Fiat 500 review - Reliability & safety
"Fiat 500 owners don’t seem too impressed by the brand, and the Fiat 500's safety rating is below par"
Although the Fiat 500 has huge showroom appeal, long-term ownership experiences aren’t always positive, according to our customer satisfaction data. The Fiat 500 popped back up in the Driver Power customer satisfaction survey of the top 50 cars in 2024, coming in 49th place. Owners still like its retro styling despite the car being 17 years old now, and fuel economy and running costs were also praised.
Fiat 500 reliability
Fiat has suffered a reputation for poor reliability for years, but while it performs very poorly in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, having come 31st out of 32 in 2024, reliability stats are actually very positive. Just 12% of owners reported an issue with their Fiat in the first year, although this could be a reflection of the rest of the brand’s lineup which has mostly gone electric, with less moving parts to go wrong.
Where Fiat gets let down is in terms of practicality and boot space, its engines and powertrains, interiors and ride and handling as well as build quality. Buyers like the styling of the brand’s cars, though, and low running costs and insurance ratings are a plus.
Safety
The original Fiat 500 scored a maximum five-star safety rating in Euro NCAP crash tests back in 2007. But when the updated model was tested in 2017, it could only manage three out of five stars, with worryingly low 66% and 49% scores for adult and child occupant protection respectively.
There is at least a reasonable amount of safety equipment fitted as standard. All models come with skid-reducing anti-lock brakes, seven airbags and electronic stability management, as well as hill-hold assistance and hydraulic brake assistance to help with emergency stop.
