2014 FIAT 500 Complaints

I AM WRITING OUT OF SERIOUS CONCERN OVER THE OVERHEATING CLUTCH ON THE FIAT 2014 500L TREKKING MODEL. I HAD ABSOLUTELY LOVED MY FIAT, UNTIL IT OVERHEATED AFTER SITTING IN A CAR WASH LINE FOR ALL OF MAYBE TEN MINUTES AT THE MOST. SCARED AND EMBARRASSED THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE, I HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT OF LINE AND ASSISTED BY THE CAR WASH MANAGER, WHO POPPED THE HOOD AND TOLD ME TO CALL FOR A TOW.I THEN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT AND WAS TOLD THAT UNLESS THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON OR TRANSMISSION LIGHT, THAT THE OVERHEATING WAS A COMMON CONSEQUENCE OF STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WITH A DUEL TRANSMISSION. I THEN WENT ONLINE AND SAW ALL THE VARIOUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE FROM OTHER 500 L OWNERS MUCH TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISMAY. I LIVE IN WASHINGTON DC, THE CAPITOL CITY WITH THE NORM BEING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, THE WORST IN THE NATION. I TOLD THE SERVICE REP THAT I HAD SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING ON A PRIOR OCCASION BUT NEVER EXPERIENCED FULL ON SMOKE AND THE VEHICLE STALLING OUT BECAUSE IT WAS OVERHEATED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING FROM MY FIAT, NO SERVICE LIGHT OR ANYTHING INDICATING THE CLUTCH WAS OVERHEATING. DO I NEED TO TELL YOU ALL HOW DANGEROUS THE OVERHEATING ISSUE CAN BE IN TRAFFIC WITH NO WARNING, STALLING OUT, WON?T START AGAIN UNTIL IT COOLS DOWN? THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT. I AM BROKENHEARTED AND EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH BEING TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT FIAT USA WILL NOT REPAIR/FIX THIS ISSUE AND, TO TELL OWNERS IT IS A CONSEQUENCE OF A NEW ENGINE, ALTHOUGH I AM CLOSE TO 10K MILES. THAT IS ABSURD, PLEASE HELP ME AND OTHER FIAT 500 L OWNERS RECTIFY THIS MATTER AND PREVENT OTHER CONSUMERS FROM HAVING THIS HEADACHE IN THE FUTURE. *TR

IN MAY 2014 MY 2014 FIAT 500L WAS BROUGHT TO ZIEGLER DEALERSHIP FOR A SAFETY RECALL CONCERNING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE GEAR SHIFT MODULE AND THEY FLASHED THE ESM (RECALL ON NHTSA WEBSITE). IN JANUARY 2015 WE NOTICED A BURNING SMELL UNDER THE ENGINE. IF WE PUT CAR INTO REVERSE AND GAS PEDAL PUSHED, CAR HESITATED 1-2 SECONDS BEFORE THE CAR WOULD START MOVING. CAR LURCHED FORWARD SEVERAL TIMES ON ROAD AT A DEAD STOP. ROUGH SHIFTING ON ROADS. CHECK TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN EARLY FEB 2015 AND WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO ZIEGLER. THEY DETERMINED IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. ONLY 4 MODULES IN THE ENTIRE US, AND ALL WERE SPOKEN FOR (4 OTHER FIATS IN FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM). ZIEGLER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER TO GET AN "UPGRADED" TRANSMISSION MODULE, NOT THE ONE ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR THE CAR. AFTER BEING TOLD IT WOULD BE 1 1/2 MONTHS TO GET THE UNIT, IT SHOWED UP MID FEBRUARY. I CONFIRMED THAT WE GOT THIS "UPGRADED" UNIT AND DEALER SAID YES. TOOK POSSESSION OF MY CAR ON 2/13/15. THIS PAST WEEK, WE AGAIN HAD A BURNING SMELL IN THE ENGINE, ENCOUNTERED CAR LURCHING WHILE CAR WAS IN DRIVE AND FOOT SECURELY ON THE BRAKE. SLOW ENGINE REACTION WHEN HITTING GAS WHEN PUTTING CAR INTO REVERSE, ROUGH SHIFTING. WAS PLANNING ON CALLING DEALER ON MONDAY 3/2, HOWEVER ON SATURDAY 2/28/15 THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A DRIVER SIDE T-BONE CRASH AS THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHED. CAR TOTALLED BY INSURANCE COMPANY. MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT MOVE WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED. FIAT IS NOW FIRESELLING THESE 2014 MODELS AND ARE NOT OFFERING THIS "DUAL CLUTCH" TRANSMISSION IN 2015 MODELS. THEY KNOW ABOUT THESE TRANSMISSION ISSUES BUT THEIR "FIX" IS STILL PUTTING LIVES IN JEOPARDY. IF YOU OWN THIS CAR, GET RID OF IT ASAP! *TR

CONTIPROCONTACT TIRES ON A FIAT 500. SO FAR MY WIFE HAS SUFFERED TWO CATASTROPHIC BLOWOUTS ON INTERSTATE 285 IN ATLANTA OF THE SIDE-WALL IN UNDER 6000 MILES. HAD TO REPLACE/BUY BOTH TIRES. FORTUNATELY SHE WAS DRIVING SLOW ENOUGH TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER CONTROL. BUT NOW I FEAR FOR HER LIFE EVERY DAY SHE DRIVES BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. *TR

RECEIVED 2ND RECALL NOTICE TODAY FOR POWER INVERTER MODULE. FIRST RECALL NOTICE WAS IN MAY 2014. CALLED DEALERSHIP TO GET PART REPLACED ON JULY 7/21/14 AS INSTRUCTED AND WAS TOLD I WAS ON A WAITING LIST. PART IS STILL NOT REPLACED ON 2/17/14. NO COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN MADE FROM FIAT SINCE 7/21/14. *TR

