2012 FIAT 500 Complaints

MY CAR HAD PROBLEMS SHIFTING GEARS AND THE HIGH COOLANT TEMPERATURE LIGHT WENT ON. THE WARNING SAID STOP AND TURN CAR OFF IMMEDIATELY. I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO STATELINE FIAT WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THEY TOPPED OFF THE COOLANT AND SAID THE CAR WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP. I GOT IN THE CAR AND IT STARTED TO SHAKE WHEN I TURNED THE IGNITION. THEY SAID IT WAS A LOOSE CAP AND TIGHTENED IT. I DROVE BACK HOME AND WITHIN 3 MONTHS THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A NEW LOCAL FIAT. OVER THE PAST 2 AND A HALF YEARS, I HAVE HAD TO PULL OFF ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAVE THE CAR TOWED. NO ONE CAN SEEM TO FIND THE EXACT ISSUE WITH THE CAR, BUT THEY KEEP TELLING ME IT IS FIXED. THE BOTTOM LINE IS I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. I FEEL MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHER DRIVERS IS IN JEOPARDY WHEN THIS VEHICLE IS ON THE ROAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, A BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS FLICKERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 3/13/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED IN 2013 THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. UPDATED 10/8/2015*JS

CAR DIAGNOSED WITH TRANSMISSION COOLER FAILURE. WARMED CAR UP IN THE MORNING FOR 5 MINUTES(COLD MORNING, LOW BELOW ZERO). NOTICED AFTER GETTING IN THE CAR THAT IT WAS STILL COLD INSIDE. ON THE WAY TO WORK AFTER 8 MILES OR SO AND THE HEATER STILL BLOWING COLD AIR, THE HIGH TEMPERATURE/TURN OF ENGINE WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED AND THE DIGITAL TEMP GAUGE WAS AT MAX. STOPPED CAR AND HAD IT TOWED TO FIAT DEALER FOR SERVICE. THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS A TRANSMISSION COOLER FAILURE. THINKING IS THAT THE ENGINE COOLANT FROZE, DAMAGING THE TRANSMISSION COOLER AND CAUSING IT TO MIX TRANS FLUID AND ENGINE COOLANT. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS THIS WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN, CAR ACTED NORMAL PREVIOUS DAY OF DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED 3000 MILES PAST THE WARRANTY EXPIRING. *TR

DASH DISPLAYS TWO MPH - ONE GAUGE AND ONE DIGITAL. WHEN DRIVING AT 50MPH, BOTH DISPLAY 50MPH. WHEN DRIVING ANY SLOWER OR FASTER, THEY DO NOT MATCH. WHEN DRIVING THROUGH A SCHOOL ZONE, THE GAUGE SHOWS 20MPH WHILE THE DIGITAL SHOWS 23MPH. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, DIGITAL WILL SHOW 65MPH AND GAUGE SHOWS 68-70. THE ONLY TIME THE TWO MATCH IS WHEN I DRIVE A STEADY 50MPH. GAUGE SHOWS SLOWER WHEN DRIVING BELOW 50MPH AND SHOWS FASTER WHEN DRIVING ABOUT 50MPH. *TR

AFTER A WEEK OF DRIVING THE CAR, I NOTICED THE TIME ON THE CLOCK WAS 10 MINUTES FAST. I RESET THE CLOCK AND THREE DAYS LATER, IT WAS 2 MINUTES FAST AGAIN. I REPEATEDLY ADJUSTED THE CLOCK EVERY WEEK FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS. AFTER 8 MONTHS, I DECIDED TO LET IT CONTINUE TO RUN FAST TO SEE IF IT WOULD CONTINUE. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, IT GOT TO THE POINT THAT I HAD TO GO AHEAD AND RESET IT BECAUSE I NEVER REALLY KNEW WHAT TIME T WAS WITHOUT CHECKING MY PHONE. AT THAT POINT, THE CLOCK HAD NOT BEEN RESET FOR 6 MONTHS AND WAS 50 MINUTES FAST. VERY INCONVENIENT FOR THE DRIVER AND CAUSES A DISTRACTION JUST TO CHECK MY PHONE TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT LATE TO WORK OR AN APPOINTMENT. *TR

