2012 FIAT 500 Complaints

THE CLUTCH GAVE OUT IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AS I WAS DOWNSHIFTING TO ENTER A TRAFFIC CIRCLE. THE CLUTCH PEDAL BECAME STIFF AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, BUT COULD NOT PUT THE CAR BACK IN GEAR, OR DEPRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL FULLY. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, THE PRESSURE PLATE CRACKED DUE TO IT BEING MANUFACTURED WITH LOW-QUALITY METAL. THE CAR HAS ONLY 43,000 MILES ON IT.

"TAKATA RECALL" MECHANICAL DEFECT HAS BEEN DETECTED. MY CAR WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY IT RANDOMLY BEGAN STATING TO "CHECK TRANSMISSION SEE HANDBOOK." I TOOK IT TO A FIAT DEALERSHIP IN WHICH I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED THEM OF THE DIAGNOSIS CODE P0741 HAD BEEN PROVIDED TO THEM AT DROP OFF BEFORE ANY WORK WAS PERFORMED - TONY (THE SERVICE ADVISOR) SAID THAT WAS NOT HELPFUL COULD MEAN ANYTHING. (DIAGNOSIS MEANS: TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH CIRCUIT PERFORMANCE OR STUCK OFF) I WAS ADVISED NUMBERS LIES AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. TURNS OUT THERE IS A FAULT IN THE WIRING OF THE SYSTEM AND COMPUTER WHICH IS NOW CAUSING CAR TO NOT STAY IN GEAR. I WANT TO RAISE ALL AWARENESS TO THIS ISSUE. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THIS CAR (ONLY 58K IN MILEAGE) I HAVE HAD TO PERSONALLY REPLACE THE FOLLOWING: NUMBER OF RADIATOR REPAIRS: 2 SUNROOF: 1 TRANSMISSION: FAULTY MECHANICAL ERROR TOTAL TUNE UPS: 2 BRAKE INSTALLMENTS: 3 I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF ANY PRIOR ISSUES BEFORE PURCHASE ALL ISSUES HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO MANUFACTURE NEGLIGENCE! NO ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED. PLEASE ASSIST ME IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500 ABARTH. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CLUTCH FAILED AND PREVENTED THE TRANSMISSION FROM SHIFTING OUT OF GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.

AT ABOUT 33,000 MILES THE FUEL ROLLOVER VALVE FAILED MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO PUMP FUEL INTO MY TANK AND AT TIMES CAUSING FUEL TO SPILL FROM THE FILLER TUBE. THE VALVE IS NOT REPLACEABLE SO THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. ABOUT 3,200 MILES LATER THE ROLLOVER VALVE FAILED AGAIN. EVEN THOUGH THE TANK ONLY HAD A FEW THOUSAND MILES ON IT FIAT/CHRYSLER REFUSED TO WARRANTY THE REPLACEMENT TANK DUE TO THE CAR ITSELF BEING OUT OF NEW CAR WARRANTY BY A FEW MONTHS. I REFUSED REPLACEMENT OF THE SECOND TANK AT MY EXPENSE. THERE ARE A LOT OF DETAILS, DISCUSSIONS, AND A PROMISE BROKEN BY FIAT/CHRYSLER THAT ARE MISSING HERE BECAUSE OF AVAILABLE CHARACTERS TO TYPE. SIMPLY PUT THOUGH, FIAT ADMITS HAVING A ROLLOVER VALVE PROBLEM. MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MANY OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM BELIEVE IT IS CAUSED BY THE FUEL PUMP NOZZLE ITSELF SO THEY HAVE NOT COMPLAINED TO FIAT. ONE OF THE 3 DEALERS I SPOKE WITH MENTIONED THEY ARE HAVING TO REPLACE TANKS BECAUSE OF THE ROLLOVER VALVE THAT "STICKS". UPON CHECKING THE VALVE MYSELF I SAW NO EVIDENCE OF STICKING YET SOMETHING WAS BLOCKING FUEL FROM COMING IN. IS IT SO SENSITIVELY CALIBRATED THAT ONE CAN'T ACTUALLY TELL IF IT WORKS WITHOUT SPECIAL MEASURING TOOLS? HOW DOES FIAT SERVICE TEST IT? IF IT IS STICKING CLOSED, CAN IT STICK OPEN RENDERING THE ROLLOVER SAFETY COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE? REGARDLESS, THIS VALVE WAS DESIGNED NOT TO FAIL, OTHERWISE IT WOULD REQUIRE AN INEXPENSIVE REPLACEABLE PART RATHER THAN A $800.00 FUEL TANK REPLACEMENT. I ALSO CONTEND, THAT, FOR IT TO CEASE TO OPERATE CORRECTLY AFTER JUST A FEW THOUSAND MILES (DO THE MATH) A GOOD INDICATION IS THAT IT WAS DEFECTIVE WHEN INSTALLED. BUT FIAT REFUSES TO BEAR ANY RESPONSIBILITY. FINALLY, THIS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER. I BELIEVE EXTENDED LIFETIME WARRANTIES EXIST FOR RAM TRUCKS AND OTHER DODGE VEHICLES FROM ABOUT 2003 TO 2007 FOR A SIMILAR PART.

