2012 FIAT 500 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, HALF OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE ENGINE REVVED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE IGNITION HAD TO BE TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION AND BACK ON IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STARTED IDLE GEAR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED TO REGISTER THE FUEL RANGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15. ....UPDATED 08/29/16 *BF

NHTSA 16V-302 RECALL AND FCA SOLUTION WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF DEFECTIVE PART THAT CREATES THE SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS ONLY A BANDAID THAT DISGUISES THE PROBLEM. FCA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THE DEFECTIVE PART THAT CREATES THE SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS AN INADEQUATE NON-FIX. THE CLUTCH COVER DIAPHRAGM SPRING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN ALL MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES. FCA NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR OR NEEDS TO EXTEND WARRANTY FOR THE AFFECTED ASSEMBLY. NO MORE BANDAID FIXES FOR SAFETY ISSUES FROM FCA LIKE THE TRAILER HITCH FIX FOR JEEPS THAT WAS DONE BEFORE.

I GOT A RECALL NOTICE TODAY. IT STATES THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE CLUTCH COVER DIAPHRAGM SPRING WHICH MAY FATIGUE OR FRACTURE CAUSING AN "INABILITY TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH, SHIFT GEARS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER". THIS "COULD CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING". IT WOULD BE GROSS NEGLIGENCE ON MY PART TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT COULD INJURE OR KILL ME OR SOMEONE ELSE. I CALLED THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY. PARTS WERE NOT IN STOCK AND THEY DID NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE. I ASKED FOR A RENTAL CAR IN THE MEANTIME. THEY DENIED MY REQUEST. I THEN CALLED FCA (FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES) AND TALKED TO 3 PEOPLE THERE ABOUT A RENTAL CAR. THEY ALSO DENIED MY REQUEST. I DO NOT FEEL IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR WHEN THE DEFECT IS THE PROBLEM OF THE MANUFACTURER WITH NO INFORMATION ABOUT WHEN THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. THIS COULD COST ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. I AM REQUESTING A RENTAL CAR IMMEDIATELY UNTIL MY CAR CAN BE REPAIRED. THANK YOU.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V302000 (POWER TRAIN); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY SHIFTING OUT OF FIRST GEAR. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V302000 (POWER TRAIN); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE CAR WAS PURCHASED ON APRIL 15, 2016. SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD TO TAKE THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES. THE FIRST ISSUE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT. THE SECOND ISSUE WAS THAT THE GEARS WOULD NOT MOVE AND I HAD TO USE A SCREW DRIVER TO CHANGE THE CAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE AND VICE VERSA, DRIVE TO REVERSE AND VICE VERSA, ETC... THE THIRD ISSUE WAS THAT THE CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE RECENT ISSUE WAS FOR A RECALL ON THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL. IN ADDITION, THE CAR WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND LOCAL STREETS DRIFTS TO THE RIGHT SIDE. AS A RESULT OF THE DRIFTING, I HAVE HAD ALMOST THREE CAR ACCIDENTS IN THE PAST MONTH. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME THAT THE DRIFTING IS A RESULT OF THE ROADS ON THE FREEWAY AND LOCALLY AND NOT AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVE TO THIS CAR AND FEAR GETTING INTO A MAJOR ACCIDENT. TODAY I CONTACTED THE FIAT OWNER ASSISTANCE TO FILE A COMPLAINT AND REQUEST THAT THE ISSUE BE ADDRESSED. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THE CAR WAS SAFE AS PER THE SERVICE REPORTS AND THAT I SHOULD GET A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT MY EXPENSE. THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE BY A CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVE AND NOT A MECHANIC. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT THE ISSUE BE ADDRESSED AND THAT I AM ABLE TO RETURN THE FIAT FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT IS SAFE AND MEET THE STANDARD OF QUALITY FIAT IS KNOWN FOR.

THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST THE REAR SUSPENSION FOR BEING OUT OF ALIGNMENT. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE TIRE WEAR UNEVENLY ON THE INSIDE WHILE HAVING THE APPEARANCE TO HAVE PROPER TREAD. NEW TIRES LASTED ONLY 18,000 MILES.

MILEAGE 33,245 MANUAL TRANSMISSION WONT SHIFT,CLUTCH HAS FAILED,FOUND BELVILLE SPRING ON PRESSURE PLATE HAS BROKE DATE 28/JUL/2014. MILEAGE 57,560 AGAIN 19/MAY/2016 NEED TO RECALL IM HAVE AL DOCUMENT. *TR

AT 47,500 MILES AND 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, MY PASSENGER SIDE LOWER FRONT BALL JOINT BROKE. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF PROBLEMS LEADING UP TO THE BREAKAGE. UNFORTUNATELY FIAT NO LONGER MAKES THE 2012 LOWER FRONT BALL JOINTS AND THE 2013+ BALL JOINTS REQUIRE A NEW ASSEMBLY SO THE ENTIRE BALL JOINT, CONTROL ARM, ETC. ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE CREATED.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND ATTEMPTED TO DOWNSHIFT WHILE APPROACHING AN EXIT. MY CLUTCH BECAME STIFF AND NOT RESPONSIVE. I WAS UNABLE TO DEPRESS THE CLUTCH TO CHANGE GEARS. WHILE STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF GEAR AND COAST TO THE SIDE OF HIGHWAY AT THE BASE OF THE EXIT RAMP. I TURNED THE CAR OFF TO CALM DOWN, SINCE I LUCKILY AVOIDED ANY MAJOR ACCIDENT. A POLICE CAR DROVE BY AND STOPPED TO ASK ME IF I WAS OK AND I SAID I WAS FINE. I WAS UNABLE TO GET MY CAR INTO GEAR AFTER THAT AND HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A GARAGE. THE MECHANIC AT THE GARAGE SAID THE CLUTCH HAD FAILED. A QUICK CHECK SHOWED THAT THIS MAKE AND MODEL WERE SUBJECT TO AN UPCOMING RECALL, SO I HAD THE CAR TOWED FROM THE GARAGE TO A FIAT DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE CLUTCH DIAPHRAGM SPRING FAILED AND DAMAGED THE CLUTCH. REPAIR BILLS ATTACHED. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO GET A CLEAR ANSWER ON THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.