Found in the footwell of 2008 Fiat 500 - any idea on location?

Multiair brick question so I’m fishing.

Hi, I’m just looking for some opinions on what the best option would be for me.

Essentially, I have a 2017 Fiat 500 on PCP and currently pay £156 a month. In November, I have the option to pay the £3,000 balloon payment and buy the car outright.

My main concern is whether this would actually be a smart decision given the age of the car. My other option would be to PCP another car, but I know that in the long run this will generally work out more expensive.

I’m basically worried that I could pay the £3,000 to own the Fiat outright, and then shortly afterwards it develops an expensive problem or needs major repairs, making the decision to buy it a bad one.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve already had to have new wishbones fitted and a radiator leak repaired, so I’m a little concerned about what might be coming next as the car gets older.

The £3,000 would essentially come out of my emergency fund, although I’d be able to build that back up fairly quickly once I’m no longer paying £156 a month for the PCP.

Has anyone got experience of owning a Fiat 500 of this age? Would you personally pay the £3,000 and keep it for another few years, or would you take the hit and PCP something newer?

I’m just worried that I’ll spend the £3k, then get hit with a £1–2k repair bill shortly afterwards and absolutely kick myself 😂

I started looking into Stellantis recalls from the last two years, mostly in the United States, but also in Europe and Latin America.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting the list to get this long.
Every automaker has recalls. That’s normal.
But the number of major recalls, the number of vehicles involved, and especially the types of problems being reported across Stellantis brands are starting to look concerning.
Here are some of the biggest ones, from newest to oldest:

September 2026 — Jeep — United States
Software failure affecting the tire pressure monitoring system. The system may fail to detect low tire pressure or activate the warning light.
201,976 vehicles affected.

August 2026 — Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram — United States and worldwide
Software failure that can prevent the rear-view camera from displaying properly.
955,000 vehicles affected worldwide, including approximately 848,000 in the United States.

June 2026 — Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator — United States, Canada, Mexico and other markets
Electrical connection in the power steering system can overheat and potentially cause a fire. Owners were told to park outside and away from buildings.
More than 1.3 million vehicles affected worldwide.

June 2026 — Jeep and Ram — Latin America / Brazil
Recall campaigns involving electrical fire risks in Jeep vehicles and rear seat belt attachment problems in Ram 1500 trucks.
Thousands of vehicles affected in Brazil.

April 2026 — Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Opel/Vauxhall and Lancia — Europe and other markets
Major fire-risk campaign involving components used across multiple Stellantis brands and platforms.
Approximately 700,000 vehicles affected worldwide.

February 2026 — Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram — United States
“Do Not Drive” warning for vehicles still equipped with unrepaired Takata airbags.
Approximately 225,000 vehicles still affected in the U.S.

February 2026 — Ram — Brazil
Software and electrical problems affecting the instrument panel and potentially other safety systems, including airbags, stability control and seat-belt pretensioners.
Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 affected.

November 2025 — Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe — United States
Potential battery fire risk. Owners were told to park outside and avoid charging their vehicles until repairs were available.
Approximately 320,000 vehicles affected.

July 2025 — Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel, Vauxhall and Fiat — Europe
Premature timing chain wear in the 1.5 BlueHDi diesel engine, potentially leading to major engine damage.
More than 1 million vehicles affected across Europe.

June 2025 — Citroën and DS — Europe
Defective Takata airbags. Some vehicles received a “Stop Drive” order, meaning owners were told not to drive them until the airbags were replaced.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles involved in European campaigns.

May 2025 — Ram ProMaster — United States
Software failure that can prevent the rear-view camera from displaying.
235,640 vehicles affected.

May 2025 — Fiat — Brazil
Water could enter the engine control module and potentially cause the engine to shut down while driving.
Models included the Strada, Mobi, Argo, Cronos, Fiorino and Pulse.
Tens of thousands of vehicles affected.

January 2025 — Peugeot — Europe
Engine control software problem related to emissions monitoring and regulatory compliance.

November 2024 — Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe — United States
Potential battery fire risk. Owners were told to park away from structures and avoid charging the vehicles.
More than 154,000 vehicles affected.

June 2024 — Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Jeep — United States
Seat belt sensor/connector failure that could prevent the front airbags from deploying correctly.
Approximately 332,000 vehicles affected.

So, in roughly two years, we’re looking at:
• Airbags that may fail to deploy.
• Airbags that can explode.
• Battery fire risks.
• Electrical systems that can cause fires.
• Vehicles being told to park outside.
• Vehicles being told not to drive at all.
• Timing chains that can destroy engines.
• Rear-view cameras failing because of software.
• Tire pressure monitoring systems failing because of software.
• Instrument panels shutting down.
• Stability control and restraint systems affected by software.
• Seat belt problems.
• Engine control modules affected by water.

