Selling a dead or damaged Fiat 500X
NHTSA has 180 complaints from Fiat 500X owners on file, and 154 are about the 2016. That's its first year in EPA's data. On the 2016, owners name the electrical system 38 times, the power train 31 times and the engine 30 times.
- Model years in EPA data
- 2016-2018
- Complaints to NHTSA
- 180
- 2016 model year
- 154 complaints
- Component named most
- Electrical system (44)
- Recall campaigns
- 3
- Automatic
- 9-speed Chrysler/ZF AT9X
- Built in
- Melfi, Italy
If your 500X won't start, won't shift right, or keeps throwing warning lights, it can be sold unrepaired. We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.
What's under it
Wikipedia lists the 500X as a subcompact crossover with front- or all-wheel drive, related to the Jeep Renegade and built at FCA's SATA plant in Melfi, Italy. Its gas engines include a 1.4-liter MultiAir turbo four, and its automatic is a 9-speed Chrysler/ZF AT9X. Wikipedia gives production as 2014-2024. EPA's data, which this page follows, lists the 500X for the 2016-2018 model years. A Wikipedia reference is titled "All-New 2016 Fiat 500X Named Top Safety Pick+ by IIHS."
Problems by year, 2016-2018
Wikipedia gives no generation split for these years, so they are grouped by model year. We counted them in NHTSA's data on October 10, 2026.
2016: electrical, power train and engine
The 2016's complaints include 3 crashes, 3 fires and 4 injuries. Its one recall is 16V529, for cars with the 9-speed automatic. The recall says a transmission sensor issue is the cause, and dealers reprogram both the engine and transmission computers, replacing parts where needed.
That campaign lists 329,540 vehicles, but the number is not the 500X's. Jeep Cherokees from 2014-2015, and 2015 Chrysler 200, Renegade and ProMaster models, are in it too.
2017 and 2018: 26 complaints between them
The 2017 has 15 complaints, led by engine (4). Recall 17V146, a campaign of 297 vehicles, covers certain 2017 cars: the tire pressure light may not come on when a tire is low. Dealers update the instrument panel software, starting April 13, 2017.
The 2018 has 11 complaints. Its recall, 18V524, concerns front underhood wiring, and dealers replace the powertrain control module. The campaign's 12,779 vehicles also include Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler models, so most of that number is not 500Xs.
The 2017 and 2018 500X numbers stay low partly because those cars are younger and less time has passed for reports.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Recall campaigns | Top three components |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 154 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | Electrical 38, power train 31, engine 30 |
| 2017 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Engine 4, electrical 3, structure 2 |
| 2018 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Electrical 3, power train 3, engine 2 |
Across all three years, after electrical (44), engine (36) and power train (34), owners name structure 10 times and electronic stability control 9 times.
Weighing a repair against selling
Check the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first. On a 2016 with shifting complaints, the 9-speed recall may not have been done. On a 2018, ask about the wiring recall; dealers replace the powertrain control module free of charge.
Then weigh one written repair quote against what a running 500X like yours sells for. For warning lights and modules, electrical problems explains why these jobs are hard to price. For the gearbox, see bad transmission.
How to sell the 500X whole
- Copy down the VIN and mileage, and list every light lit on the dash.
- Request an offer online, or phone (877) 421-6008.
- Say where the 500X is: curb, driveway, garage or repair shop. Mention all-wheel drive and whether it rolls, because that changes how the truck loads it.
- Leave the 500X in one piece. Wheels, battery and converter should be on it, so tell us if anything was pulled.
- Bring the title and keys to pickup. After you sell covers plates and insurance.
Other Fiat pages: the 500, 500L, 500e, 124 Spider, or the Fiat overview.
Questions people ask
- Which Fiat 500X year has the most NHTSA complaints?
- The 2016: 154 of 180 on our October 10, 2026 count. The 2017 500X sits at 15 and the 2018 at 11, partly because owners have had them a shorter time.
- Were 329,540 Fiat 500Xs recalled for the 9-speed transmission?
- No. That is the size of the whole campaign, recall 16V529, which also took in 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokees plus 2015 Chrysler 200s, Renegades and ProMasters. Only the 2016 500X is part of it. NHTSA does not split the count by model.
- Will you buy a 500X with a dead engine or transmission?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Say what's wrong with your 500X and where it's parked.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.
- NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
- EPA fuel economy data: Fiat 500X model years and class fueleconomy.gov
- NHTSA recall 16V529: 9-speed automatic transmission, 2016 Fiat 500X and other FCA models nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 17V146: TPMS warning light, 2017 Fiat 500X nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA recall 18V524: underhood wiring, 2018 Fiat 500X and other FCA models nhtsa.gov
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- Wikipedia: Fiat 500X (plant, engines, transmissions, related models) en.wikipedia.org