Fiat 500 Production Paused for a Fourth Straight Week as the Chip Shortage Bites Again

Stellantis is extending the current stoppage at its Fiat 500 plant in Turin, Italy, for the whole of next week, November 9 to 13, because of a semiconductor chip shortage, according to the automaker and the FIOM trade union. The extension marks the fourth consecutive week of no production at the historic Mirafiori plant.

The pause is a reminder that the chip shortage never fully went away for smaller, lower-margin cars. The 500 is Fiat’s icon and one of Stellantis’s most recognizable nameplates, but when semiconductors are scarce, suppliers and automakers prioritize the higher-priced vehicles that carry the most profit per chip.

Stellantis reported third-quarter revenue of 37.6 billion euros, up 1 percent, with Ram surging in North America — but the Fiat stoppage shows the group’s European mass-market business is still fragile. For buyers waiting on a 500, the fourth week of silence means delivery dates keep slipping with no restart date announced.