In-depth reviews

Fiat 500e: reliability & safety rating

Fiat's customer satisfaction record isn't great, the 500e should be pretty safe though

Overall rating

3.5 out of 5

Reliability & safety rating rating

3.5 out of 5

Price
£28,195 - £31,435
Fuel Type:
Electric

Euro NCAP

Adult protection

Child protection

Safety assist

4 stars (2021)

76%

80%

67%

Historically, Fiat hasn’t had the strongest reputation for customer satisfaction, with the Italian brand coming second-to-last in the most recent Driver Power survey. That being said, EVs should be more reliable than their petrol counterparts, so this should improve the ownership experience somewhat.

Regardless, all cars get an industry-standard three-year warranty, so if you buy new and something does go wrong, you should be covered.

Fiat 500e reliability & problems

It seems unfair to cast judgement on the 500e’s reliability due to the brand’s rocky past, although Fiat’s performance in our latest Driver Power survey doesn’t give us much hope. That being said, only 12% of owners reported a fault with their car within the first year of ownership – below average for the survey – although owners weren't happy with the perceived quality of their cars.

Safety

The Fiat 500e was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in December 2021 and received a reasonable four-star rating out of a maximum possible five. Individual scores for adult and child occupant protection were 76% and 80%, respectively, while safety assistance technology was rated at 67%. Every Fiat 500 comes with automatic emergency braking, while top-spec models get adaptive cruise control, plus lane centring and traffic-jam assistance.

Hello there, I’m Tom Jervis and I have the pleasure of being the Content Editor here at DrivingElectric. Before joining the team in 2023, I spent my time reviewing cars and offering car buying tips and advice on DrivingElectric’s sister site, Carbuyer. I also continue to occasionally contribute to the AutoExpress magazine – another of DrivingElectric’s partner brands. In a past life, I worked for the BBC as a journalist and broadcast assistant for regional services in the east of England – constantly trying to find stories that related to cars!

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