2018 Fiat 500X problems

• 1.3 Multijet II 16v Euro 6 (95 hp, 2015-2020)

  95 hp · A13DTE

  The timing chain problem is partly mitigated compared with earlier generations, but it does not go away, and the demands of particulate filter regenerations on cars used mainly in town are added to it. Worth considering with an oil history and mixed journeys.^[2][3]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2018 cars

• Critical severityFrequency: CommonTimingTiming chain stretch and tensioner failureYes: the timing chain's hydraulic tensioner can lose pressure and let the chain slacken; if it skips teeth or breaks, it can destroy the engine. It is a documented problem on Fiat, Opel, Suzuki and Ford cars with this engine, mainly linked to long oil change intervals.Repair (garage): €350–€550Appears at around 70,000 km
• High severityFrequency: CommonEmissions controlIncomplete particulate filter regenerations and oil dilutionIn heavy urban use, with short journeys that do not let the particulate filter regeneration finish, unburnt diesel passes into the sump and dilutes the oil; the level can rise on the dipstick and the oil loses its ability to lubricate. Repeated many times, it speeds up engine wear.
• High severityFrequency: OccasionalTurboSeized variable-geometry turboOn versions with a variable-geometry turbo, the vanes can seize through soot build-up, especially on cars used in town for short journeys. The engine loses power gradually and may give off black smoke when accelerating.Repair (garage): €450–€700
• High severityFrequency: OccasionalInjectionInjector and high-pressure pump wear from contaminated fuelThe Bosch injectors and the high-pressure pump of the common rail system are sensitive to poor-quality fuel or fuel with condensed water. With contaminated diesel they can generate metal shavings that damage first the pump and then the injectors themselves.Repair (garage): €600–€1,200
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonEmissions controlEGR valve blocked by sootThe 1.3 Multijet's EGR valve easily accumulates soot on short urban journeys, causing an unstable idle, loss of power and the engine warning light. It is one of the most cited problems among owners of this engine.Repair (garage): €130–€400

• 1.6 MultiJet II (90-130 hp, 2006-2024)

  90–130 hp

  It is a mechanically sound engine if maintenance is kept up, but with known faults worth checking: the timing belt tensioner may need replacing before the official interval and the EGR valve clogs easily in urban use. A reasonable buy with a verifiable service history and after checking these points.^[6][7]

  With caution

• 2.0 MultiJet II (120-170 hp, 2008-2024)

  120–170 hp

  It shares the same weak points as the 1.6 in the timing belt, EGR and particulate filter, with the addition of a turbo and a dual-mass flywheel that work with more torque in the higher-output versions. Recommended with a service history and after checking these components.^[5][8]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2018 cars

• High severityFrequency: CommonEmissions controlSaturated diesel particulate filter (DPF) from incomplete regenerationsIn urban use with short journeys, the particulate filter does not manage to complete its regeneration and becomes saturated; garages recommend a weekly motorway run to avoid it. The filter itself is among the weak points flagged in the 1.6 and 2.0 MultiJet II after a certain mileage.
• Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalTimingEarly tensioner wear and risk of timing belt failureYes: the tensioner can lose tension before the official 120,000 km interval, with a flapping noise that, if ignored, can end in the belt snapping and the valves hitting the pistons. Several garages recommend bringing the change forward to around 90,000 km in mixed use.Repair (garage): €420–€550Appears at around 90,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonEmissions controlEGR valve blocked by soot in urban useYes: the EGR valve builds up soot with urban use and short journeys, which causes loss of power and turns on the engine fault warning light. It is one of the most frequently cited faults of this engine in both the Jeep Renegade and the Fiat Doblò.Repair (garage): €200–€500
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalInjectionInjector faults and DPF particulate sensor failureIn some batches, a fault in the injection system or in the DPF particulate sensor turns on the engine fault warning light. In the Fiat Doblò, worn injectors or injectors with poor atomisation are also cited as a cause of power loss, higher consumption and black smoke when accelerating.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalClutchDual-mass flywheel wear in manual versionsThe dual-mass flywheel on manual versions is one of the weak points flagged in the 1.6 and 2.0 MultiJet II after a certain mileage. When it wears it causes vibrations and metallic noises at idle and when using the clutch, and replacing it is not cheap.

