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2013 Fiat 500 Cabrio

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

161 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 24, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Transmission & drivetrain problems dominate (47% of complaints, typically reported near 49k miles).

Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.

Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#163 of 478Among the 2013 models with a matured record, the 2013 Fiat 500 Cabrio ranks #163, scoring higher than 62% of them. See the 2013 ranking →

Complaint volume78
Severity69
Recall load100
Trend98

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20132025

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.

1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2013 Fiat 500 Cabrio, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miTransmission & drivetrain~49k mi · 76 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Engine (21) · Electrical system (17) · Fuel system (12) · Airbags (10)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Transmission & drivetrain

47%

76 complaints · typically near 49k mi · 5 in the last 2 years

While driving 40mph, pressed clutch and the transmission would not shift into gear. Car began to slow in traffic ans I was unable to accelerate as the clutch would not…

Read the transmission & drivetrain complaints →

Engine

13%

21 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

Real main seal leak Valve cover leak Vacuum pump leak Leaks went on to the starter and caused the starter to fail

Read the engine complaints →

Electrical system

11%

17 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

Car break shift lock stuck in park with various different elements illuminating on the dash. Must manually override break shift lock to put car in neutral, start the c…

Read the electrical system complaints →

Fuel system

7%

12 complaints

When putting gasoline at the gas pump, pump clicks off constantly. Makes you think the tank is full when it is not, Have to pump very slow. takes 10-15 mins to fill up…

Read the fuel system complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

We can place 1 of this model's commonly reported problem areas against a mileage. Nothing is stored.

Read all 161 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 12 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (0)

No recall campaigns on file for this model year.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this Fiat before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. Owners of this model report transmission & drivetrain problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 49k miles). Has this car shown any transmission & drivetrain symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  2. Owners of this model report engine problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any engine symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
  4. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  5. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2013 Fiat 500 CABRIO beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2013? See how every 500 Cabrio model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2013 Fiat 500 Cabrio against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2013 Fiat 500 Cabrio as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.