2013 FIAT 500 Complaints

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR A TAPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE AFTERNOON AFTER I DROPPED OFF MY CAR I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE ADVISER TELLING ME THAT THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM AN INTERIOR COMPONENT OF MY ENGINE AND THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE ENGINE DID NOT COME IN UNTIL JULY 20, 2015. WITHIN A DAY OR TWO I RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL FROM THE SERVICE ADVISER TELLING ME THAT THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE WAS WORN DOWN TO THE METAL AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THIS PARTICULAR PART WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY AND I WOULD NOW INCUR AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE. AT FIFTY THREE YEARS OF AGE I HAVE HAD SEVERAL VEHICLES WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND NEVER HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY CLUTCH LET ALONE WITH THE PRESSURE PLATE. SOON AFTER I RESEARCHED SEVERAL VEHICLE REVIEW WEB SITES TO LEARN THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS WITH THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE VEHICLES WITH MILEAGE FROM 11K TO 25 K.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE LIGHTLY DEPRESSED AND THE STEERING WHEEL HAD TO BE TURNED IN ORDER FOR THE NOISE TO SUBSIDE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. A WEEK LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT STRUT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR BRAKES FAILED AND THE CALIPER SEIZED, WHICH CAUSED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE ROTOR TO ABNORMALLY DETERIORATE. THE ROTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. A FEW MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CLUTCH COULD NOT BE DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT SHIFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,171.

MY 2013 FIAT ABARTH WAS REAR ENDED. I WAS STOPPED. THE OTHER DRIVER, IN A GRAND CHEROKEE, REAR ENDED ME. HIS SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 20-30 MPH. I WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS BRIEFLY & HAD SEVERE HEAD PAIN. I AM STILL UNDERGOING TREATMENT. NONE OF MY CARS SAFETY FEATURES WORKED, INCLUDING THE FUEL PUMP SHUT OFF. I BELIEVE THE SEAT HIT ME IN THE HEAD. THE ABARTH HAS UNIQUE, HIGH BACKED SEATS WITH A FIXED / INTEGRATED HEAD REST WITH A HARD, PLASTIC INSERT. MY SEATBELTS FAILED TO TIGHTEN AND THE FUEL PUMP FAILED TO SHUT OFF. I WORKED FOR CHRYSLER FIAT AT THE TIME AND DID TELL PEOPLE IN ENGINEERING ABOUT THE CONCERN. I SUFFERED A CONCUSSION & NOW HAVE CONSTANT, DAILY HEADACHES AND MIGRAINES.

OUR FIAT DIED THREE TIMES WITHIN A FOUR MONTH PERIOD, SPECIFICALLY ON 6/20/2014 (2,609 MILES), 8/11/2014 (3,101 MILES), AND 10/20/2014 (4,050 MILES). A "SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT APPEARED EACH TIME IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE, STOP, OR STEER. OF THE THREE INCIDENTS, THE FINAL INCIDENT ON 10/20/2014 WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS: THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE CROSSING TRAIN TRACKS (LIGHT-RAIL) WHILE A TRAIN WAS APPROACHING. CHRYSLER-FIAT HAS SINCE REPURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 5/2015 PER CALIFORNIA LAW.

TECH FOUND TRANSMISSION LEAKING AND SEALED WITH EPOXY. SECOND LEAK WAS UNAWARE A REPAIR HAD BEEN MADE UNTIL I RETURNED CAR TO DEALER FOR A LEAK FOUND MY OIL CAN HENRY'S

AT LOW SPEEDS 20 MPH AND BELOW YOU COULD HEAR A GRINDING NOISE THAT SOUNDED MUCH LIKE BAD BRAKES BEARINGS. SECOND TIME WE SUGGESTED THIS PROBLEM. FIRST TIME THE TECH SAID HE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE NOISE. THIS TIME THEY FOUND BOTH OF THE REAR BEARING HAD BEEN COMPLETELY EATEN AWAY BY BRAKE DUST INSIDE THE BEARING ASSEMBLY.

