2013 FIAT 500 Complaints

THE TIRES ON THIS FIAT ARE PIRELLI NERO ZERO . ALL FOUR ARE VERY CHOPPY AND BADLY WORN. THEY WERE ROTATED AT 5,000 MILES. THE ROAD NOISE IS SO LOUD IT OVERPOWERS THE FACTORY RUMBLING OF THE FLOW THROUGH EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE TIRES AFFECT THE HANDLING AS I GET VIBRATIONS AND THE CAR DARTS FROM SIDE TO SIDE ON UNEVEN ROAD SURFACES. *TR

FIAT 500 E (ELECTRIC ENGINE) WAS FULLY CHARGED. STARTED CAR AND BACKED OUT OF DRIVEWAY. HEADED DOWN RESIDENTIAL STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 25MPH. WITHIN 1/8 MILE, "SERVICE ELECTRICAL VEHICLE SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT CAME UP. CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER, BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER BEFORE CAR STOPPED. CAR WOULD START, SHOW WARNING LIGHT, BUT COULD NOT BE PUT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE TO BE DRIVEN. WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD TOWED (FLAT BED) TO FIAT DEALER - WHERE CAR RESTARTED WITHOUT PROBLEM. FIAT DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. KEPT CAR FOR ONE WEEK, TESTED FOR 100+ MILES. TOLD ME "CORPORATE" KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND WAS WORKING ON A "SOFTWARE FIX" - BUT TO TAKE THE CAR HOME AND DRIVE IT. THIS CAR HAS BEEN PART OF A FIAT RECALL (WORK COMPLETED TWO MONTHS PRIOR) TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. DID NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE RECALL. SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED IN A FRIEND'S 2014 FIAT 500 E TONIGHT - EXACT SAME WAY - WITH ENGINE POWER FAILING WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION - WITH JUST BARELY ENOUGH TIME TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC LANE. THIS FRIEND'S VEHICLE HAD ALSO HAD THE RECALL COMPLETED A MONTH PRIOR. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS ON THE INTERNET AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A CAR FAILS IN MOVING TRAFFIC RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO MY FIRST COMPLAINT, FILED ON 07/01/14. ON 08/16/14 MY FIAT WAS TOWED FOR THE 3RD TIME TO CONCORD OF FIAT. THE FIRST TIME THE POWER INVERTER MODULE WAS REPLACED (RECALL), THE SECOND TIME THE BODY CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED, THE THIRD TIME THE POWER INVERTER MODULE (RECALL) WAS REPLACED, FOR THE SECOND TIME. I HAVE CONTACTED THE CHRYSLER ARBITRATION DEPARTMENT. I WILL BE SEEKING DAMAGES UNDER CIVIL CODE SECTION 1790. FURTHER, UNDER THE CA "LEMON LAW" GUIDE (1): "THE SAME PROBLEM RESULTS IN A CONDITION THAT IS LIKELY TO CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY IF THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO REPAIR TWO OR MORE TIMES BY THE MANUFACTURER OR ITS AGENTS." THE RECALL EXPLICITLY STATES THAT A DEFECT IN THE POWER INVERTER CONSTITUTES A CONDITION THAT "IS LIKELY TO CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY IF THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN..." THE CHRYSLER RECALL STATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS: "THE POWER INVERTER MODULE (PIM) ON YOUR VEHICLE MAY CONTAIN COOLING PLATES THAT LEAK COOLANT INTO AREAS OF HIGH-VOLTAGE CIRCUITRY. THIS CAN RESULT IN AN OVERCURRENT ELECTRICAL CONDITION, WHICH WILL CAUSE THE HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY MANUAL SERVICE DISCONNECT FUSE TO OPEN. AN OPEN HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY MANUAL SERVICE DISCONNECT FUSE WILL CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE PROPULSION AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING." *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. WHILE TURNING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED THAT THE COMPUTER BE REPROGRAMMED. THE REPAIR FAILED TO REMEDY THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

WIPER FLUID RESERVOIR LEAKING AND CAN NOT HOLD FLUID FOR WIPER. WENT TO DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY BUT NO PARTS TO REPLACE AND NO ETA OF PARTS. CONTACTED THE FIAT USA ABOUT PARTS AND WAS TOLD NO PARTS AVAILABLE AND WILL NOT GIVE ANY ETA ON PARTS. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN HOUSTON IN RAINY SEASON AND CAN NOT CLEAR WINDSHIELD WITH WIPER FLUID WHEN DRIVING. WHEN CALLING THE FIAT USA, SERVICE REP CAN NOT HELP AND WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY UPPER LEVEL MANAGEMENT CONTACT TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500E. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SENSOR BEGAN FLASHING AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE SENSOR ILLUMINATED WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS FULLY CHARGED, HALFWAY CHARGED, OR LOW. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NO REMEDY WAS PROVIDED. THE CONTACT WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V235000 (ENGINE). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE SENSOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150.

PROBLEM WITH LOW TIRE PRESSURE; OCCURS IN MULTIPLE TIRES, NOT JUST SAME ONE, OCCURS ABOUT EVERY OTHER WEEK. MOST RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED 8/25/14, DEALER HAS CHECKED AND STATES NO PROBLEM/LEAKS FOUND. WAS AT DEALER FOR SERVICE ON 8/29/14 NO PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED THEY FILLED AIR IN ALL TIRES TO MFG. RECOMMENDED PRESSURE - 5 DAYS LATER ON 9/3/14 HAD A LOW PSI OF 24 ON RIGHT REAR TIRE. HAVE COMPLAINED TO DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND HAVE A FOLLOW UP SERVICE APPOINTMENT ON 9/8/14. *TR

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE INFORMING ME THAT MY 2013 FIAT 500E WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL THE POWER INVERTER MODULE (PIM) WAS FIXED. I CALLED CONCORD OF FIAT PER THE RECALL NOTICE TO ORDER THE PART, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO ORDER ONLY ONE PIM PART PER WEEK. DUE TO THIS THEY ARE BACKED UP "FOR MONTHS" AND CAN NOT GIVE ME A DATE THAT MY PART WILL COME IN, NOR A DATE THAT MY CAR WILL BE FIXED. FOR OVER SIX WEEKS I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE MY CAR. I HAVE FILED A CLAIM WITH FIAT. THEY ARE UNWILLING TO COMPENSATE ME FOR MY LOSS. I CONTINUE TO REMAIN UP-TO-DATE WITH MY LEASE PAYMENTS. *TR

FIAT INITIATED RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED JULY 10TH. LETTER STATED TO CONTACT THE DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS AFTER JULY 21ST. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AUGUST 13TH AND THERE IS NO ESTIMATED TIME FOR WHEN THE DEFECT WILL BE FIXED. THE DEFECT CAN CAUSE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND RESULT IN SEVER ACCIDENTS. I FIND IT NEGLIGENT OF FIAT/CHRYSLER BEING UNABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IN A TIMELY MANNER RISKING THE SAFETY OF ITS CUSTOMERS! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500E. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER ON FOUR OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE ABS AND THE ESC WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.