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2015 Fiat 500L problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2015 Fiat 500L has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 2safety recalls
- 23owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 31%fail the UK MOT
The least complained-about Fiat 500L year on file: 23 complaints, against an average of 183 for the other model years.
Every Fiat 500L model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2015 Fiat 500L?
The components named most often in the 23 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2015 Fiat 500L owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 23 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2015 Fiat 500L been recalled?
2 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Air Bags: Frontal: Passenger Side: Inflator Module Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015 Fiat 500L vehicles manufactured April 23, 2015, to May 10, 2015. The affected vehicles may be equipped with a passenger frontal air bag that was not folded properly during the assembly process. As a result, the air bag may not deploy as designed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the air bag does not inflate as designed, the front seat occupant is at an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Fiat will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on October 15, 2015. Owners may contact Fiat customer service at 1-888-242-6342. Chrysler's number for this recall is R54.
Air Bags: Knee Bolster Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Fiat 500L vehicles manufactured March 3, 2012, to July 25, 2014. Irregularities in the folding process during assembly of the driver's knee airbag may result in its improper deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: If the knee airbag air bag does not deploy properly during a crash, there is an increased risk of driver injury.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's knee air bag, free of charge. The recall began on September 26, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P42.
Is the 2015 Fiat 500L recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSASupplementary heater wiring may become damaged and cause an electrical short-circuit
Risk: On some Fiat 500L vehicles a layout non-conformity could cause abrasion of the supplementary heater (PTC) wiring. This could result in possible electric short-circuiting with the possibility of a loss of some vehicle safety. In the worst case it could cause a vehicle fire..
Fix: Apply a cut-proof sheath on the supplementary heater wiring to protect it from abrasions.
EU Safety GateThe insulation of the electric cable in the auxiliary heater may become damaged.This could lead to a short circuit and cause a fire.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe adhesive bond between the windscreen and the camera bracket may fail.Years estimatedThis can cause the camera to dislodge and cause the vehicle to stop unexpectedly.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Other; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: 01/10/2015
How often does the 2015 Fiat 500L fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2015, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2015 Fiat 500L owners report?
12 of the 23 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Vehicle randomly stuck in park and will not move in reverse or drive, at one point was in drive and moving while saying gear not available. All the complaints of the 2014 models and mine was manufactured in 2014 but labeled a 2015. Fiat is quoting the repair at 3000- to over 10k while second opinion transmission specialist says there is no fix and it's a manufacturer computer defect only temporarily fixed with a new transmission.
I JUST PURCHASED THE 2015 FIAT 500 L . I JUST HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR 5 MONTHS AND I HAVE NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. 1ST THE OIL RING NEED TO BE REPLACED, THEN MY FRONT CHARGER NOT WORK AND THEN IS PROGRESS TO LED REAR PASSENGER TAIL LIGHT WENT OUT AND NOW IS THE AIRBAG SERVICE LIGHT IS ON. RADIO KEEP GOING IN AND OUT AND THE BLUETOOTH IS NOT WORKING.
THE STEERING HANGS OR STICKS. IT STARTED A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I WAS TOLD IT DOES THAT. IT STARTED DOING THIS AROUND 50 TO 70 WHEN FIRST NOTICED AND NOW DOES IT AT ALL SPEEDS. WHEN IT FIRST STARTED IT WOULD COME AND GO AWAY SLIGHTLY BUT NEVER COMPLETELY. NOW IT IS ALL THE TIME AND ANY SPEED. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT MAKES THE VEHICLE STEER SLIGHTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE IN THE LANE SINCE YOU CAN'T MAKE SLIGHT STEERING CORRECTIONS. WHEN TRYING TO MAKE STEERING CORRECTIONS THE STEERING WILL STICK OR HANG AND THEN RELEASE ABRUPTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO…
CAR ONLY HAS 6,000 MILES AND IT HAS A FAULTY OCCUPANT RESTRAINT MODULE THAT CAUSES AIR BAG WARNING TO COME ON IT'S BEEN COMING ON AND OFF FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND MADE APPOINTMENT TO GET IT CHECKED ON 8/12/19 AND THEY FOUND PROBLEM 8/16/19 AND OF COURSE WARRANTY RAN OUT 8/1/19
