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2016 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

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

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

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 →

#22 of 553Among the 2016 models with a matured record, the 2016 Fiat 500 Cabrio ranks #22, scoring higher than 91% of them. See the 2016 ranking →

Complaint volume100
Severity83
Recall load100
Trend86

Complaints filed per year

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

20152025

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 2016 Fiat 500 Cabrio, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k mi

Also reported (mileage varies): Transmission & drivetrain (8)

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

Transmission & drivetrain

57%

8 complaints

Passenger side drive axle failed on 2016 500e with only 35650 miles but no longer under warranty. Method of failure: Bolts holding axle to transmission sheered resulti…

Read the transmission & drivetrain complaints →

Electrical system

21%

3 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS FAILED TO UNLOCK WHILE USING THE KEY FOB. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASI…

Read the electrical system complaints →

Engine

21%

3 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

El auto se detuvo sin avisar solo ya no quiso acelerar. Me marcó muchas fallas en las cuales les tomé foto, me tuvieron que remolcar y mi hijo se pegó en la cabeza, po…

Read the engine complaints →

Brakes

21%

3 complaints

THE VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHILE THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED, CAUSING A MINOR ACCIDENT (LITTLE DAMAGE TO BUMP…

Read the brakes 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

Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.

Read all 14 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 3 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. Has this car shown any transmission & drivetrain symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  2. 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)?
  3. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  4. 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 2016 Fiat 500 CABRIO beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2016? See how every 500 Cabrio model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2016 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 2016 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.