Fiat 500 Unreliable? UK Owner Doesn't Agree After 200,000 Miles

Fiat is one of the brands that has almost constantly ranked among the worst automotive brands when it comes to vehicle reliability. That doesn’t mean the Italian manufacturer makes bad cars in general as the Fiat 500, for example, is among the most reliable and easiest to maintain city vehicles. It turns out a simple white 500 can easily cover 200,000 miles (about 321,000 kilometers) without any major faults. Don’t believe us? Then, let’s hear what a Fiat 500 owner has to say about their car.

This white 500 was bought back in 2018 for £2,000 or about $2,400 with the current exchange rates. Just recently, the white three-door hatch reached the magical number of 200,000 miles (321,000 km) and its owner, Freddie Dobbs, decided to share his thoughts after five years of ownership. And, probably to the surprise of many people, he has many good things to say about the car.

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First, he praises the rust protection of the body and shows how good the paint looks after all those miles. In the video, he also talks about how practical and smart the vehicle is with clever storage solutions. Dobbs also points out how simple and reliable the engine has been so far – a 1.2-liter naturally aspirated gas unit mated to a manual gearbox. The car doesn’t even have an air conditioner.

This Fiat 500 hasn’t had an easy life and you can probably tell that by the towbar in the back. Yes, you can actually tow with a 1.2-liter engine under the hood and in this case, the vehicle has toured Europe three times with a 661-pound (300-kilogram) trailer attached. It has also been used as an Amazon delivery vehicle in London.

The owner has a lot more to say about his little Fiat. He likes the way it drives, he likes the interior, and he likes the old-school engine. Is there anything he doesn’t like? Of course, there’s no perfect car. Watch the video at the top of this page and you’ll learn so much about the 500 that you’ll probably end up wanting to buy one.

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