Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Fiat 500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that she was having difficulties refueling the vehicle as the gas pump would constantly stop pumping gas though the tank was not full. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel tank sensor had failed, and the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that it was a known failure however, she would be responsible for the cost of the repair since there was no recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.
Every time I pump fuel in the vehicle, the pump stops prematurely. It'll pump for a few seconds and then seize. I would have to continuously press the handle every time the pump stops and clicks every few seconds. After I'm done fueling, it smells like gasoline inside my vehicle. I took my Fiat 500 to the dealership in January of 2019 to have Sunland Park technicians check the issue. Technicians diagnosed the vehicle and claimed it was a faulty fuel tank. Fuel tank was replaced and issue had gone away for approximately a year then proceeded to do the same issue again. Went back to the dealership when I began having the same issue and technicians say there is nothing wrong with my vehicle and they said that the repairs of my whole fuel tank were no longer under warranty. My fiat 500 is still having the same fuel issue of clicking nonstop and odor of the fuel is still strong. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. When the ignition was turned to the on position, half of the instrument panel failed to illuminate. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. When the ignition was turned to the on position, the engine revved but the vehicle failed to start. The ignition had to be turned to the off position and back on in order for the vehicle to start. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the started idle gear failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated that the fuel gauge failed to register the fuel range. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel gauge failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. …
The vehicle's fuel tank is no longer able to accept fuel properly from any gas station due to a defect in the fuel tank's rollover protection valve. After a weeks worth of testing the dealership advised me that the correct course of action is to replace the whole fuel tank as the part is integral to the tank. Fiat admits that there is a fault with the tank and therefore it should be a recall due to faulty design rather than a consumer burden to repair and replace. I have read that this is a common issue amongst the 2012-2013 year models with multiple incidents of owners having to replace the fuel tank for the problem to only re-occur again in a short period of time. The vehicle is stationary when this happens with the motor shut off and fuel cap open to accept fuel. Estimated cost of repair is $2,000 which is about 1/3 of vehicles cost due to depreciation.
When stopped at a fuel filling station the car would not take in any fuel from the gas station pump as usual. It reacts like the tank is full but it is not. A very small steady flow of fuel will flow and fill when the nozzle is engaged as such. The dangerous problem is that the gas pump 'automatic stop' does not engage and fuel runs out of the filler area and does not stop until you manually pull out the nozzle. The Fiat dealer says it could be the rollover valve and they have seen it happen before. They want to charge for service/inspection, then repairs. Some dealers charge for a new fuel tank @ $1200-1600 and it still happens. Online chats regarding Fiat 500 also describe this rollover valve problem. My car has 48,000 miles and is a 2012.
Suddenly one day I was no longer able to pump gas into my vehicle. Whenever I try to fill up my gas tank gas were just back up, no matter how empty my tank was. I took my vehicle to my dealership, and a stated that there was a valve at the top of my gas at the top of my fuel tank that is preventing the gas from draining into the tank. Nothing that I did or could have done caused this issue to break. And when I inquired about replacing the valve they stated that I would have to replace the entire fuel tank system, but the part was on back order for 1 to 2 months because they were sold out.
When trying to pump gas in car, it would take about 10 mins to pump one gallon and it would shut off constantly. In other words when squeezing the pump, it would put a few drops and cut off and it would continuously do this. The problems was the roller over shut off valve was stuck and the solution was to get a whole new tank. In order to keep expenses down and because this was not recalled, we had our mechanic move the "ball" and this resolved the issue until it gets stuck again. The cost was approximately $150
I took my car in to Fiat in slc utah ken garff they took my car said I had an oil leak then came back and said I needed a catalyst converter I believe the electronic system has been hacked into by the dealership in order to make money which puts me and my 13 year old child are at risk in this car please help I have been though this same thing in buford ga please help I want Fiat to buy my car back I own it out right please I dont trust the dealer something is going on with the electonic system
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Fiat 500. The contact stated that it would take 20 minutes to fill the fuel tank and fuel spilled out. There were no warning indicators illuminated. Fiat of melbourne (300 e nasa blvd, melbourne, fl 32901, [phone]) informed the contact that the fuel tank, fuel tank pump, and canister needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,359.
When adding fuel to the car, the pump constantly shuts off as if the tank is full. This is not a nozzle problem as I have taken the car to over 15 different stations. . It takes 10 - 15 minutes to re-fuel a 10 gallon tank. The purge valve was replaced. The mechanic says the car needs a new tank at $1,000 usd. The tank is not available, it is on back order, with no delivery date available.
Fuel System complaints in other 500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2012 Fiat 500?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2012 Fiat 500, 6% of the model year's 396 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Fiat 500 fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2012 Fiat 500, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Fiat 500 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.