Vehicle make

FIAT

1,878 NHTSA complaints and 24 safety recalls across 5 models, every figure pulled straight from federal records.

Complaints
1,878
Recalls
24
Models
5

The verdict

FIAT pairs below-average complaint volume with a top-quartile recall record.

Top 39%
fewest complaints, US makes
Top 25%
fewest recalls, US makes

How does FIAT compare?

FIATFiskerAll makes

Average NHTSA crash rating(higher is safer)Beats Fisker
FIAT3.83 ★
Fisker0 ★
All makes4.67 ★
Complaints per model(lower is better)Beats Fisker
FIAT376
Fisker923
All makes507
Recalls per model(lower is better)Beats Fisker
FIAT4.8
Fisker5.5
All makes3.6

Lab-measured rollover risk vs. real-world deaths

FIAT's average NHTSA rollover_risk score (0.147) against its total recorded deaths (0) across all model-years, plotted against 28 other makes. A low lab risk score does not guarantee a low real-world death total, the two metrics diverge across several makes in this dataset.

NHTSA rollover_risk score vs. recorded deaths, FIAT vs. 28 other makes. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 29 entities by Avg. lab rollover risk score (X) and Total recorded deaths (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. High risk, high deathsLow risk, high deathsHigh risk, low deathsLow risk, low deaths 0.10.10.10.20.3 020406080100 Avg. lab rollover risk score Total recorded deaths
NHTSA rollover_risk score vs. recorded deaths, FIAT vs. 28 other makes.

Rollover risk vs deaths table: FORD, 0.154 avg risk, 77 deaths. CHEVROLET, 0.157 avg risk, 60 deaths. HONDA, 0.131 avg risk, 33 deaths. JEEP, 0.209 avg risk, 22 deaths. HYUNDAI, 0.126 avg risk, 27 deaths. KIA, 0.13 avg risk, 79 deaths. TOYOTA, 0.149 avg risk, 45 deaths. NISSAN, 0.157 avg risk, 33 deaths. DODGE, 0.15 avg risk, 6 deaths. SUBARU, 0.135 avg risk, 5 deaths. GMC, 0.196 avg risk, 9 deaths. RAM, 0.217 avg risk, 17 deaths. VOLKSWAGEN, 0.136 avg risk, 10 deaths. CHRYSLER, 0.123 avg risk, 5 deaths. TESLA, 0.071 avg risk, 79 deaths. MAZDA, 0.136 avg risk, 4 deaths. ACURA, 0.122 avg risk, 4 deaths. BMW, 0.129 avg risk, 2 deaths. CADILLAC, 0.164 avg risk, 4 deaths. BUICK, 0.146 avg risk, 4 deaths. AUDI, 0.127 avg risk, 0 deaths. LINCOLN, 0.151 avg risk, 65 deaths. INFINITI, 0.137 avg risk, 6 deaths. MITSUBISHI, 0.162 avg risk, 1 deaths. FIAT, 0.147 avg risk, 0 deaths. LEXUS, 0.137 avg risk, 5 deaths. VOLVO, 0.144 avg risk, 0 deaths. GENESIS, 0.121 avg risk, 0 deaths. POLESTAR, 0.083 avg risk, 0 deaths.

FIAT models by complaint volume

Top nameplates, all model-years combined

complaints

What this shows Within FIAT's lineup, the 500 carries the most NHTSA complaints. High-volume nameplates accumulate more filings simply because more of them are on the road, drill into a model for its per-year and per-component breakdown.

Source NHTSA consumer complaint database As of 2026

FIAT is registered with NHTSA as a vehicle manufacturer and carries 1,878 consumer safety complaints across 5 nameplates in the Office of Defects Investigation public database. The brand has been the subject of 24 safety recalls and is currently tied to 1 active or historical federal investigation. Every one of those figures is pulled directly from NHTSA's published datasets, not from owner forums, manufacturer marketing, or third-party reliability surveys, so the numbers you see reflect the same data federal regulators use when they decide whether to escalate a preliminary evaluation into an engineering analysis or a formal defect order.

Model-level volume varies widely inside any automaker's portfolio: best-sellers accumulate complaints simply because more vehicles are on the road, while limited-run trims and discontinued nameplates often carry disproportionately high complaint rates per unit sold. Inside FIAT's lineup, the single highest complaint count sits with the 500 (1,116 filings, model years 2011–2018), followed by 500x and 500l. Use the table below to compare nameplate-by-nameplate counts, then drill into a specific model to see which components dominate and which model years concentrate the crash, fire, and fatality reports.

No open NHTSA investigations are currently tracked against FIAT in this dataset, meaning the Office of Defects Investigation is not, at this moment, reviewing a specific defect allegation for the brand. Recall status, by contrast, is backward-looking: it tells you what the manufacturer has already been compelled to remedy, not what they are being asked to remedy next. Together, complaints, investigations, and recalls form the three-layer early-warning system federal safety regulators have relied on since the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.

Which FIAT models get the most complaints?

ModelComplaints
5001,116
500x310
500l300
500e80
124 Spider72

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints has FIAT received?
FIAT has received 1,878 NHTSA complaints across 5 models and 24 safety recalls.
Is FIAT reliable?
FIAT has 1,878 total NHTSA complaints across all models. Compare complaint counts per model and model year to identify which FIAT vehicles have the fewest reported issues.
How do I check for FIAT recalls?
Browse FIAT models on PlainCars to see recall history by model and year, or visit NHTSA.gov and enter your VIN for official recall status. All recall data on PlainCars comes directly from NHTSA.
Where does FIAT complaint data come from?
All complaint and recall data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are filed by vehicle owners and NHTSA publishes them publicly.
What do FIAT complaints cover?
NHTSA complaints include consumer-reported issues with brakes, engines, airbags, steering, electrical systems, and other safety-related components. Each complaint may note crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths associated with the defect.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Top FIAT Models

Nationwide makes with similar ODI profiles

Two cross-make peer sets for FIAT. Same-make model lists stay above; these neighborhoods are nearest other makes by published NHTSA totals (complaint floor ≥100, recall floor ≥10).

Similar complaint volume

Nearest makes by total ODI complaints (1,878 here).

Similar recall volume

Nearest makes by recall campaigns (24 here), excluding the complaint-volume set.

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. FIAT counts on this page are computed from the NHTSA rows shown in the linked model records; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.