2013 FIAT 500E Complaints

AS WE PULLED AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, THE CAR MADE A LOUD POPPING SOUND AND LOST POWER TO THE DRIVE SYSTEM. THE DASHBOARD IMMEDIATELY DISPLAYED A "PROPULSION SYSTEM WARNING" MESSAGE AND COULD NO LONGER BE DRIVEN. THE CAR WAS TOWED (FLAT BED) TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR. AFTER A WEEK, AND THE DEALER'S TECHS TALKING WITH TECHNICIANS IN DETROIT, DETROIT SUGGESTED REPLACING THE CAR'S POWER INVERTER. THIS REPAIR WILL COST MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. THIS CAR HAD THE POWER INVERTER REPLACED BY THE SAME SHOP IN RESPONSE TO THE RECALL TO PREVENT SUDDEN POWER FAILURE. OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE POPPING SOUND AND SUDDEN POWER LOSS IS IDENTICAL TO DESCRIPTIONS FROM OTHER OWNERS WHO HAD THE RECALL FOR THE POWER INVERTER REPLACEMENT. GLAD NO ONE WAS HURT AND THAT WE WERE NOT ON A HIGHWAY.

THERE IS AN EXISTING RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. I HAVE TRIED TWICE TO GET IT REPAIRED AT THE NYLE MAXWELL FIAT DEALERSHIP IN AUSTIN TEXAS. THE DEALERSHIP IS REFUSING TO MAKE THE REPAIR. THIS IS COMING FROM THE REPAIR MANAGER MR. AUSTIN MORIN.

WE RECEIVED RECALL S26/NHTSA 16V-303 FOR OUR 2013 FIAT 500E. WHEN I CALLED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE CLOSEST FIAT DEALER, THE EARLIEST APPOINTMENT WAS MORE THAN FOUR WEEKS OUT. BECAUSE THERE ARE NO FIAT DEALERS NEAR WHERE I LIVE, I NEED A LOANER VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I'VE BROUGHT THIS CAR FOR PREVIOUS RECALLS TO THIS SPECIFIC DEALER AND HAVE ALWAYS RECEIVED EITHER A LOANER OR A RENTAL, FREE OF CHARGE. TODAY, THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME SHE CANNOT PROMISE ME A LOANER AND THAT THEY WOULD CHARGE FOR A RENTAL. THE DEALERSHIP IS FIAT OF THOUSAND OAKS AND I LIVE IN SANTA BARBARA, CA. THIS IS A HUGE WASTE OF MY TIME, BEING THAT I HAVE TO DRIVE FOR AN HOUR, USING ALL THE VEHICLE'S CHARGE, THEN HAVING TO WAIT FOR NOT ONLY THE RECALL FIX BUT FOR THE VEHICLE TO CHARGE FOR 4 HOURS IF THEY CANNOT PROVIDE ME WITH A LOANER OR A RENTAL. I BELIEVE CAR COMPANIES SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR ALL EXPENSES WHEN IT DEALS WITH RECALLS AND THAT LOANERS AND/OR RENTALS SHOULD BE AUTOMATIC. I ALSO FEEL OTHER DEALERSHIPS THAT ARE PART OF THE SAME GROUP SHOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO SERVICE CERTAIN RECALLS IF THE RECALL IS SIMPLY TO REPROGRAM OR UPDATE THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTER.

OUR FIAT DIED THREE TIMES WITHIN A FOUR MONTH PERIOD, SPECIFICALLY ON 6/20/2014 (2,609 MILES), 8/11/2014 (3,101 MILES), AND 10/20/2014 (4,050 MILES). A "SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT APPEARED EACH TIME IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE, STOP, OR STEER. OF THE THREE INCIDENTS, THE FINAL INCIDENT ON 10/20/2014 WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS: THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE CROSSING TRAIN TRACKS (LIGHT-RAIL) WHILE A TRAIN WAS APPROACHING. CHRYSLER-FIAT HAS SINCE REPURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 5/2015 PER CALIFORNIA LAW.

ON 1/18/2014 WE LEASED A 2013 FIAT 500E ("THE CAR")FROM KEARNY MESA FIAT. VIN [XXX]. IT HAD LESS THAN 20 MILES ON IT WHEN WE TOOK POSSESSION OF IT. ON 3/3/2014 IT WOULD NOT CHARGE GIVING ME A LARGE YELLOW INDICATOR SAYING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEMS WERE NOT WORKING. THIS FLASHED AND THEN DROPPED OFF THE SCREEN. ON 3/17/2014 THE SAME LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY. THE CAR WAS WITH THE DEALER FOR REPAIR UNTIL APRIL 8, 2014, FOR A TOTAL OF 22 DAYS. FIAT OFFERED, AND I ACCEPTED A CASH SETTLEMENT FOR THIS REPAIR. ON 10/3/2014 THE LIGHT RETURNED. THERE WERE 11747.4 MILES ON THE CAR. KEARNY MESA FIAT PERFORMED RECALL WORK. ON 10/11/2014 THE LIGHT ALTERNATED WITH THE TURTLE LIGHT. THEN THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. IT HAD 12302 MILES. ON 10/13/2014 THE DEALER IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED PIM. I GAVE NOTICE I WANTED TO RETURN THE CAR. AFTER CONFIRMING I HAD NOT HIRED A LAWYER, [XXX]. FROM FIAT OFFERED TO SELL ME ANOTHER CAR FROM CHRYSLER IF I PAID AN ADDITIONAL $5000. I DECLINED. ON 10/17/2014 THE DEALER RETURNED THE CAR SAYING THE MAIN COMPUTER HAD FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED. THIS DIFFERED FROM THE 10/13 OPINION. ON 4/27/2015 (19,817 MILES)THE WARNING LIGHT RETURNED AND STAYED ON. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER (5TH TIME IN 18 MO.). SERVICE SAID TWO MODULES WERE "NOT COMMUNICATING" AND THEY REBOOTED THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. ON 5/5/2015 (20,369 MILES) THE CAR STOPPED COMPLETELY, FLASHING THE SERVICE PROPULSION SYSTEM LIGHT. IT STOPPED AND PUT ITSELF INTO PARK WHILE I WAS ON HWY 67. CARS WERE DRIVING AT ME AT 60 MPH FROM 3 DIRECTIONS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500E. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V235000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SCHEDULE A RECALL REPAIR SEVERAL TIMES AND THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE CONTACT HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO CALIFORNIA TO HAVE THE REPAIR PERFORMED BECAUSE IT WAS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE WITH THE VENT CONTROLS AND THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT HAD TO MAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER DID NOT MENTION THIS TO THE CONTACT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CONTACT RELOCATED TO ANOTHER STATE, THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO SCHEDULE A RECALL APPOINTMENT WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