ANYTIME SPORT MODE IS ENGAGED, CAR DOES NOT DECREASE IN SPEED PROPERLY. EVEN WITH BRAKE APPLIED, THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD AS I'M TRYING TO SLOW DOWN. WHEN DRIVING USING SPORT MODE, I HAVE TO STAY VERY FAR AWAY FROM OTHER VEHICLES IN CASE OF SUDDEN BRAKING BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WILL NOT SLOW DOWN PROPERLY. MY HUSBAND DROVE MY CAR IN SPORT MODE NOT KNOWING THAT IT LUNGED FORWARD WHEN BRAKING AND WOUND UP AN INCH AWAY FROM SOMEONE'S BUMPER AFTER ATTEMPTING TO SLOW DOWN FROM A SPEED OF ABOUT 20MPH. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE FOR THE DRIVER AND OTHER'S AROUND. *TR

SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2012 FIAT 500 SPORT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2012 I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. OCCASIONALLY (ABOUT 4 TIMES A WEEK), THE CAR FAILS TO START. WHEN TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE CAR MAKES A NOISE AS IF IT IS GOING TO START BUT WINDS DOWN AND LOSES POWER. I TURN THE KEY BACK, WAIT ABOUT 5 SECONDS AND THE CAR WILL NORMALLY START. THIS HAPPENS ALL YEAR AROUND. I CONTACTED THE HOLT FIAT OF FORT WORTH WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED AND TOOK IT IN TO BE LOOKED AT. THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. IT IS VERY RANDOM BUT HAPPENS VERY OFTEN. *TR

WHILE EXITING THE FREEWAY, I NOTICED THAT THE CLUTCH FELT DIFFERENT IN THAT THERE WAS SUDDENLY A LOT OF RESISTANCE NEAR THE FLOOR WHEN DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH PEDAL. CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO 1ST GEAR AT THE LIGHT. FINALLY STRUGGLED IT INTO 2ND AND WENT. THE CLUTCH DOES NOT FULLY DISENGAGE. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE FORUMS, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A RECURRENT PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE, AND IT IS MOST LIKELY A PRESSURE PLATE FAILURE, SINCE THE CLUTCH DOES NOT SLIP ONCE IT'S IN GEAR, BUT THE CLUTCH ALSO DOES NOT FULLY DISENGAGE WITH THE PEDAL PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN, EVEN THOUGH PREVIOUSLY, THE CLUTCH DISENGAGED AT HALF PEDAL HEIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO BABY THE CAR HOME, AND PROCEEDED TO BLEED THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS AND OBSERVE CLUTCH PEDAL ACTION. WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THE ACTUATOR MOVES ALL THE WAY ON THE TRANSMISSION, SO IT IS NOT A PEDAL FAILURE. IT IS MOST DEFINITELY THE PRESSURE PLATE, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. *JS

CAR FALLS FRONT AND DROPS ON A PARKING LOT. I WAS MANUVERING TO PARK AND THE CAR FALL BECAUSE THE TIRE , SHOCK,TRANSAXLE,BALL JOINT FALL OFF. THIS RESULTS IN DAMAGE IN THE BODY AND I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE CAR AT THE SITE ON MY WORK. NO POTHOLE,NO CRASH, JUST FALLS AND BREAKING APART...UPDATED 12/02/14 *BF UPDATED 12/22/2015*JS UPDATED 9/7/2017*CN

I HAD TO REPLACE 10 HUB CAPS FROM 2012 - 2014(86,000). THE PLASTIC THAT HOLD THE RING ON THE HUB CAB KEEP BREAKING WITH JUST A SMALL BUMP. I HAVE BOUGHT 4. FIAT HAS REPLACED 6 SO FAR ON MY CAR AND HAVE LOST NOW 3 MORE AND HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER FOR 7 MONTHS NOW. FIAT SAID THEY WILL REPLACE THEM AFTER 4 MONTHS OF GRIPING. NOW MY WIFE HAS A 2013 MODEL AND SHE DOESN'T PUT AS MAY MILES AS I DO AND SHE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. 15" STEAL RIMS WITH HUB CAPS. I HAVE 40 YR AS A FORD MECHANIC AND HAS WORK AS AN SERVICE REP. THIS CO. HAS NO ONE THAT YOU CAN TALK TO ONE ON ONE AND GET ANY ANSWERS. ALL DONE ON PHONE. I HAVE ASKED TO HAVE SOMEONE CALL BUT ONLY CUSTOMER SERVICE. IF YOU LOOK ON THE WEB ALOT OF CUSTOMERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND CAN'T GET THE HUB CAPS TO REPLACE.TO MANY ON BACK ORDER. JUST AT MY DEALER THERE IS OVER 60 ORDERS FOR THE PART. RIGHT NOW I HAVE ONLY 1 HUB CAP ON MY CAR AND LOOKS BAD. *TR