• 1.4 MultiAir Turbo (2009-2020)

  105–180 hp · 940A2000, 940C2000

  The reliability pages and owner reports we consulted for the Fiat 500X, Alfa Romeo MiTo, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Jeep Renegade and Jeep Compass repeatedly document three problems: turbocharger wear or failure (sometimes at very low mileage), faults in the MultiAir/UniAir unit itself and high oil consumption. No manufacturer has acknowledged a specific campaign or extended warranty, so it is worth checking the history and test driving the car both cold and warm before buying.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]}

  With caution

Faults that affect 2018 cars

• High severityFrequency: CommonTurboPremature turbocharger failure or wearOn the Fiat 500X, Fiat Tipo, Jeep Renegade and Jeep Compass there are recurring reports of turbocharger failure, sometimes at very low mileage (from 15,000 km); the manufacturer has offered occasional goodwill discounts, but there is no official campaign.Repair: €1,100–€2,300Appears at around 15,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonIntakeMultiAir (UniAir) electro-hydraulic unit failureThe MultiAir (UniAir) electro-hydraulic unit, which controls the intake valves using oil pressure, can fail and cause misfires and the engine light to come on; on the Alfa Romeo MiTo there is a documented case of replacement at 50,000 km for €1,400, with no warranty cover.Repair: €1,250–€1,800Appears at around 12,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonLubricationHigh oil consumptionThe Fiat 500X, Fiat Tipo, Alfa Romeo MiTo and Giulietta have accumulated reports of above-normal oil consumption, in some cases up to 1 litre per 1,000 km; keep an eye on the level between services and do not wait for the warning light.Appears at around 60,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalIgnitionMisfires and ignition coil faultsOn the Alfa Romeo MiTo there are reports of misfires that owners attribute to the coils, spark plugs and the MultiAir itself all at once, with the engine light on; we do not find the same pattern with the same clarity on the other models with this engine.

• 1.0 GSE T3 Turbo 100-120 hp (FireFly, since 2018)

  100–120 hp

  There are owner accounts of jerking, loss of power and replacement of the MultiAir block in the Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade; these are isolated cases, but check the engine's fault history before buying.^[18][19]

  With caution

• 1.3 GSE T4 Turbo 150-180 hp (FireFly, since 2018)

  150–180 hp

  Open sources document no systemic mechanical fault: there is only one isolated account of an engine failure at 73,000 km in a Renegade, and unsourced claims from a leasing website about oil consumption in the first cars.^[19][20]

  Buy

Faults that affect 2018 cars

• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalTurboOil consumption and premature turbo wear on the 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4The Italian press reports that the turbo versions of the FireFly account for most of the complaints: some units use more oil than normal or wear the turbo out early, causing power loss and smoke. The 1.3 T4 is sensitive to oil that is out of specification and to long service intervals.
• Medium severityFrequency: RareIntakeJerking and MultiAir block failures on the 1.0 T3Owners of the Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade with the 1.0 T3 describe jerking, loss of power and stalling; in one case it was resolved by replacing the entire MultiAir block. These are isolated accounts, not a systemic defect.

• 1.0 GSE T3 Turbo 100-120 hp (FireFly, from 2018)

  100–120 hp

  The reports available for the Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X document mainly electronic problems (Start&Stop, display) and the odd case of oil consumption or loss of power after a service, with no serious or recurring mechanical pattern.^[11][22]

  Buy

• 1.3 GSE T4 Turbo 150-180 hp (FireFly, from 2018)

  150–180 hp

  The sample available is small, but it includes a case of engine block failure at 73,000 km in the Jeep Renegade, as well as a leak from the automatic gearbox's hydraulic unit at 43,000 km; it is worth checking the history and test-driving the car thoroughly, cold and warm, before buying.^[22]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2018 cars

• Low severityFrequency: OccasionalElectronicsStart&Stop system faultsThe Start&Stop system can stop working or become unreliable: there are cases in the Fiat Panda III and the Fiat Punto (unusable from 40,000 km) with the 0.9 TwinAir, and in the Jeep Renegade with the 1.0 GSE T3 Turbo. It does not affect normal driving, but the electrical system is worth checking.

• Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalGearbox and clutchGearbox faults: internal failures in the automatic and jerky gear changesSeveral reports collected by fiches-auto.fr describe everything from a total failure of the automatic gearbox - a replacement quote of around €11,000 and no reverse gear - to jerky gear changes and noises, on both the manual and automatic gearboxes.Repair: €11,000Appears at around 75,000 km
• Critical severityFrequency: RareAirbags and safetyRisk of the rear seat backrest not locking (2015-2018 build)Yes: two independent sources document a campaign for units built between 2 June 2015 and 17 August 2018 in which the locking mechanism of the rear seat backrest may fail, allowing it to fold forward in a crash.
• Critical severityFrequency: RareAirbags and safetyLimited airbag and seat belt pretensioner function because of the ORC control unit (2017-2019 build)Yes: a campaign covers vehicles built between 24 October 2017 and 18 April 2019 in which the occupant restraint control unit (ORC) could limit the operation of the airbag and seat belt pretensioners; it is corrected with a software update.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalElectronics and infotainmentInfotainment system faults and electronic warnings (screen, Start&Stop, alternator)Yes: several reports document infotainment system faults (frozen screen, FM radio, weeks in the garage to resolve it), Start&Stop system faults and diagnostic confusion between a battery fault and an alternator fault.