SUMMARY FACTS: JANUARY 15, 2019 - TRAVELING IN A STATE ADJACENT TO WHERE THE FIAT WAS PURCHASED. TRAFFIC WAS AT A VIRTUAL STAND STILL AND AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES DRIVING, WHITE SMOKE WAS EMITTED FROM THE ENGINE AREA. THERE WAS A DISTINCT BURNING SMELL, LIKE ELECTRICAL WIRING BURNING. THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS ON; WHEN THE WHITE SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL WAS OBSERVED, THE A/C WAS TURNED OFF AND THE BURNING AND SMOKE CEASED. BESIDES THE DRIVER, A PASSENGER IN THE FIAT OBSERVED THE WHITE SMOKE AND EXPERIENCED THE BURNING SMELL AS WELL. THE DEALER THAT SOLD THE FIAT…
THE CAR IS SHOWING THE SAME SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE 2014 500L TRANSMISSION RECALL. IT WILL EITHER STAY IN THE PARKING GEAR OR HAVE SIGNIFICANT DELAYS IN SWITCHING GEARS. WE FIRST SAW THE ISSUE WITH A PARKED, COLD CAR. FIRST USE IN THE MORNING. IT WAS NEVER MOVED FROM THERE OTHER THAN BEING TOWED TO 2 DIFFERENT SHOPS. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE IS AT A SHOP WAITING FOR A SECOND ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR. THE FIRST DIAGNOSTIC CAME FROM A FIAT DEALER FOLLOWED BY A VERBAL ESTIMATE AT MORE THAN $3900. SEE ATTACHED. THIS VEHICLE WAS BUILT ON JAN 2015, SHORTLY AFTER THE 2014 RECALLED MODELS. THE RECALL DID…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500L. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE RPMS INCREASED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE CONTACT OBSERVED AN ABNORMAL GRINDING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 23,500.
HAVING PROBLEM WITH FRONT BRAKE SHUDDER AFTER ONLY 11,000 MILES. WILL PROBABLY REPLACE THEM MYSELF WITH SLOTTED AND DRILLED ROTORS TO DISSIPATE HEAT. WISH THEY WOULD RECALL AND FIX ALL THE ROTORS.
HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AT AROUND 5000 MILES. IT WOULD NOT HOLD CHARGE AND BE RANDOMLY DEAD USUALLY AFTER NOT USING CAR FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. I REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH A TOP NAME BRAND AND HAVEN'T HAD AN ISSUE SINCE. I NOTICED WHEN I WAS LOOKING TO BUY EVERY FIAT 500L THAT THE DEALER WAS GOING LET ME TAKE A TEST DRIVE IN HAD TO BE JUMP STARTED.
THE FIAT 500L WAS PARKED WITH THE HAND BRAKE UP (6 SPEED). THE BRAKE FAILED AND THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS.
THE CAR RIGHT DAY LIGHT STOP WORKING ON 03/07/2015,ON 4/08/2015 MY CAR COULD NOT GO IN REVERSE AND PUT ME AND OTHER PEOPLE IN DANGER. THERE IS RECALL EXACTLY FOR THIS PROBLEMS ,BUT AT THE DEALERSHIPS TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOT RECALL, THE CAR IS NOT RELIABLE AND I AM AFRAID FOR MY SAFETY! TODAY IS 2 MOTHS FROM THE TIME I PURCHASED IT! I BOUGHT THE CAR ON 02/16/2015! PLEASE HELP ME TO GET MY MONEY BACK AND RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER!!!! I DO NOT TRUST THIS PEOPLE!!! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500L. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REVERSE CAMERA SENSOR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS WHERE ALL FOUR REAR SENSORS AND THE CAMERA INSIDE THE VEHICLE WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,200. UPDATED 5/26/15*CN
2015 Fiat 500L: questions owners ask
Is the 2015 Fiat 500L reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Fiat 500L; the most common categories were air bags (5, 21.7%), power train (5, 21.7%), electrical system (4, 17.4%). There are 2 safety recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Fiat 500L?
Across 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are air bags (21.7% of complaints), power train (21.7% of complaints), electrical system (17.4% of complaints), engine (8.7% of complaints), service brakes (8.7% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2015 Fiat 500L have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2015 Fiat 500L; the most recent (campaign 15V590000, 2015-09-23) concerns Air Bags: Frontal: Passenger Side: Inflator Module. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why is the airbag light on in my 2015 Fiat 500L?
3 of the 23 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2015 Fiat 500L (13%) describe airbag warning lights or airbag faults. 2 related recalls exist: campaign 15V590000 (air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module). The fix: Fiat will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. One owner wrote: "Car only has 6,000 miles and it has a faulty occupant restraint module that causes air bag warning to come on it's been coming on and off for a couple of weeks and made appointment to get it checked on 8/12/19 and they found problem 8/16/19 and of course…" (NHTSA complaint 11244345, August 2019). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own 500L
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2015 only.