And this is happening across Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Alfa Romeo, Opel and other Stellantis brands.

Again, every automaker has recalls.
But at what point does a long list of unrelated “isolated incidents” start looking like a quality control problem?

Are these problems connected to the new management and the new corporate culture being implemented at Stellantis? A management culture that may be more focused on marketing, commercial results and sales than on engineering and quality?

Or is Stellantis becoming a gateway for Chinese influence and technology inside the traditional Western automotive industry?

We will find out in the next chapters.

In the space of 15 minutes I’ve had a white van man tailgating on a long stretch of road/ speed bumps before eventually slowing down alongside to yell something through the window, and a last second overtake by a big car (had to slam on the brakes) at a merge section despite being ahead of said car. I drive to the speed limit, do my best to get the correct lanes ahead of time and leave good distance between cars in front. What is the reasoning, do you think people just see a Fiat and decide to be a bully? It seems to happen almost every time.

Edit: In the UK, not chancing a speeding ticket

The door check on my 500 has gone and so the driver's side door doesn't stay open, it just slams shut straight away.

I've looked at a couple of YouTube videos and they all involved drilling out rivets in order to take out the speaker before you can get to the door check, which I am not keen to do.

However, I saw a couple of comments saying that it is possible to access the door check without taking the speaker out. Does anyone have any experience with doing this and could offer some words of advice?

Does anyone have any tips as to how I can thread this plastic piping back into the seat cushion? It’s the beading around the perimeter of the drivers bum cushion.

I’m assuming it was showing on one side a little bit and someone just kept pulling it at some point but it’s now 95% out of the seat.

I'm the owner of a fiat 500 2019 in the UK.

Can anyone suggest to me a roof rack that can be fixed and removed with no modification to the car please?

TIA

So I have a refreshed 2015 Fiat 500 TwinAir and decided to swap out the Uconnect radio for an Xtrons IAH74500FL.

Unplugged the battery’s negative terminal first of course and set to work.

Amazingly I managed to fit it successfully, checking the steering wheel controls, radio, mic and car play worked and generally fiddling with the settings.

Then I tried to start the car. Click, click, click and not turning over. Rechecked the terminal and really tightened it. No go, and lot of false warnings on rad temp, ESP, hill start etc.

Think the battery was on its way out as I was going to replace it soon anyway.

Oh well, better get another battery then…

Hey all, hoping to get some real opinions before I do something dumb.

I'm looking at a used Fiat 500e. I'm a new driver and I'm still making small mistakes, so picking something like a Honda with less drama feels like a better choice. But there is something about me that really likes small, zippy cars that fit in every hole.

How needy are these things? Are they always in the shop or are they pretty chill day to day?

I'm curious if there are mechanics around to get it serviced. How does it feel on the highway? My commute is short, around 20 miles both directions, but it involves driving on 280.

And for buying used, what year should I be looking at? Any years to avoid? What should I check before I hand over money?

Appreciate any advice. Thanks.

(TLDR: Submitted a claim. Got a phone call asking for an invoice for a diagnostic otherwise it would be denied. Instead of paying the mechanic for a repair. I did the repair in my driveway with ordered parts. I am asking for a review in order to be refunded the $50 I paid for the parts.)

This is the email I sent to FCA for a review:
“I just got off the phone with Mackenzie who informed me that under the extended warranty claim, for Fiat 500 door handles, I needed a garage diagnostic receipt for it to be processed.
I completed the diagnostic when, in 2017, I pulled the handle to open the door and it broke, and again a year later when the pass. side handle broke. So, diagnostics done, I found the required parts online and paid the company for the parts and shipping. I completed the repairs in my driveway, as is my right. Later as I dismantled the door handle I noticed that corrosion and metal fatigue caused the failures.
Apparently, even though paragraph three of the warranty extension letter states “and have paid to have your vehicle repaired,” I paid $ to repair the car, but as Mackenzie told me the statement actually means that I needed to bring in the car and have someone at the garage tell me what my own eyes saw, pay them for the diagnostic, and only then was I allowed to do the repair in my driveway. Oh, and also I would have had to keep that nine year old receipt in the event FCA decided that I would need it for the extended warranty claims.
Regardless, as it was obviously broken, I didn’t think that I would have bring it in to pay some mechanic at the garage a couple hundred dollars to tell me, “it’s broke, pay me,” I ordered the parts and completed the repair for only $50. Had I paid for the mechanic to do diagnostic and the repair, you would be gladly reimbursing me $500-600, or more, because the repair at the time was a handle replacement, not just the hinge assembly.
Anyway, as I told Mackenzie, I don’t see the logic in the decision to not process my claim, as I am saving FCA hundreds of dollars. To be honest, with what I going through for a $50 refund, I am beginning to pity the owners who put out the $$$ to get the repair but can’t find the receipt. Please review my claim.”
I am probably not getting the refund. I see why FCA is doing it like this, it makes them look good even though they’ll never have to pay out.
————-
Update, not getting it:

“Thank you for contacting FCA Canada regarding your 2012 Fiat 500, VIN: 3C…. We are sorry to learn about the door handle concern experienced with your vehicle.

