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What 120 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio

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 (120)Crash / fire / injury (16)Transmission & drivetrain (65)Electrical system (21)Engine (19)Speed control (7)Body & structure (6)Airbags (5)Steering (5)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (4)Lights (4)Brakes (3)

3 of 120 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 26, 2016Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemFire

AIR CONDITIONER ELECTRICAL FIRE AND TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING OR MOVING WHILE ON IDLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10918994

May 27, 2015Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500. WHILE AT A STOP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE TIRES. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BALL BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

NHTSA ODI 10721710

Feb 14, 2015Electrical systemFire

WHILE PARKED AT A MCDONALDS DRIVE-THRU WINDOW IN DETROIT MI IN MY 2014 FIAT 500L AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 A.M. THE CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE PROFUSELY. THE SMOKE FILLED THE INTERIOR CABIN AND UNDER THE HOOD AREA. THE CAR SMELLED HORRID LIKE BURNING ELECTRICAL COPPER WIRES. THE CAR THEN SHUT OFF, BUT CONTINUED SMOKING. I RAN OUT OF THE CAR AND A POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS EATING LUNCH INSIDE RAN OUT TO HELP ME. THE OFFICER AND MCDONALDS EMPLOYEES PUSHED THE CAR AWAY FROM THE DRIVE-THRU WINDOW. NO FLAMES WERE SEEN, ONLY SMOKE. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO GOLLING FIAT IN BLOOMFIELD HILLS MI. THE DEALERSHIP RETURNED THE CAR TO ME DAYS LATER AS IS, STATING THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND NOR REPLICATE THE PROBLEM OR ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THE SERVICEMAN [XXX] DID STATE TWO TIMES THAT HE SMELLED SMOKE AND BURNING WIRES UNDER THE HOOD, BUT TOLD ME THAT "MAYBE THE BURNING SMELL IS JUST A FLUKE". NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. I'M VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS CAR ALSO HAS A HISTORY OF LEAKING GASOLINE. NOW IT IS SMOKING AND THE DEALERSHIP SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT. I WAS PREVIOUSLY CHARGED $2100 TO REPLACE THE LEAKING GAS TANK AFTER THEY TOLD ME THE TANK WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER MY NEW CAR WARRANTY! I HAVE REPORTED BOTH THE LEAKING GASOLINE COMPLAINT AND SMOKE COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10683485

Working with the data? Download all 120 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 2014 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio verdict →