Problems · by component
2016 Fiat 5 Series engine problems
55 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2016 Fiat 5 Series cite engine, 32% of all 174 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
55
32% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“3 times my car had died going under 30 mph, it must turns off or goes into this neutral position and won’t let me change gears, when i restart it, the engine makes an awful squealing sound. all these “drive mode unavailable “ “check esc system” “service electronic brake” it seems it is related to the S55 / 16V529000 safety defect …. “intermittent switch to neutral while driving””
“The contact owns a 2016 Fiat 500X. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unintendedly shifted from drive(D) to neutral(N). The RPM became elevated; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. While driving approximately 15 - 20 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. While in LIMP Mode, the contact coasted to the side of the road and waited for several minutes before continuing to drive. The failure had occurred twice. Additionally, the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle had been taken to a certified mechanic, who determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be rebuilt. The dealer also diagnosed that there was a failure with the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster lights were cleared; however, the transmission was not repaired. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V529000 (Power Train), for the transmission for the same year, make, and model. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.”
“While driving, the vehicle suddenly shut off completely in the middle of the road, forcing me to come to a full stop and make several attempts before it restarted. During the incident, all electrical power was lost—I was unable to use hazard lights or blinkers, and I’m unsure if the brake lights worked when pressing the pedal. This created an extreme safety risk to both myself and other drivers. About a month earlier, the same issue occurred and the dealership diagnosed it as a “battery, fuse, array” problem, replacing the battery. The same issue has now returned, and the dealership has identified it as a MultiAir actuator failure. The vehicle is a Fiat 500X equipped with the 2.4L Tigershark engine, which has known problems with the MultiAir system. The car has only around 60,000 miles and is currently at an authorized Chrysler/Fiat dealership, available for inspection upon request. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer, no warning lights appeared before the failure, and a technical case has been opened with Fiat/Stellantis corporate.”
“I am writing to you in regard to my 2016 FIAT 500X about multiple concerns. 1. There has been an open recall on the Emissions system since 2022. I immediately followed up and was put on a waitlist as I was told that the parts were on back order. I was told I was 27 on the waitlist. I followed up every 3-6 months for an update on getting the recall repaired but was told they have no update on the parts. It is now 2025 and my registration and inspection are expired. I was informed by FIAT service mechanic that the open recall should not impact my inspection. Upon bringing it in for inspection, I needed to get the thermostat replaced, which was one of the first recalls that was rectified upon purchasing the car in 2017. My car failed inspection. I followed up with FIAT corporate and was assigned a case manager who followed up as well unable to rectify the situation. Now my car is unsafe to drive, I have gotten a ticket for expired inspection . I told the officer that there is an open recall and that I am at the mercy of FIAT. Secondly since I purchased the car I have brought it back multiple times, expressing concern that the car lags when you press the gas. If I…”
“El auto se detuvo sin avisar solo ya no quiso acelerar. Me marcó muchas fallas en las cuales les tomé foto, me tuvieron que remolcar y mi hijo se pegó en la cabeza, por suerte nada grave. Pondre las fotos de los códigos que aparecen. Tuve q ser remolcado hasta ahorita la batería sigue en un 47% pero aún así sigue sin funcionar el vehículo”
“Hi, I received a recall notice from FCA regarding oil consumption - I threw the letter out, but took the car to dealer. They found the active recall W-80, , had me do the 1500 mile test, came back but for some reason, now it is not even visible anymore. Now my check engine light is on and the oil light is on. My engine is over consuming oil and now I won't be able to repair it. I escalated it to FCA, but they can't see it either and are unable to help me. Need this to be resolved, but don't know how to.”
Showing 6 of 55 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.