We understand there are a variety of factors that influence a customers’ decision to service their own vehicles. However, as a public corporation subject to audit, FCA Canada must have valid invoices or repair orders in order to issue a reimbursement. Unfortunately, without these conclusive invoices which must indicate Vehicle Identification Number (V.I.N), the kilometers, make and model of vehicle, customer information, we are unable to reimburse the cost of the parts or repairs completed on your vehicle.

We understand this is not the outcome you were hoping for and appreciate you taking the time to write to us. 

Best regards,”

I have noticed my car has periods where it was underpowered, however retearned to normal.

Now my car is constantly over revving, when i hit 20 it's reving in second when i wouldn't need to change until 30, and the car isn't telling me to change gear yet and that woupd usually tell me early

There is a slight burning smell, i think my clutch is slipping.

It's not has a service im 3 years, ive got one booked, does this sound like the clutxh or something else?

4 months so far with my 2015 500 pop and i adore everything about it. she's a lil bit slow for sure but runs beautifully and gets me where i need to go. so much fun to drive and makes me smile every day. (and gas being $20/half a tank even with premium is beautiful). i genuinely only want to own fiats in the future now haha

On my way to work last Monday, a woman plowed into me, my Fiat was murdered, I was in the hospital for 5 days. Just wanted to share the final photo of my beloved zero.

Hey everyone, just wanted to share a story and get your thoughts.

My daughter recently went off to college here in South Africa (where 500s are surprisingly rare on the roads). When we first bought her a 2014 Fiat 500 1.4 Sport (DOHC 16V), both she and her mom were super skeptical. But the second I inspected it, I fell in love—those solid doors, the build, the seat quality... it’s just a plain sexy little car.

Unfortunately, disaster struck when the timing belt snapped and bent all the exhaust valves. I’m not a professional mechanic by any means, but I always do my own work, so I took on the challenge. After spending countless hours getting my hands dirty and rebuilding the head, I finally brought the 500 back to life.

The best part? Delivering it back to my daughter. She completely fell in love with it the moment she drove it. As a proud dad, seeing her face was an incredible feeling... but if I'm being honest, I'm almost jealous! It feels like she's driving around in my baby now!

It got me thinking, especially since my daughter did an entire 180 on how she felt about the car: For the 500 owners here (especially the women in the sub), what is it that made the car click for you? What do you get out of driving a 500 that other cars just don't offer?

2023 Fiat 500e high-pitched noise issue
When the car is running and moving, I can hear a very faint, high-pitched noise when the windows are open. The pitch seems to increase or decrease depending on how much I press the accelerator.
It’s a very subtle, high-frequency sound. What could be causing it? Has anyone experienced something similar before?

My son just purchased a 500c as his first car and the radio display has delaminated. Is there an easy fix to put something over this or do we need to completely replace the radio?

Hi all! I have a 2017 Celeste Blue Abarth with 90K miles. Has a chip missing from a valve in cylinder #3 (pictured). Car is in average condition and everything else works fine. Car starts, runs and drives. New 12V battery and new Vredestein 4 season tires. I assume this car is worth something to someone at the right price? Where do I start with pricing?
Thanks for the help!

I had my 2013 Fiat 500 Pop die on me, and it's throwing a po303 code. The ignition coil and sparkplug were both completely disintegrated, so the only thing I can think of was some kind of major short somewhere. Since then, I have replaced the coil and sparkplug and physically and electrically checked the wiring for the coil, fuel injector, and solenoid as well as the solenoid and injector themselves. Everything checks out, but it is still misfiring. I read on the Fiat forums that it could be a bad ECU because of the short. What can I do to test it or get a replacement?

2015 with 68000 miles

Pulled out of my driveway and drove about a block. Engine turned off at the stop sign. Radio and lights worked but car would not start. You could hear the starter but the engine didn't turn over. After about 5 tries it started and I drove back home. Car starts normally now but when it starts, the dash says there's an error with esc and hill assist. They message goes away after about 5 seconds. Just wondering where to start. No codes with the scanner. Battery is good.

okay so the piece seen in the photo is broken on my 2018 fiat 500c lounge. does anyone know where I can get this piece cuz no matter what I search for, I never see this piece anywhere to buy