WHILE SLOWING TO TAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN THE CAR JERKED BACK AND HAD MOVED ITSELF FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. IMMEDIATELY THE "SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM" LIGHT CAME ON AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. I STOPPED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE CAR BACK INTO DRIVE. THE CAR WOULD NOT REVERSE EITHER. ONLY PARK OR NEUTRAL WERE WORKING. I WAS FORCED TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND HAD SOMEONE GET OUT AND PUSH THE CAR SO WE COULD MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO FIAT DEALER WHERE THEY INDICATED IT WAS A GLITCH IN THE SOFTWARE AND THAT IT WAS FIXED WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE "RRT 15-001". EXACTLY ONE WEEK LATER THE SAME INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED, AND THE CAR IS BEING TOWED AGAIN TO THE DEALERSHIP. *TR

FIAT 500 E (ELECTRIC ENGINE) WAS FULLY CHARGED. STARTED CAR AND BACKED OUT OF DRIVEWAY. HEADED DOWN RESIDENTIAL STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 25MPH. WITHIN 1/8 MILE, "SERVICE ELECTRICAL VEHICLE SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT CAME UP. CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER, BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER BEFORE CAR STOPPED. CAR WOULD START, SHOW WARNING LIGHT, BUT COULD NOT BE PUT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE TO BE DRIVEN. WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD TOWED (FLAT BED) TO FIAT DEALER - WHERE CAR RESTARTED WITHOUT PROBLEM. FIAT DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. KEPT CAR FOR ONE WEEK, TESTED FOR 100+ MILES. TOLD ME "CORPORATE" KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND WAS WORKING ON A "SOFTWARE FIX" - BUT TO TAKE THE CAR HOME AND DRIVE IT. THIS CAR HAS BEEN PART OF A FIAT RECALL (WORK COMPLETED TWO MONTHS PRIOR) TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. DID NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE RECALL. SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED IN A FRIEND'S 2014 FIAT 500 E TONIGHT - EXACT SAME WAY - WITH ENGINE POWER FAILING WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION - WITH JUST BARELY ENOUGH TIME TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC LANE. THIS FRIEND'S VEHICLE HAD ALSO HAD THE RECALL COMPLETED A MONTH PRIOR. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS ON THE INTERNET AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A CAR FAILS IN MOVING TRAFFIC RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO MY FIRST COMPLAINT, FILED ON 07/01/14. ON 08/16/14 MY FIAT WAS TOWED FOR THE 3RD TIME TO CONCORD OF FIAT. THE FIRST TIME THE POWER INVERTER MODULE WAS REPLACED (RECALL), THE SECOND TIME THE BODY CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED, THE THIRD TIME THE POWER INVERTER MODULE (RECALL) WAS REPLACED, FOR THE SECOND TIME. I HAVE CONTACTED THE CHRYSLER ARBITRATION DEPARTMENT. I WILL BE SEEKING DAMAGES UNDER CIVIL CODE SECTION 1790. FURTHER, UNDER THE CA "LEMON LAW" GUIDE (1): "THE SAME PROBLEM RESULTS IN A CONDITION THAT IS LIKELY TO CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY IF THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO REPAIR TWO OR MORE TIMES BY THE MANUFACTURER OR ITS AGENTS." THE RECALL EXPLICITLY STATES THAT A DEFECT IN THE POWER INVERTER CONSTITUTES A CONDITION THAT "IS LIKELY TO CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS BODILY INJURY IF THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN..." THE CHRYSLER RECALL STATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS: "THE POWER INVERTER MODULE (PIM) ON YOUR VEHICLE MAY CONTAIN COOLING PLATES THAT LEAK COOLANT INTO AREAS OF HIGH-VOLTAGE CIRCUITRY. THIS CAN RESULT IN AN OVERCURRENT ELECTRICAL CONDITION, WHICH WILL CAUSE THE HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY MANUAL SERVICE DISCONNECT FUSE TO OPEN. AN OPEN HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY MANUAL SERVICE DISCONNECT FUSE WILL CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE PROPULSION AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING." *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500E. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SENSOR BEGAN FLASHING AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE SENSOR ILLUMINATED WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS FULLY CHARGED, HALFWAY CHARGED, OR LOW. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NO REMEDY WAS PROVIDED. THE CONTACT WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V235000 (ENGINE). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE SENSOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150.