TO THE STERNUM. THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED BY EMS TO A HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DRIVEN AND SUFFERED NEARLY $13,000 DAMAGE. EARLIER IN THE DRIVE, THE FIAT 500 DRIVER HAD TO ROCK FORWARD AT AN ON-RAMP TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT IN ORDER TO VIEW APPROACHING TRAFFIC VIA THE LEFT OUTSIDE MIRROR. APPARENTLY, THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT OR DID NOT REENGAGE AFTER THIS MOVEMENT LEAVING IT FREE AND THE DRIVER UNRESTRAINED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
NHTSA ODI 10508974
THE AIRBAG FAILURE WARNING LIGHT HAS CONSISTENTLY ACTIVATED ON MY NEW FIAT SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW. HAVE RETURNED THE CAR FOR SERVICE TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES REGARDING THIS ISSUE; MANY TIMES THE DEALER HAS INFORMED ME THAT THEY SHOW NO INDICATION OF THE AIRBAG FAILURE LIGHT BEING ACTIVATED. SINCE THEN, I HAVE TAKEN NUMEROUS PHOTOS WITH MY PHONE OF THE AIRBAG FAILURE WARNING LIGHT BEING TRIGGERED AS THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT SEEMED TO NEED MORE EVIDENCE OF THIS OCCURRENCE. HOWEVER, THE ISSUE HAS YET TO BE RESOLVED AND I AM SEEKING RESOLUTION THROUGH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. *JS
NHTSA ODI 10458413
Working with the data? Download all 392 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 24, 2026