Used 2012 FIAT 500 Pop Hatchback Review
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the 2012 FIAT 500 Pop Hatchback.
Most helpful consumer reviews
Open Body Seams During Manufacture
jchasp59, Seymour, TN, 03/01/2012
2012 FIAT 500 Pop 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
I bought my new, 2012 Fiat 500 Pop on 12/22/2011.
Three days after purchase, I noticed an interior water leak and returned the car to the dealer. The dealer found that the cause of the leaks were, "body seams that were left open, unwelded and unpainted during manufacture."
Got the car back after 23 days in the shop.
That day, I noticed electrical problems and that the leak wasn't … repaired. Returned it to the shop More open body seams were found around the windshield. I requested a replacement. Fiat agreed. The dealership acquired my replacement on 02/10/2012, but has yet to get it to me (03/01). My Fiat Case Manager is Kathy Nelson, but I have no way to contact her. I regret my purchase.
Can't Wait To Get Rid Of It!
CG13, San Jose, CA, 08/04/2015
2012 FIAT 500 Pop 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
I've had this car for three years and have put 20,000 miles on it. Bought it because it was adorable, inexpensive, and great for my city-street/low-speed commute (which is now a freeway commute). Here is my take on the car:
The GOOD: Cute as heck. Verde Chiaro color still turns heads. Good little car for putting around town (grocery-getter) on city streets. Brakes are responsive. … Storage space in the car is about what you expect - not a lot of room but with a little bit of tetris skills you can fit a lot. Decent gas mileage (I expected better for a car so small).
The BAD: I fear for my life on the freeway - no joke - and I am a very good driver who has never had an accident. Blind spots galore! Acceleration is extremely unreliable - sometimes you give it gas and it reluctantly goes slowly, other times the engine revs but it sits there... So if you need to make an evasive maneuver that requires accelerating, hit the gas and hope for the best. Engine noise gives me a headache. Interior shows scratches easily. My tire pressure monitor sensor stopped working at 15k (I haven't the time during the week to have it taken care of since the dealer won't do anything other than oil changes on Saturdays). My boyfriend said it's like a beer can on wheels and worries about my safety every day. Must use 91 octane or better gas for best performance. Doesn't always start on the first turn (Fiat said this is normal for this engine - ???).
I foolishly accepted a lease term longer than I wanted and am almost done but am seriously considering eating the penalties for turning it in early. Especially since it looks like it is prone to having more mechanical issues that I would be responsible for.
2012 Fiat 500 pop
Kellster07, Dundalk, MD, 09/02/2015
2012 FIAT 500 Pop 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
I love my fiat its adorable inside and out and gets me where I want to go. Due to the wide trunk we are actually able to fit a lot in the back of my fiat with the back seats down including our lawn mower. I have had to replace my windshield several times due to rocks hitting the windshield while driving in highways due to fiat being so low to ground. I also think the windshield glass is … not strong as the rocks were not too big and I was far from the trucks. Another issue I had was my hubcabs continuously fall off, I paid for two and then decided to stop paying for them and have had one missing for 9 months now as I refuse to pay for another. The clock in my car is always wrong, small detail yes but annoying, as I have fixed it to the correct time a dozen times and it weirdly keeps going back to 7 minutes behind schedule. The inside of the car is very hard to clean including the steering wheel and dashboard due to the texture and different finishes. It either doesnt clean it at all or leaves streaks, I have tried a bunch of different cleaning products at this point. The ride is beyond bumpy, my friends who have ridden in the car have stated that it feels like they are on a carnival ride. The back seats are not comfortable at all and not full side seats, so if you want that dont get a fiat. The front seat surprisingly has a lot of leg room per my husband. The car is easy to drive and park and gets great gas mileage. I have people asking me about my car and peering in the window all the time. Its an adorable car and fun to drive but definitely has it drawbacks.
I'm not sure if my story will have a happy ending
N.L., Jamul, CA, 11/29/2015
2012 FIAT 500 Pop 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
As I write this, my car currently has just over 52,000 miles on it and just recently came off of warranty. It's a 2012 Pop 500, which is now three years old. Last January, I got in it to go to work one morning, and could not get it into gear. This baffled me, as it was perfectly fine the day before. Turns out, I had to have it towed to the dealership and they claimed that a bearing wore … out in the clutch kit and an entirely new clutch kit had to be installed. At that time, the car was two - I've NEVER heard of such a thing and was horrified! The service manager was vary vague in answering any questions. Fast forward to this Holiday weekend...my daughter and I were headed out for breakfast in honor of my Birthday, when suddenly, the 'new' clutch blows in the middle of a busy city street, leaving us stranded with people honking and waving their arms madly behind us. This time, the car was stuck in first gear, the clutch would not engage and I was in a panic. We finally managed to push it out of traffic to a safe spot to wait for the tow truck. The kicker this time is that my beloved dealership, where I bought the car and have had it faithfully serviced for three years is closing it's doors on Monday!!! This left me having my car towed 15 miles south to a huge dealership that I've never dealt with before, whose online reviews for service are nothing short of appalling.
Let me recap by saying that I thought I selected my car very carefully. I have absolutely loved an adored it, even though I've replaced both headlights (they are not cheap!) and tail lights and more hubcaps than I can count by now. I can live with those petty annoyances, but what really concerns me is that I have 16 months left to pay on this car, and the THIRD clutch is being installed this week. For the record, I baby my car, and most certainly do not beat up on my clutch. In fact, I'm hoping how someone can explain how a bearing gets sheared off, resulting in a brand new kit being installed, then the clutch plate gives way in the brand new kit, 10 months later.
Looks like I'll be trading in my car as soon as it's paid off! I lack the words to express how incredibly disappointed I am. The WHOLE reason I bought a brand new car was so that I did not have to deal with maintenance problems like this. VERY, VERY POORLY DONE, FIAT!
Edmunds Summary Review of the 2012 FIAT 500 Pop Hatchback
Pros & Cons
- Pro:Adorable styling
- Pro:Sport and Abarth models' capable handling
- Pro:excellent fuel economy with manual transmission
- Pro:surprisingly spacious for two people.
- Con:Cramped front headroom with sunroof
- Con:lackluster acceleration
- Con:disappointing fuel economy with automatic
- Con:convertible's poor top-down visibility
- Con:wait-and-see reliability.
Full Edmunds Review: 2012 FIAT 500 Hatchback
Edmunds Insurance Estimator
The Edmunds TCO® estimated monthly insurance payment for a 2012 FIAT 500 in New York is:
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