AT ABOUT 36,000 MILES IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO CHANGE GEARS AND THEN SHIFTER SUDDENLY BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL WHILE ON THE ROAD. GOT OFF THE ROAD AND CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO FIRST GEAR, AND WHEN TRYING TO REVERSE IT MADE A HORRIBLE GRINDING SOUND. CAR WAS IMMOBILE. TURNS OUT THAT SOME 2012 FIATS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE FAULTY PRESSURE PLATES INSTALLED. DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS MY PRESSURE PLATE AND QUOTED A PRICE OF 1100+ AS THEY SAID CLUTCH IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I FOUGHT THAT AND FIAT CHRYSLER CORPORATION ENDED UP PAYING FOR THE NEW CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. A PHOTO OF PRESSURE PLATE WERE EMAILED BY DEALER WITH THE NOTE: AS YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THE PICTURE THE FINGERS FOR THE PRESSURE PLATE ARE BENT IN 3 PLACES CAUSING THE ISSUE YOU ARE EXPERIENCING. THE GOOD NEWS IS I HAVE SPOKEN WITH ERICKA FROM FIAT CHRYSLER HEADQUARTERS AND THIS WILL BE WARRANTIED BY THEM AT NO COST TO YOU FOR THE PARTS, LABOR OR RENTAL.

WHILE IN MOTION (1ST GEAR) AND ABOUT TO SHIFT INTO SECOND THE CLUTCH BECAME COMPLETELY FROZEN AND THE SHIFT LEVER WAS UNABLE TO MOVE GEARS. THIS WAS WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE SHUT DOWN IN ORDER FOR THE SHIFTER TO BE PUT INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. NO PREVIOUS CLUTCH ISSUES WERE APPARENT.THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD US IT WAS A FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE AND CONSEQUENTLY THE SLAVE CYLINDER. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CLUTCH WAS NOT WORN BEYOND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR FOR THE MILEAGE SO THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY USER ERROR BUT DEFECTIVE PRESSURE PLATE. WE WERE TOLD THAT BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WAS OUT WE MIGHT AS WELL REPLACE THE CLUTCH BUT IT WAS NOT REQUIRED. TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS $1030.00 INCLUDING THE PRESSURE PLATE, SLAVE CYLINDER, CLUTCH AND LABOR. THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS 2012 FIAT 500'S BASED UPON OTHER OWNERS. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD FROM A DEFECTIVE PART. THE NEW PART HAS A NEW PART NUMBER BUT I WAS TOLD THIS HAS NO RELATION TO PRESSURE PLATE UPDATES EVEN THOUGH NEWER 500'S DON'T SEEM TO HAVE THE ISSUE. ALSO NOTICED WAS THE CARS CLUTCH FEELS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN IT DID UPON PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE IN 2012 THROUGH PRIOR TO THE REPAIR. NOW THE CLUTCH PEDAL EXHIBITS A COMPLETELY LOOSE FEELING WITHOUT TENSION AS IT DID THE PAST 4 YEARS.

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL ON, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND CANCELLED THE CRUISE CONTROL. THERE WAS NOTHING AROUND MY EMERGENCY BRAKE. I PULLED OVER TO PULL IT AND MAKE SURE NOTHING WAS MAKING IT BE ENGAGED. DROVE ON HOME WITH NO OTHER PROBLEMS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, INCLUDING THE LIGHTS, GAUGES, AND METERS, FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

CLUTCH WOULD NOT DISENGAGE, COULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR FROM NEUTRAL,IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, HAD TO SHUT ENGINE OFF, PUT IN GEAR, START IN GEAR AND DROVE TO SAFE LOCATION[CITY STREET] [11/20/2015] [17,500 MILES ON CAR]$1400.00 FOR CLUTCH REPLACEMENT

THE CLUTCH FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, PREVENTING THE CAR FROM SHIFTING GEARS -- FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR IN REGULAR, CITY-STREET TRAFFIC (LYNDALE AVE., IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN). AT THE MOMENT OF FAILURE, I HEARD/FELT A DISTINCT YET LIGHT "THUMP" AS I PRESSED DOWN ON THE CLUTCH PEDAL. THE CAR ONLY HAS 40K MILES ON IT.