Selling a junk Fiat 500
Any 500 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Fiat 500
NHTSA has 1,123 owner complaints on file for the Fiat 500, model years 2011 to 2018, the 263rd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are transmission and drivetrain (395, 35%), electrical system (138, 12%), other (111, 10%). 78 complaints involved a crash, 20 a fire, and 72 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 38,941 miles. The 2012 model year has the most complaints (539). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is transmission and drivetrain, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a bad transmission: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Fiat 500 by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2 | Other | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2012 | 539 | Transmission and drivetrain | 32 | 5 | 4 | 49,250 |
| 2013 | 216 | Transmission and drivetrain | 14 | 3 | 4 | 47,263 |
| 2014 | 172 | Transmission and drivetrain | 12 | 9 | 4 | 19,278 |
| 2015 | 141 | Transmission and drivetrain | 8 | 3 | 4 | 35,700 |
| 2016 | 27 | Transmission and drivetrain | 8 | 0 | 4 | 18,500 |
| 2017 | 21 | Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2018 | 5 | Seats | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Fiat 500 recalls
NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for transmission and drivetrain (4), brakes (1), tires (1). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2014 model year, tires (campaign 24V474000, Jun 2024): Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Fiat 500 vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light may not illuminate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requiremen…
- 2012 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 19V817000, Nov 2019): Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.
- 2011 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 19E044000, Jul 2019): DLT, LLC. is recalling certain CravenSpeed Fiat Short Shifter shafts sold for use in 2011-2019 Fiat 500 vehicles. The Shifter Shaft may have been improperly manufactured with a through hole for the set screw rather than …
- 2016 model year, equipment (campaign 16V667000, Sep 2016): Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Fiat 500 vehicles manufactured June 11, 2015, to July 27, 2016. The tire placard on the affected vehicles lists a tire inflation pressure for the spare tire that…
- 2012 model year, transmission and drivetrain (campaign 16V302000, May 2016): Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2016 Fiat 500 vehicles manufactured June 21, 2010, through January 12, 2016, equipped with a manual transmission. The clutch diaphragm spring may fracture and fa…
What a Fiat 500 is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk 500 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car with a bad transmission 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Questions people ask
- What is a junk Fiat 500 worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same 500 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Fiat 500 that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Fiat 500?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Fiat 500 numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.