Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
29–30 mpgcombined; city 25–26, highway 35–36; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$13,420–$13,880U.S. average; Ohio $12,640–$13,070 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 124 Spider. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Seat belts
3
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
2
0
0
0
Engine
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Unknown or other
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2019 124 Spider over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2020 Fiat 124 Spider vehicles. A software error in the air bag control module may cause the front air bags to deploy with excessive force during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: An air bag that deploys with excessive force can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will update the air bag control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 26, 2025. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is A3B.
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Fiat 124 Spider vehicles. The impeller inside the fuel pump may be deformed, potentially causing the fuel pump to fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure may cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety recall were mailed on January 6, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed July 5, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y92.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Fiat Spider 124 vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. Due to incorrect programming of the Transmission Control Module (TCM), certain conditions may cause the vehicle to unexpectedly downshift and abruptly decelerate.
Risk: If a downshift occurs, the vehicle will suddenly decrease speed, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the TCM software, free of charge. The recall began March 28, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V20.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 57 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2019 124 Spider, the latest on Aug 16, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (21), structure (16), electrical system (13), engine and engine cooling (7), power train (4).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2019 124 Spider.
EPA class: two seaters. EPA greenhouse gas score: 6–7 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
124 Spider Rear-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
26 / 35 / 30
124 Spider Rear-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
25 / 36 / 29
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data