Selling a broken or junk Fiat 500

If your 500 has a clutch that's gone, a shifter that won't pick a gear, or more faults than it's worth fixing, sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Two groups of years, two very different counts

We counted the complaints below in NHTSA's data on October 10, 2026. EPA's data lists this car for the 2012-2023 model years. Wikipedia covers the name's history: the original 500 of 1957-1975 had a 479 cc two-cylinder engine, "hence the name," and its listed successors include the Fiat 500 of 2007.

2012-2015: 777 complaints

These four years hold nearly all of the file. The 2012 alone has 21 crashes, 4 fires and 17 injuries in its complaints. Power train leads every one of these years: 176 complaints on the 2012, 65 on the 2013, 57 on the 2014 and 28 on the 2015. Electrical system comes next on the 2012, 2014 and 2015; on the 2013 it is engine.

Two power train recalls cover these cars:

• Manual cars, 2012-2016 (recall 16V302). The clutch diaphragm spring may fracture. Dealers add a clutch pedal limiter and a clutch pedal switch. The campaign lists 39,185 vehicles.
• Automatic cars, 2012-2013 (recall 19V817). These have a 6-speed automatic. The shifter cable bushing may fail and let the cable come off the transmission. Dealers replace the shifter cable adjuster. The campaign lists 51,788 vehicles and began January 9, 2020.

The 2012 also has recall 11V550. Some cars built October 24-26, 2011 got contaminated brake fluid, and dealers replace every brake part the fluid touches. Its 340 vehicles include 2012 Dodge Journeys, so not all of them are 500s.

NHTSA also files recall 15V291 under the 500 for 2013-2015 cars. It covers only the battery-electric version, reprogramming its Electric Vehicle Control Unit. That car is the Fiat 500e.

2016-2023: 33 complaints

The 2016 and 2017 have 14 complaints each, and the 2018 has 5. No entries show for the 2019-2023 Fiat 500, but those cars are young and owners have had little time to file.

Recall 24V474 covers 2014-2019 cars: the tire pressure warning light may stay dark when it ought to light. Dealers reprogram the TPMS module, and owner letters went out July 11, 2024. The campaign lists 12,675 vehicles. On 32 cars from the 2016 model year, recall 16V667 corrects a tire placard that listed too high a pressure for the spare.

Complaints and recalls by model year

One stray complaint in the file is listed as a 2011.

A recall covering more than one year is counted once per year here.

Should you fix it or sell it?

Start by checking your 500 in NHTSA's recall lookup, then have a Fiat dealer handle any open recall. Recall work is free.

• Manual car with clutch trouble: confirm 16V302 was done. If the clutch itself is worn out, read worn-out clutch before you pay for one.
• 2012-2013 automatic that won't select a gear: ask whether 19V817 was done. If the transmission itself is the problem, see bad transmission.
• Many small faults at once: get one written quote for all of them. Set it against the price a running 500 like yours brings. When the quote gets close, repairs cost more than it is worth walks through the choice.

Selling your 500 whole

1. Gather the VIN, the mileage and the fault. Say whether it starts, whether it shifts, and whether it rolls.
2. Ask us for an offer online, or phone (877) 421-6008.
3. Say where it is parked: a street space, your driveway, a garage, or a repair shop's back lot. A 500 is small, but the truck still needs to reach it.
4. Leave the parts on. Keep the wheels, the battery and the converter bolted on. Anything already missing should be mentioned, because missing parts change the offer.
5. Hand our driver your 500's title and keys at pickup. Lost the title? Start with selling with no title. Plates and insurance after the sale are in after you sell.

Other Fiats we cover: the 500L, 500X, 124 Spider, or every Fiat.