Piaggio is a Italian carmaker founded in 1884. 12 models are tracked here (1995–2026). Reliable? yes, and comfortably so — 4.5 out of 5 across 12 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Piaggio
Piaggio & C. S.p.A. is an Italian motor vehicle manufacturer that produces motor scooters, motorcycles, three-wheeler commercial vehicles and four-wheel commercial vehicles, headquartered in Pontedera, Tuscany. Founded in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio as a luxury railway-coach maker, the company expanded into aircraft (1917), aircraft engines (1924), and after WWII into scooters with the 1946 Vespa. Piaggio Group is now the parent of Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Gilera, Derbi and Scarabeo brands. The Vespa scooter (literally wasp in Italian, named for its wasp-like fuselage shape) is one of the most iconic Italian-designed products of the 20th century, with over 19 million units sold globally since 1946. Piaggio is the largest scooter manufacturer in Europe and produces the Ape three-wheeled commercial vehicle that has been continuously built since 1948. The Piaggio MP3 three-wheeled scooter (2006) introduced a unique tilting front-suspension that maintains automotive-like stability with motorcycle-like handling. Piaggio Group trades on the Borsa Italiana under PIA. Recall data for every Piaggio Group VIN (covering Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio direct) sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Piaggio Group VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Rinaldo Piaggio founded the company in 1884 in Genoa, Italy, building luxury railway carriages, ships and yachts. Piaggio expanded into aircraft manufacturing in 1917 and aircraft engines in 1924. After WWII, with the company's aircraft factory destroyed and Italian aviation prohibited under the post-war treaty, Enrico Piaggio (Rinaldo's son) commissioned aviation engineer Corradino D'Ascanio to design an affordable Italian post-war scooter. The 1946 Vespa was the result, and Piaggio became Italy's largest scooter manufacturer almost immediately. Subsequent acquisitions of Aprilia (2004), Gilera (1969), Derbi (2001) and Moto Guzzi (2004 via Aprilia) consolidated Piaggio's motorcycle and scooter brands.
| Item | Piaggio |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1884 |
| Founded by | Rinaldo Piaggio |
| Headquarters | Pontedera, Italy |
| Slogan | «For each life» |
Technology it is known for: Vespa monocoque scooter chassis, Ape three-wheeled commercial vehicle, MP3 tilting three-wheeled scooter, Aprilia race technology, Moto Guzzi V-twin (sister brand).
This page covers Piaggio & C. S.p.A. (the parent industrial group) — not the Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi or other Piaggio Group sub-brands (covered separately) or Rinaldo Piaggio personally.
All Piaggio models 12
Every Piaggio model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Piaggio Motorcycles 12
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piaggio MP3 | 1995–2026 | 5 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio LIBERTY | 1995–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio FLY 150 | 1995–2019 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio TYPHOON 50 | 1995–2026 | 1 | 1 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio FLY | 2006–2019 | 2 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio BV | 1995–2025 | 8 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio LX | 2006–2008 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio TYPHOON 125 | 1995–2020 | 1 | 1 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio X-9 | 1995–2019 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio FLY 50 | 1995–2005 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio PX | 1995–2019 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Piaggio LT 50 | 1995–2019 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
Piaggio by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Piaggio | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 17 campaigns | Across the lineup |
| Owner complaints | 2+ filed | Most reported: TYPHOON 50 |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Get a Piaggio window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Piaggio's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Piaggio window stickers →How to read a Piaggio VIN
Every Piaggio built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Piaggio and the country it was built in (real Piaggio codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- ItalyZAP
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. The whole position-by-position breakdown — year codes 2001–2026, country codes, stamping locations — lives in our VIN decoder tool.
Who owns Piaggio, and what you get
Piaggio is independent, Italian-owned. Piaggio competes globally in motorcycle and scooter markets, with strong dominance in European scooter segments and significant presence in Asia, Latin America and North America. The Piaggio-branded scooters compete with Vespa (sister brand at premium prices), Honda PCX, Yamaha XMax and Kymco. The Ape three-wheeled commercial vehicle dominates the Italian and Indian small-business commercial vehicle segment. Within Piaggio Group, Piaggio handles practical scooters and Ape commercial; Vespa handles premium-positioned scooters; Aprilia handles sport motorcycles; Moto Guzzi handles cruisers; Gilera handles entry-level scooters.
| Item | Piaggio |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Ownership | Independent |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Piaggio models actually start to break →
Piaggio — frequently asked
Is Piaggio italian?
Piaggio is a Italian company, headquartered in Pontedera and founded in 1884.
Who owns Piaggio?
Piaggio is independent.
How many Piaggio models are there?
We track 12 Piaggio models spanning 1995–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Piaggio warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Piaggio reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Piaggio model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.
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