2012 Fiat 500 Air Bags Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS · data through 07/14/2026

32Air Bags complaints

8.1%Of all 394 complaints

#5Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How air bags ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN193 · 49%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM55 · 14%

ENGINE51 · 12.9%

Unspecified / other35 · 8.9%

AIR BAGS32 · 8.1%

Share of the 394 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Fiat 500 overview page.

What owners report

“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…”NHTSA complaint 10778316 — filed 09/29/2015

“WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR LOST POWER. ALL LIGHTS ON INDICATOR DASH WENT OFF. NO STEERING ABILITY AND LITTLE/NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE…”NHTSA complaint 10715879 — filed 05/12/2015

“I CONSTANTLY GET A "DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG FAILURE, SEE HANDBOOK" NOTIFICATION ON MY DASHBOARD. THERE'S NO RHYME OR REASON. NO SET SPEED WHEN IT…”NHTSA complaint 10693614 — filed 03/11/2015

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Air Bags complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Fiat 500 have air bags problems?

Air Bags is the #5 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Fiat 500: 32 of 394 complaints on file (8.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2012 Fiat 500 have in total?

394 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 21 involved a crash, 4 involved a fire, 17 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's air bags category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the AIR BAGS category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.