Selling a junk or broken Fiat 500L

A 500L that's stuck at idle, slow to shift, or not running at all can still be sold. We buy whole non-running and junk cars. Pickup is free anywhere in the US, and you sell the whole car as it sits.

Where the 500L came from

Wikipedia calls it a mini MPV; EPA's data files it as a small station wagon. It was built at Kragujevac, Serbia, at a plant Fiat Chrysler owned 67% of with the Republic of Serbia. Production was first planned for Mirafiori in Turin and was moved. Wikipedia lists a 1.4-liter Fire Turbojet four among its gas engines. It got a facelift in 2017 and, per Wikipedia, left the North American market after the 2020 model year. EPA's data, which this page uses, lists it for 2014-2018.

2014: the year with nearly all the complaints

We pulled these 500L numbers from NHTSA on October 10, 2026. On the 2014, owners name the power train 98 times and the engine 20 times. The year's complaints include 5 crashes, 5 fires and 3 injuries.

Two of the three recalls on the 2014 are about how the car drives:

• Recall 14V103, the shift lever. On cars built April 5, 2013 to January 22, 2014, moving the shift lever may have a delayed effect in certain temperatures. Dealers replace the shifter module or update its software. The campaign lists 18,100 vehicles.
• Recall 17V192, stuck at idle. The engine computer's software calibration may be wrong, holding the engine to idle speed and torque even with the pedal fully down. Dealers update the software. It began April 13, 2017, with 25,583 vehicles listed.

The third is recall 14V481, for 2014-2015 cars. A fold made wrong during assembly of the driver's knee air bag can mean the bag doesn't work as it should. Dealers replace it. The campaign lists 25,479 vehicles.

Wikipedia adds that the 2014 500L earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick.

2015-2018: 26 complaints

The 2015 has 23 complaints, and air bags lead with 5. Besides the knee air bag recall above, recall 15V590 covers just 15 cars built April 23 to May 10, 2015, whose passenger front air bag may not have been folded properly. The 2016 has 2 complaints, the 2017 has 1, and the 2018 has none on file. Those later cars have also been around for less time.

The knee air bag recall covers both 2014 and 2015, so it counts in both rows.

Repair it or sell it

Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup before paying anyone. On a 2014, a car that won't rev past idle, or one that's slow to go into gear, may just need recall software. That work is free at a Fiat dealer.

If the recalls are done and the transmission is still the problem, bad transmission covers what to weigh. Get one written quote, and hold it up against what a working 500L like yours brings. If you'd rather not deal with open recall work, selling with an open recall explains how that goes.

Selling the 500L whole

1. Jot down the VIN, odometer reading and the fault.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Share where the 500L sits and whether it rolls in Neutral. That tells the driver how to winch it on.
4. Keep the 500L in one piece. Wheels, battery and converter all stay. If a part is gone already, tell us first.
5. Have the title ready for pickup. If it's lost, see selling with no title.

More Fiats: the 500, 500X, 500e, or all Fiat models.