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Fiat · NHTSA safety record

2016 Fiat 500X

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 154 safety complaints about the 2016 Fiat 500X with the US government. Of those, 3 describe a crash, 3 mention a fire, 4 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the power train.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 52 complaints, 34% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 40,000 miles, the median across the 101 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers December 2016 to June 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

154 complaints on file

154

Complaints

3

Describe a crash

3

Mention fire

4

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints rose 33% year on year: 12 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 9 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 52 · 34%
POWER TRAIN 50 · 32%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 48 · 31%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 33 · 21%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 14 · 9%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 10 · 6%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 10 · 6%
STEERING 8 · 5%
STRUCTURE 7 · 5%
AIR BAGS 5 · 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 · 3%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 · 3%
0 23 46

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 154.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 29.

32 24 16 8
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2016 Fiat 500X. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

16V529000 · July 12, 2016

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee and 2015 Chrysler 200, Jeep Renegade, RAM ProMaster, and 2016 Fiat 500X vehicles equipped with 9-speed automatic transmissions. The transmission sensor clusters may have insufficient crimps in the transmission wire harness, and as a result, the transmission may unexpectedly shift to neutral. On August 29, 2016 Chrysler added the 2016 Fiat 500X vehicles to this recall.
The risk
If the vehicle unexpectedly shifts to neutral, there is an increased risk of a crash.
The remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, dealers will reprogram the Powertrain Control Module and the Transmission Control Module and if necessary replace the transaxle range sensor wire harness, free of charge. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S55.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 329,540 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

3 injured · fire · crash · towed · 96,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Fiat 500X. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH through a green light, another vehicle driving through a red light and attempting to make a turn, the front bumper of the contact’s vehicle crashed into the front passenger’s side door. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact exited the vehicle safely and had a passenger in the front passenger-side seat and another in the rear middle row seat. The contact was adamant that the air bags should have deployed. The contact sought medical attention for whiplash, chest pain, bruises, a sore stomach, swollen right leg, and left leg. The contact's front seat passenger sought medical attention due to

NHTSA complaint 11746740, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 96,000 miles

The contact owned a 2016 Fiat 500X. The contact stated that while her son was driving at 65 MPH, a trailer crossed into his middle lane which forced the vehicle off the road and into the median. The air bags did not deploy as the other driver fled the scene. The contact stated that her son had sustained frequent headaches after the accident but had yet to seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent tow yard and then to an insurance center where they deemed the vehicle a total loss. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA complaint 11516001. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · towed · 8,669 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 FIAT 500X. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND EXPLODED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FIRE CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE HOME. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FIRE, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND THE CONTACT NOTICED AN ABNORMAL BURNING ODOR. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND SAW NO SIGNS OF A FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO A REPAIR FACILITY FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE

NHTSA complaint 11101049, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 40,000 miles

MY CAR HAS GONE TO THE DEALER REPEATEDLY FOR THE FOLLOWING ISSUES: BAD STRUTS, LOOSE ENGINE MOUNTS, OVERHEATING (BROKEN FAN), "DRIVE MODE NOT AVAILABLE", RADIO NOT WORKING, AND NOW MESSAGES SAYING LIGHTS ARE OUT WHEN THEY ARE NOT (CODE SAYS "PENDING CODE") THIS CAR DRIVES TERRIBLE AND IS UNSAFE AND UNRELIABLE- IT SPENDS MORE TIME AT THE DEALER THAN IN MY DRIVEWAY - IT HAS 40K MILES AND IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY

NHTSA complaint 11220940. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
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”

NHTSA complaint 11744651. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

80,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Fiat 500X. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle using the Push-to-Start button, the engine failed to crank or start. The vehicle was started after the fifteenth attempt. Additionally, the contact stated that the brake pedal was extremely firm and difficult to depress while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA complaint 11744260. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving vehicle and it all of a sudden get stuck in gear in either park gear or some other gear that wont allow me to turn engine off. Sometimes it just slow down to a stop and will not go into gear again for a while or appears the gears are not engaging putting me at risk for accident on highway. Once it slowed down in traffic and I nearly got hit trying to drive it off the highway. The gears were not engaging putting me at risk of many vehicles hitting me. I was praying someone noticed I had car trouble to slow down as I was no longer in full control of vehicle. After some

NHTSA complaint 11737019. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I received a letter stating that there was a recall emissions/catalyst efficiency,I have called a fiat dealership several times to get this fixed and it never did, now I am seeing that there is no recall now. So I'm confused on what's going on. U90 is the emissions recall number.and letter said there are others w80

NHTSA complaint 11726453. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am submitting this complaint to report a failure related to an emissions recall repair. The vehicle identified by VIN [XXX] was fully operable, properly maintained, and in excellent condition prior to an emissions recall repair performed by an authorized dealership. Immediately after the recall “fix” was completed, the vehicle began experiencing serious operational problems and became undrivable. The servicing dealership towed the vehicle and attempted an additional repair. After the vehicle was returned, it failed again on its first use and is now completely inoperable. Despite the fact that this failure occurred only after the recall repair, the dealership and manufacturer are refusing

NHTSA complaint 11711355, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Fiat 500X

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2018 11 1 —
2017 15 1 —

Other 2016 Fiat models

500 14

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Fiat on this site — 18 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst