Crash Test 500 Fiat

[Marcelo Chaplin]

TheFiat 500 was introduced in the 2012 model year. Fiat Chrysler modified the seat structure to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes beginning with 2012 models manufactured after July 2011. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

During the crash, the dummy's head and torso barely contacted the airbag before sliding off to the left as the steering column moved to the right. The inflated part of the side curtain airbag did not extend far enough forward toward the A-pillar.

Instrument panel and door hinge pillar intrusion was extensive and contributed to a high risk of injury to the left lower leg, a significant risk to the left thigh, and a possible risk of injury to the right lower leg.

The Fiat 500 was introduced in the 2012 model year. Two tests of a 2012 Fiat 500 were conducted. In the first test, forces recorded on the dummy's head were high when it hit the steering wheel through the airbag, indicating that head injuries would be possible. Postcrash investigation revealed that a steel cross tube in the seat structure was pulled out at one end and contributed to the seat pitching forward during the crash and the dummy's head moving too far forward into the airbag. In response, Fiat Chrysler modified the seat structure to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes beginning with cars manufactured after July 2011. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

In the second test of a car built after the seat modifications were in place, forces on the dummy's head were reduced, but the driver door unlatched. Because the front end structure of the car was not affected by the seat modifications or the door opening, structure ratings are based on both tests.

Postcrash investigation indicates that the door opening occurred because the dummy's arm broke the interior door handle, and the access hole for a bolt at the dummy's elbow engaged and activated the door latch. The door opening in the second test is an artifact of the dummy arm construction. Therefore, it is unlikely that in an actual crash the door latch would be activated.

In both tests, the dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well (second test shown).

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries and property damage from motor vehicle crashes through research and evaluation and through education of consumers, policymakers and safety professionals.

The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) shares and supports this mission through scientific studies of insurance data representing the human and economic losses resulting from the ownership and operation of different types of vehicles and by publishing insurance loss results by vehicle make and model.

The Fiat 500X was introduced in the 2016 model year. Beginning with 2016 models built after July 2015, the vehicle's front-end structure and front door hinges were modified to improve occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes. At the same time, the computer software was modified to optimize frontal airbag and seat belt pretensioner impact sensing. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

The Fiat 500X was introduced in the 2016 model year and is derived from the Jeep Renegade. Beginning with 2016 models built after July 2015, the vehicle's computer software was modified to optimize frontal airbag and seat belt pretensioner impact sensing, primarily for the small overlap frontal test mode, but also to a certain extent for the moderate overlap mode. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

The Fiat 500X was introduced in the 2016 model year and is derived from the Jeep Renegade. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Fiat Chrysler as part of side crash test verification.

IIHS rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on performance in high-speed front and side crash tests plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts.

Talk about car crash TV. The ageing Fiat Punto has performed unusually badly in the latest Euro NCAP results, becoming the first car to score zero in the independent crash tests. You can watch our video above to see just why the Italian supermini has done so badly, crumpling with little protection given to its occupants.

While other older cars as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Ford C-Max all scored three stars, the Fiat stole the unwanted limelight with an overall rating of zero, something Euro NCAP has never seen before.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts annual crash tests, which provides performance data for vehicles sold in the United States. The latest IIHS tests found that only one out of 12 minicars earned an acceptable rating, and none were ranked as good. Auto accident attorneys at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm analyze the results of these small car crash tests.

Five minicars (the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio, and Mazda 2) ranked as marginal, and six vehicles were rated poor. The six worst performing cars were the: Fiat 500, Honda Fit, Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Versa, Toyota Prius, and Hyundai Accent. The top-performing car, rated as acceptable, was the 2014 Chevrolet Spark, earning it the 2014 Top Safety Pick.

The senior vice president for vehicle research at IIHS told the Chicago Sun-Times that these types of small, lightweight vehicles are characterized by their safety disadvantages. The minicars were the lowest performing vehicles of all groups tested so far.

About half of the minicars were ranked poorly for structural integrity after the test, and six ranked as marginal. Structural integrity is the most critical factor in protecting passengers from serious harm in the event of an accident. If the structure of a vehicle collapses, the frontal airbags and seats can be moved out of position, further exposing passengers to injury

Last year, the Fiat 500 was ranked as the worst vehicle for passenger protection by Insure.com, which compares insurance prices. The website analyzed rates for medical payments and injury protection policies and found that Fiat 500 policy holders paid the most for coverage.

These tests only reinforce what is already known: if safety is your top priority, choose a bigger vehicle. Our team of auto accident attorneys has been working with victims of all types of crashes for nearly 30 years, and knows how devastating an auto accident can be. We provide free case reviews to anyone seriously injured in a car, bus, train, or bicycle crash nationwide.

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The Fiat 500 did relatively well in rollover testing, producing just a 14.5 percent chance of rollover and earning a four star rating. Side crash testing for the driver produced very good results, too, earning a perfect five star rating.

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