Used 2012 FIAT 500 Hatchback Consumer Reviews
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Feeling Regret
kiehen, 05/31/2012
2012 FIAT 500 Pop 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
43 of 65 people found this review helpful
Back in June of 2011 when I bought my 500, I can't even tell you how excited I was. I had been waiting for these to hit the States for several years. Loved (and still do love) the retro look. Efficient and fun to drive? Most definitely. Quality is where the 500 falls short. I understand cheap materials. Those are to be expected. The unexpected? I just scheduled my 8th service visit. It pains me to say that I have started looking at the best way to get rid of this car with the least amount of loss. With 13,000 miles on it, it acts like a car with 100,000, and that simply doesn't work. Amazing concept, questionable execution. Wish it weren't so! My dealer's attitude is no help.
Transmission problems due to recall
OwenS, 04/23/2021
2012 FIAT 500 Pop 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
My fiat recently stopped shifting into park, which is a common problem and there is a recall for. The recalled part caused damage to the cars transmission which I was told by the dealership needed to be replaced. Fiat refused to take responsibility for the $6000.00 fix even though their dealership said the problem was directly related to the open recall. Needless to say the car needed to be scrapped because of fiats response. I will never be buying a car from them again and I recommend anyone who is considering buying from them steer clear.
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2012 FIAT 500 for sale near you
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Fiat 500 Lounge
1259alisa, 02/06/2012
2012 FIAT 500 Lounge 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Bought my Fiat 500 Lounge loaded -4 months ago and love it! Everything is very easy to read/use. Lots of attention to details like digital mileage read out mpg,love the heated seats, Sirrus radio free first year, nice leather, Great turn ratio, easy to park, drive. Good recovery on wet freeway roads-experienced this! No problems, 4 years maintenance of everything, 8K oil changes. Gettting 31mpg average. Smooth ride for such a small car, quiet unless you open moonroof. Downsides:need tinting (Texas!)sun shade not solid, hard to get into backseat. Need "Sport" button for quick acceleration. 23,400K Great customer service. Very happy with purchase. Blows the competition on away!
Looks aren't everything
Abigail, 05/15/2017
2012 FIAT 500 Pop 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I bought this car used at two years old with 24,000 miles. The car runs well and has not given me any engine trouble thus far. The problem with this car is that it is cheaply made. For example the first to happen was that the plastic hubcaps broke off and rolled away while I was driving it and all in a short period of time from one another. The rear view mirror started wobbling and bobbing while I was driving. We've now had to rig it to stay still. I won't touch it in fear that it will brake. The armrest has zip ties holding it in place. The "leather" thing to the shifter is not attached to the base anymore. And the worst thing is that the front vents to the air conditioner do not work anymore. It is like they're blocked. We have that rigged, as well, to have some air conditioning considering we live in the desert. To add to the vents not working the instrumentation for the air conditioning is faulty and now only has a choice of 2 speeds (1 and 3) and off. I cannot wait to get rid of this vehicle, but I will be upside down on it when I trade it in because what I owe is more than what it is worth.
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Extra warranty takes me to 1M miles!
Valbowski, 01/12/2018
updated 01/25/2021
2012 FIAT 500 Pop 2dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
This car has been driven nearly 7 days a week almost every week, for 5.5 years. Once a year, an oil change is called for, the car will show the warning for that when it is time. We put a little over 8K miles on it per year, and as this writing, we are at 44K. This is a base model, no special wheels, just a basic pop. Aside from once a year oil changes, and scheduled maintenance, the following things have required repair - 1) the wiring harness that connects all things powered to the hatchback had to be replaced. 2) the fan switch for the heating/cooling needed to be replaced 3) and the rear oil seal on the engine began a tiny drip, which was deemed necessary to be replaced. All of this would have fallen outside of the warranty, but I purchased the 1M mile bumper to bumper warranty. Per visit, with the extra warranty, there is a $100 plus tax fee. The above repairs, if I had not had the warranty, would have almost equaled the cost of the warranty!!! So, since we drive the wheels off of cars, we will be in great shape going forward. Really, get an additional warranty with your purchase if it is possible. On another topic, some observations. I am a big guy, I fill up the front seat, but this is not uncomfortable and I have driven it as far as 10 hours in one day with no suffering or ill effects. The handling of the vehicle in snow, ice or rain is phenomenal for a small car. Phenomenal. I use the auto shift and move from one gear to the other myself right at 2400 rpm. This gets you the best gas mileage. Summer, air on, 32+/42+, fall and spring is 33+/45, dead of winter, as in under 15 degrees day after day, 31.6/42. My drive is boring so I keep myself occupied with mpg games and metal music. If you look at the maintenance schedule you will notice that very little needs be done, and the maintenance is very far apart too. Love that. To fill it up is around $20-22+. So low. Forget fuel cells. Forget battery powered vehicles too. Sit down and calculate it all, as I did, and the cost per month is almost the lowest of any car on the market. Change the air filter once a year, don’t bother with high octane fuel, as I tested that and the economy and performance were unchanged, and buy the car. Surprisingly, when the seats are folded forward in the rear, the car can hold a week’s worth of groceries back there! It is really large back there I am serious. However, if you have to people in the backseats, think again! Short trips, sure. But that is it. It looks great, is fun to drive, and has tons of airbags, of course ABS and the electronic wheel control system, so there. Not perfect, certainly not for everyone, but the fuel economy, the safety, stopping power, and the HUGE warranty make this a pick that works for me and my wife. *Update 1.12.19 We drive this car 7 days a week nearly. The other day, the driver's side door handle fell off. Not covered under warranty. That is a new one. Not long after I saw a Fiat on the road with the passenger's side door handle hanging half off. Weird. Passed 50K miles a few weeks ago. Put on first set of new tires aside from the originals. Still no problems other than above. *Update 7.14.19 Seems that synthetic oil makes some difference for gas mileage. Worth it for that and longevity of the engine as well. The steel wheels have been found to be weak and easily bent when potholes are hit. Never experienced that on a car before, as usually the wheels can take the hits. Still has not had any other repairs other than what was mentioned above. Keep up with the maintenance and not only will this car be reliable, but according to my calculations, this is probably the least expensive car, all things considered that you can own, either in 2012 or 2019! Update - 1.23.2021 Now at 65,000 miles, still a near daily driver. It sits outside, all day, every day, never garaged. Paint still looks great. Takes minor dents well, as in the paint stays on and does not begin to rust or chip away. Just do the maintenance as suggested, and this car is great.
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