Fiat Options by VIN: Checking a Listing Against the Record
To check which options a particular Fiat really has, run its 17-character VIN through the VIN lookup and compare the factory build sheet, when one is available, with the listing and with the car itself. The build sheet lists the equipment installed at the factory by sales code and description, so you can confirm claims such as "Lounge," "automatic," "500c," "Abarth" or "AWD" before you drive across town or make an offer. When the listing and the record disagree, the record tells you how the car was built and the car tells you what has changed since. Neither replaces an in-person inspection.
Start with the right VIN
Take the VIN from the car, not only from the ad. It appears on a plate at the base of the windshield on the driver's side and on the label in the driver's door jamb, and it should match the title and registration. A VIN has 17 characters and never uses the letters I, O or Q, which makes many typos easy to spot. If the VIN in the ad and the VIN on the car differ, sort that out before going any further.
A five-step comparison
- Check the identity. The decode at the top of the result shows the make, model, model year and similar fields. If the listing says 2017 and the decode says 2016, read the rest of the listing with extra care.
- Find the trim and powertrain lines. They settle the biggest claims: which trim, which engine, manual or automatic, and on a 500X, the drivetrain.
- Match paint and interior. A different color on the car than on the record points to a repaint or wrap; a different seat material points to replaced seats or covers.
- Go through the listing's claims one at a time. Mark each as on the record, not on the record, or not something a factory record would show.
- Walk around the car with the record in hand. Look for factory items that are gone, such as the original wheels or radio, and for equipment the record doesn't mention.
Fiat listing claims worth checking
| The listing says | What the record should show | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Abarth | The Abarth model and its turbocharged engine | Abarth badges, body kits and exhausts sold separately; a 500 Turbo is a different model |
| Convertible or 500c | The 500c body | A hatchback with a sunroof isn't a 500c, whose fabric roof retracts between fixed side rails |
| Automatic | An automatic transmission line | Listing forms that fill in a transmission by default |
| AWD, on a 500X | An all-wheel-drive line | Drivetrain availability changed by year and trim |
| Leather | Leather-trimmed seating | Seat covers and later re-upholstery |
| Navigation | A navigation radio line | Navigation through a connected phone, or an aftermarket head unit |
| Fully loaded | Packages and options beyond the trim's standard content | A claim that means little until you compare it with the record and with cars of the same trim and year |
| Abarth, on a 124 Spider | The 124 Spider Abarth model | The same badge problem as on the 500 |
When the record and the car disagree
- On the car but not on the record: most often a dealer accessory, an owner addition or a replacement part. Wheels, radios, exhausts, lighting and badges are the usual suspects.
- On the record but not on the car: something was removed or replaced. Ask whether original parts, such as factory wheels, come with the sale.
- A line you don't recognize: look up the code in the sales code navigator. Many lines are order, emissions or production codes rather than features.
- No record at all: some VINs return nothing, which isn't proof of a problem. Ask the seller for the original window sticker or purchase paperwork; the Fiat window sticker page explains what those documents add.
For how factory, dealer and aftermarket equipment differ, and which choices each Fiat model offered, see Fiat factory options by VIN.
What the record can't settle
A build sheet shows how the car was built. It says nothing about mileage, accident or flood history, maintenance, recall work or present condition, and a factory item listed on it may have failed or been replaced since. Pair the record with a vehicle history report and a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic who knows Fiats, especially on turbocharged cars such as the Abarth and the 124 Spider, where a history of modifications is worth asking about.