Problems · NHTSA complaints
2017 Fiat 500 Abarth problems
Owners filed 13 complaints about the 2017 Fiat 500 Abarth with NHTSA between Oct 2017 and Feb 2024. The most-cited component is electrical system (4).
Complaints
13
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system4
- Structure3
- Power train3
- Service brakes2
- Air bags1
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Visibility1
- Steering1
- Engine1
- Other / unknown2
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
1
1
3
1
2
1
2
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
4 reports
“The PCM system does not work at all and brakes seem off—either they stop too hard or drag when pressing in them”
Structure
3 reports1 crash
“The contact owns a 2017 Fiat 500. The contact stated that the driver's side and passenger's side door handles fractured and detached from the inner side of the handle. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that water had entered the door handles. The door handles were replaced. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.”
Power train
3 reports1 crash
“After a sudden stop (no impact), the car would no longer go into or come out of gear while running. When the car is not running it will still shift normally. The repair shop initially thought it was the slave cylinder but the problem persisted. They then changed the clutch and are now recommending replacing the inner CV axle boot. The problem described is similar in symptons to the existing recall on 2012-2016 Fiat 500s and the partial recall on 2017 Fiat 500s. It seems logical that all of these issues are somehow related to a flaw in the design or manufacturing.”
Service brakes
2 reports
“Just before coming to a stop the brakes grab and jerk the car. The brakes work normally otherwise.”
Air bags
1 report
“THE LIGHT THAT INFORMS OF AN AIR BAG PROBLEM GOES ON. THE DEALER SHIP REPAIRS AND A WEEK LATER THE LIGHT GOES ON AGAIN. BACK TO DEALERSHIP,FIXES PROBLEM? LIGHT GOES ON IN A DAY. THIS THURSDAY 8/11/22 WILL BE THE 4TH ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE AIR BAG ISSUE.”
Fuel/propulsion system
1 report
“CAR STOPPED AND QUICKLY SLOWED DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. I HAD VERY LITTLE TIME TO STEER CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE RBS/ABS SYSTEM STARTED SLOWING THE CAR ON ITS OWN. I HAD ONLY BEEN GOING 30 MPH, HOWEVER HAD I BEEN IN A CENTER LANE ON A FREEWAY AT 60 MPH, I WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.