WHILE PARKED AT A MCDONALDS DRIVE-THRU WINDOW IN DETROIT MI IN MY 2014 FIAT 500L AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 A.M. THE CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE PROFUSELY. THE SMOKE FILLED THE INTERIOR CABIN AND UNDER THE HOOD AREA. THE CAR SMELLED HORRID LIKE BURNING ELECTRICAL COPPER WIRES. THE CAR THEN SHUT OFF, BUT CONTINUED SMOKING. I RAN OUT OF THE CAR AND A POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS EATING LUNCH INSIDE RAN OUT TO HELP ME. THE OFFICER AND MCDONALDS EMPLOYEES PUSHED THE CAR AWAY FROM THE DRIVE-THRU WINDOW. NO FLAMES WERE SEEN, ONLY SMOKE. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO GOLLING FIAT IN BLOOMFIELD HILLS MI. THE DEALERSHIP RETURNED THE CAR TO ME DAYS LATER AS IS, STATING THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND NOR REPLICATE THE PROBLEM OR ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THE SERVICEMAN [XXX] DID STATE TWO TIMES THAT HE SMELLED SMOKE AND BURNING WIRES UNDER THE HOOD, BUT TOLD ME THAT "MAYBE THE BURNING SMELL IS JUST A FLUKE". NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. I'M VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS CAR ALSO HAS A HISTORY OF LEAKING GASOLINE. NOW IT IS SMOKING AND THE DEALERSHIP SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT. I WAS PREVIOUSLY CHARGED $2100 TO REPLACE THE LEAKING GAS TANK AFTER THEY TOLD ME THE TANK WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER MY NEW CAR WARRANTY! I HAVE REPORTED BOTH THE LEAKING GASOLINE COMPLAINT AND SMOKE COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THE CAR STARTED JERKING AND WAS HESITANT TO MOVE FORWARD. SMOKE WAS EMITTED AND CAME INTO THE CAR WITH A STRONG ODOR. DEALER DIAGNOSED AS AN OVERHEATED CLUTCH (THIS IS THE EURO DDCT, AN AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSION). THE CLUTCH/TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT DID NOT COME ON BEFORE OR DURING THE ISSUE. WHEN THE CAR COOLED DOWN, IT WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AGAIN BUT WAS JERKY WHEN SHIFTING. DEALER DID A "RELEARN" ON THE CLUTCH AND ADVISED ALL SOFTWARE IS UP TO DATE. ALSO THAT TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE PLACED IN NEUTRAL AT STOPS AND SHIFTED MANUALLY IN STOP AND GO DRIVING (NEITHER OF WHICH ARE SPECIFIED IN OWNER'S MANUAL). *TR

I LEASED THIS CAR ON AUGUST 2014 AND HAVE HAD THREE INCIDENT, FIRST ONE ON NOVEMBER 13,2014 WITH ELECTRICAL WARNING "SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM" NEEDS SERVICING. THE FIRST TIME WAS TOLD CAR NEEDED SOFTWARE UPDATE IT TOOK 3-4 DAYS TO GET THE CAR BACK. THE SECOND INCIDENT ON JANUARY 7, 2015 THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT STOPPED RIGHT AFTER A STOP SIGN, THE WARNING SIGN SHOWED THE SAME "SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM" AND ANOTHER WARNING THAT I MAY LOSE POWER IN A SHORT TIME WHICH WAS THE CASE. I WAS TOLD THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM WITH MY CHARGER I CHECKED AND THERE WAS NONE. IT TOOK 2 DAYS TO GET THE CAR BACK. LAST INCIDENT WAS ON FEBRUARY 8 WITH MESSAGES "SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM" "SERVICE PROPULSION SYSTEM" "12 V BATTERY ISSUE FINAL WARNING" AND "SERVICE 12 V BATTERY". THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR 2014 OF THIS MODEL REGARDING EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. THIS MAKES THE CAR VERY DANGEROUS SHOULD THE PROBLEM OCCUR WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGHWAY SPEED OR NORMAL STREET SPEED WHEN THE CAR LOSSES POWER AND EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, FUMES WERE SEEPING INTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY WAS LOW WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. AS A RESULT, THE BATTERY WAS REMOVED AND PLACED BACK INTO THE VEHICLE BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 432. UPDATED 7/29/15*CN UPDATED 9/19/2017*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V103000 (POWER TRAIN); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.

COLD WEATHER PROBLEM. 29 DEGF OUTSIDE ON OCCURRENCE. SHIFTER WILL NOT MOVE FROM "PARK" POSITION. THIS HAS CLEARED UP BEFORE AFTER LETTING VEHICLE WARM UP. IT IS STILL IN THIS CONDITION PRESENTLY. I ROCKED VEHICLE FORWARD AND BACK, CHECKED FUSES, LET IT WARM UP TO 39 DEG F OUTSIDE WITH THE VEHICLE RUNNING FOR 20 MINUTES. STILL STUCK IN PARK. LAST WINTER THE SHIFT LEVER WOULD MOVE INTO POSITION, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE UNTIL AFTER THE VEHICLE WARMED UP. THE FIAT DEALERSHIP DID A FIRMWARE FLASH UPDATE WHICH CLEARED THAT UP. NOW THIS. THIS IS A 2014 FIAT 500L I HAVE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM ON FIAT OWNER BLOGS INDICATING THIS IS A "COMMON" PROBLEM WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. ONE BLOG SUGGESTED IT MAY BE VOLTAGE RELATED. *TR