2014 FIAT 500 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY FIAT CONVERTIBLE WITH TOP DOWN, I SUDDENLY HEAR A LOUD POP NOISE AND MY REAR WINDSHIELD POP AND SHATTERS TO MANY PIECES. THE CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW FOR LESS THAN A YEAR EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A 2014 MODEL BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE SOLD THE YEAR PRIOR. SEND THE CAR IN TO DEALER AND FIAT CHRYSLER REFUSE TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD BY DENYING IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. IF THERE WAS PASSENGERS IN THE BACK THE SHATTERED GLASSES COULD HAVE FALLEN ON THEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500L. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE AND IDLING, THE TRANSMISSON CLUCTH STARTED TO HEAT UP AND SMOKE. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF IN ORDER FOR THE FAILURE TO STOP. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMERIOUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE. ON THE FIRST VISIT, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD STOP EVENTUALLY. ON THE SECOND VISIT, THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NETURAL TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

ON 01/25/2016 WAS ON I20 DRIVING TO WORK WHEN I STARTED TO SMELL LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING THEN WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON THAT THE CAR NEEDED TO BE TURNED OFF AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE SERVICED, MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. ALSO THE WINDSHIELD STARTED TO CRACK WELL FOR STARTERS MY CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE JAN. 25,2016 AND HERE IT IS MARCH 29TH OF 2016 AND THEY BARELY CALLED ME THAT IT IS READY. WELL SINCE READING ABOUT POWERTRAIN RECALL AND READING THAT MY CAR HAS HAD THAT REPAIRED ONCE ALREADY AND NOW REPAIRED FOR THE 2ND TIME I FEAR THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A ON GOING PROBLEM AND NOW I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY. WHEN I SPOKE WITH DEALERSHIP ON 03/25/16 I MADE SHOP TECH AWARE THAT THE LOANER I WAS USING NEEDED A NEW REGISTRATION TAG AND NOW TODAY MY CAR IS READY WELL THAT SCARES ME. WHEN I FIRST SPOKWE WITH DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT IT TOOK THEM ALMOST 4 DAYS TO LET ME KNOW THEIR FINDINGS AND THE WAY IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME WAS PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE THE 6 CYLINDER TRANSMISSION MAKING ME FEEL LIKE IT WAS MY FAULT WHEN THIS WHOLE TIME IT HAS BEEN A ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL.

IT HAS THE EURO TWIN AUTOMATIC CLUTCH SYSTEM, AND THE TRANSMISSION IS VERY SLOW TO RESPOND. WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE THE CAR WILL SIT FOR A SEW SECONDS BEFORE FINALLY GOING. IT HAS PUT US IN NEAR-ACCIDENT SITUATION SEVERAL TIMES. ITS HARD TO SPEED UP TO MERGE ON A HIGHWAY, OR GET THROUGH A ROUND-ABOUT. WE NEVER KNOW IF THE CAR IS GOING TO GO OR JUST SIT THERE. IT HAS HAD THE SOFTWARE UPDATES DONE 3 TIMES, AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO FIAT. ALL THEY TELL US IS "ITS WORKING AS IT SHOULD" INSTEAD OF ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE SYSTEM ITSELF IS FLAWED. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT THROUGH TOWN OR EVEN ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE IT JUST DOES NOT SHIFT GEARS LIKE A SHOULD AND WE CAN'T TRUST IT.

DRIVING CAR ON FREEWAY IN FAST LANE GOING TO WORK GOING ABOUT 65 MPH CAR SUDDENLY LOOSES POWER, GAS PEDAL NOT WORKING. NO WARNING LIGHTS ON DASH EVERYTHING THE SAME WAY AS BEFORE. PUT FLASHERS ON TRIED TO PULL OVER IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. FINALLY GOT TO SIDE TURNED CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. HAD IT TOWED SHOP SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING BUT AN OLD CODE THAT SHOWED UP AND WAS NOT ACTIVE. I COULD OF EASILY BEEN KILLED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500L. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND PARKING IT FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN IT WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V103000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000. ......UPDATED 04/01/16 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT AFTER FIVE WEEKS. UPDATED 04/14/16. *JB

WHILE AT A STAND STILL IN GEAR AT A DRIVE THRU, CAR STARTED SMOKING HEAVILY. STRONG SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. TOOK CAR IN TO SERVICE DEPT. WAS TOLD THAT THIS PARTICULAR MODEL VEHICLE HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. RESEARCHED PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THERE SEEM S TO BE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THE DDCT TRANSMISSION ON THESE CARS. CALLED FIAT USA AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THE PROBLEM AND WAS ADVISED THAT WE HAD TO PLACE THE VEHICLE (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) IN NEUTRAL AT EVERY STOP AND GO SITUATION. DEALER CHECKED CLUTCH SYSTEM ON VEHICLE AND ADVISED US THAT YES THERE WAS SIGNS OF CLUTCH OVERHEATED. CALLED FIAT USA AGAIN AND ADVISED THEM OF WHAT DEALER HAD SAID AND FIAT USA TOLD ME THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE I DID NOT READ MY OWNERS MANUAL. I READ THE ENTIRE MANUAL, PAGE BY PAGE AND NOWHERE IN THE MANUAL DOES IT STATE THAT THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE PLACED IN NEUTRAL AT STOP AND GO SITUATIONS. FIAT USA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERES SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE CLUTCH SYSTEM ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THERES A LOT POST ON THE TOPIC ON THE INTERNET

I BARELY HAD THE CAR OVER ONE YEAR BEFORE THE CLUTCH GOES OUT WITHOUT WARNING PREMATURELY AS I'VE NOTICED IS THE CASE WITH SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS. THEY WON'T FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY AND WORD IT "WEAR AND TEAR" TO KEEP FROM PAYING FOR IT. IT COST ME $1200 TO FIX AN ALMOST BRAND NEW CAR. I PULLED INTO A FRIEND'S DRIVE AND WITH NO WARNING I HEARD A POP WHEN I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH AND IT WOULD.NO LONGER MOVE OR ALLOW ME TO SHIFT.

DEC. 2015 CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION ESTIMATED 30MPH. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. FRONT OF CAR SMASHED IN, HOOD FOLDED IN A 45 DEGREE ANGLE, FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND SIDE FINDER SMASHED. CAR WAS LOCKED IN DRIVE AND REQUIRED A FLAT BED TRUCK TO TOW IT AWAY. OTHER VEHICLE IN THE ACCIDENT WAS A TRUCK WHICH THEIR AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND THAT TRUCK HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ON FIAT.

2014 FIAT 500E. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO THE POWER INVERTER MODULE RECALL NOTICE ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER RELOCATED AFTER LEASING THE VEHICLE. THE LOCAL DEALERS IN HIS CURRENT STATED INFORMED HIM, THEY WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH HIS MODEL AND THEREFORE, COULD NOT REPLACE THE POWER INVERTER MODULE AS DESCRIBED BY THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER SENT IN RECALL # 14V235000. *JB