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Before you buy a used Fiat 500.

2007–2026 · Petrol / Hybrid / Diesel / Electric · 5 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Fiat 500, real photo of this generation
Ad Meskens · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 5 of its engines.

  • Dualogic robotised gearbox actuator and pumpGearbox
    Period mentioned
    2003–2020
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only with the Dualogic robotised gearbox (not a conventional automatic or a manual).

1.2

Petrol

0.9 TwinAir

Petrol

1.0 Hybrid · 500e

1.0 Hybrid (Hybrid) · 500e (Electric)

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

1.3 Multijet

Diesel

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Fiat 500
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
1.2Petrol21 with conditions1
0.9 TwinAirPetrol21 with conditions1
1.0 HybridHybridFewest documented11 with conditions1
1.3 MultijetDiesel21 with conditions1
500eElectricFewest documented11 with conditions1

According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: 1.0 Hybrid (Hybrid), 500e (Electric).

By fuel type, the ones with the fewest documented faults are: Hybrid, Electric.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Fiat dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Water in the steering box of the March 2017 Fiat 500 and Abarth 500Suspension and steering

Engines: 1.2 (Petrol) · 0.9 TwinAir (Petrol) · 1.3 Multijet (Diesel)

How to check it: Check by VIN at the dealer whether the car is in the campaign; if the steering gets stiff or catches, do not drive and call for assistance.

View full entry
Incorrect Fiat 500 control-arm/knuckle jointSuspension and steering

Engines: 1.0 Hybrid (Hybrid)

How to check it: Confirm VIN; check joint installation and correct it where required.

View full entry
Missing 500e high-voltage battery negative-terminal nutPowertrain and engine management

Engines: 500e (Electric)

How to check it: Confirm VIN; replace the high-voltage battery as specified by the campaign.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 4 checked

Cylinder head / timing / ignition

  • Look out for: Coolant loss, white smoke or mayonnaise-like oil (head gasket); misfires and, if the ECU is damaged, the car will not start or cuts out.

    Ask them to check: Check the coolant level and oil filler cap, check when the belt was last changed (also by age) and test the coils before they fail.

Valvetrain (MultiAir actuator)

  • Look out for: Hard or rough cold starts, hesitation, stalling and an engine light with P1523 (low oil pressure in the MultiAir system).

    Ask them to check: Change the oil and filter with the correct specification, inspect the MultiAir mesh filter and measure oil pressure before replacing the actuator.

Timing / DPF / EGR

  • Look out for: Chain rattle on cold starts; oil level rising and smelling of diesel; particulate filter warning; power loss from a dirty EGR or the turbo.

    Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start, check whether the oil is above maximum or smells of diesel, read the DPF status and check the oil change history.

Gearbox

  • Look out for: The car drops into neutral when braking or driving with a beep and “Check gearbox”, will not engage gears or is slow to engage reverse, slow and hesitant shifts, oil under the actuator and sometimes no start because it cannot select neutral. The pump's whirr is no longer heard when opening the door.

    Ask them to check: Check the battery (with a low charge the pump may not run) and the hydraulic fluid reservoir level, look for leaks under the actuator and, at a garage, read codes and measure pressure and clutch wear before replacing the whole actuator. After any repair the system must be relearned.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P1523

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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