ON 1/18/2014 WE LEASED A 2013 FIAT 500E ("THE CAR")FROM KEARNY MESA FIAT. VIN [XXX]. IT HAD LESS THAN 20 MILES ON IT WHEN WE TOOK POSSESSION OF IT. ON 3/3/2014 IT WOULD NOT CHARGE GIVING ME A LARGE YELLOW INDICATOR SAYING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEMS WERE NOT WORKING. THIS FLASHED AND THEN DROPPED OFF THE SCREEN. ON 3/17/2014 THE SAME LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY. THE CAR WAS WITH THE DEALER FOR REPAIR UNTIL APRIL 8, 2014, FOR A TOTAL OF 22 DAYS. FIAT OFFERED, AND I ACCEPTED A CASH SETTLEMENT FOR THIS REPAIR. ON 10/3/2014 THE LIGHT RETURNED. THERE WERE 11747.4 MILES ON THE CAR. KEARNY MESA FIAT PERFORMED RECALL WORK. ON 10/11/2014 THE LIGHT ALTERNATED WITH THE TURTLE LIGHT. THEN THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. IT HAD 12302 MILES. ON 10/13/2014 THE DEALER IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED PIM. I GAVE NOTICE I WANTED TO RETURN THE CAR. AFTER CONFIRMING I HAD NOT HIRED A LAWYER, [XXX]. FROM FIAT OFFERED TO SELL ME ANOTHER CAR FROM CHRYSLER IF I PAID AN ADDITIONAL $5000. I DECLINED. ON 10/17/2014 THE DEALER RETURNED THE CAR SAYING THE MAIN COMPUTER HAD FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED. THIS DIFFERED FROM THE 10/13 OPINION. ON 4/27/2015 (19,817 MILES)THE WARNING LIGHT RETURNED AND STAYED ON. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER (5TH TIME IN 18 MO.). SERVICE SAID TWO MODULES WERE "NOT COMMUNICATING" AND THEY REBOOTED THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. ON 5/5/2015 (20,369 MILES) THE CAR STOPPED COMPLETELY, FLASHING THE SERVICE PROPULSION SYSTEM LIGHT. IT STOPPED AND PUT ITSELF INTO PARK WHILE I WAS ON HWY 67. CARS WERE DRIVING AT ME AT 60 MPH FROM 3 DIRECTIONS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

EXPRESSWAY DRIVING AT 55MPH WHEN TRAFFIC CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT. HARD BREAKING TRANSPIRED, ATTEMPT AT EVASION, RESULTING IN A FRONT IMPACT INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND THEN A REBOUND IMPACT INTO A RETAINMENT WALL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. NONE OF THE 7 AIRBAGS DEPLOYED...UPDATED 05/07/15 *BF UPDATED 9/16/2015 *JS *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500E. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V235000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SCHEDULE A RECALL REPAIR SEVERAL TIMES AND THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE CONTACT HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO CALIFORNIA TO HAVE THE REPAIR PERFORMED BECAUSE IT WAS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE WITH THE VENT CONTROLS AND THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT HAD TO MAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER DID NOT MENTION THIS TO THE CONTACT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CONTACT RELOCATED TO ANOTHER STATE, THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO SCHEDULE A RECALL APPOINTMENT WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

WHILE SLOWING TO TAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN THE CAR JERKED BACK AND HAD MOVED ITSELF FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. IMMEDIATELY THE "SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM" LIGHT CAME ON AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. I STOPPED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE CAR BACK INTO DRIVE. THE CAR WOULD NOT REVERSE EITHER. ONLY PARK OR NEUTRAL WERE WORKING. I WAS FORCED TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND HAD SOMEONE GET OUT AND PUSH THE CAR SO WE COULD MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO FIAT DEALER WHERE THEY INDICATED IT WAS A GLITCH IN THE SOFTWARE AND THAT IT WAS FIXED WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE "RRT 15-001". EXACTLY ONE WEEK LATER THE SAME INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED, AND THE CAR IS BEING TOWED AGAIN TO THE DEALERSHIP. *TR