2016 FIAT 500X Complaints

I RECEIVED THE ERROR MESSAGE "DRIVE MODE UNAVAILABLE" WITH A SERVICE ENGINE MESSAGE AFTER MY LAST REGULAR SERVICE APPOINTMENT AND OIL CHANGE. MY CAR IS AT 27,400 MILES AND AFTER THROWING THAT CODE BARELY COULD MAKE IT UP A RESIDENTIAL HILL. AFTER THE LOCAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT CLAIMED TO HAVE FIXED IT, 3 MILES DOWN THE ROAD THE MESSAGE POPPED UP AGAIN AND DRIVING WAS DIFFICULT. MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS HAD MY FIAT 500X NOW THE SECOND TIME SINCE DECEMBER 1ST WITH NO UPDATES FOR ME.

TRANSMISSION HESITATES TO ENGAGE AFTER PRESSING ACCELERATOR AND ALSO SHIFTS ROUGHLY WHEN IT DOES CHANGE GEARS. ALL AVAILABLE SOFTWARE PATCHES HAVE BEEN APPLIED BY DEALER, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY WHEN MERGING OR TURNING INTO TRAFFIC, SINCE ACCELERATION CAN LAG RANDOMLY WHEN IT IS NEEDED THE MOST. BECAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION BURSTS AND LAGS WHEN SHIFTING, THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND PROVIDES A HERKY-JERKY DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

CAR STATES 'DRIVE MODE UNAVAILABLE' AND A DAY AFTER CAR STOPPED COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING TURNED BACK ON AND DRIVE AS NORMAL ALSO RADIO SCREEN TURNS OFF AND ON BY ITSELF

MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. THERE ARE CONSTANT DELAYS IN SHIFTING. UPON ANY ACCELERATION, MY VEHICLE WILL FAIL TO SHIFT FOR UP TO SEVERAL MINUTES. DURING THAT TIME THE ENGINE WILL REV UP TO 600 RPMS BEFORE FINALLY SHIFTING. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I ACCELERATE QUICKLY WITH EVERY GEAR. ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE TO PASS OTHER CARS OR SPEED UP QUICKLY. ALL SHIFTING IS CLUNKY AND VEHICLE OFTEN SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTS WHILE DRIVING ON AN OPEN HIGHWAY AND MAINTAINING A SPEED OF 55MPH TO 60MPH. ALSO DOWNSHIFTS SUDDENLY DURING NORMAL STREE DRIVING. VEHICLE WILL NOT GO ANY FASTER THAN 75MPH-EVEN ON A STEEP DOWNSLOPE. I CAN FLOOR THE GAS PEDAL AND CAR SIMPLY WILL NOT GO FASTER THAN 75MPH. I MUST SWITCH TO SPORT MODE TO GO ANY FASTER, BUT THEN AVERAGE RPMS ARE 300-350 AND VEHICLE USES TOO MUCH GAS. I HAVE OWNED IT ONLY 30 DAYS. PURCHASED FROM A DEALER. ONE PREVIOUS OWNER. ONLY 28000 MILES ODO. IDLES SOMEWHAT ROUGH AND SLIGHT KNOCKING HEARD FROM ENGINE WHILE OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. HAVE HAD IT BACK TO DEALER WHO DENIED ANY PROBLEM, BUT GAVE ME NO PAPERWORK TO TELL ME WHAT WAS CHECKED. TAKING IT BACK TOMORROW. PROBLEMS ARE A SERIOUS DANGER WHILE DRIVING.

BRAKE PADS REPLACED AT 4,600 MILES. BRAKES WERE SCREAMING. STARTING CAR SETS OFF SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND DRIVE MODE UNAVAILABLE MESSAGE. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE THE PROBLEM AFTER 5 RETURN VISITS..

ENGINE IS VERY SHAKY WHEN STALLED AT STOP LIGHTS, ETC. SERVICE LIGHT RECENTLY CAME ON AND CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR EVALUATION AS IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE COOLING FAN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BUT IS ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER WITH NO ETA. CAR CAN NO LONGER BE DRIVEN IN TRAFFIC AS IT QUICKLY OVERHEATS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FIAT 500X. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED SEVERE JERKING AND HESITATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (CROWN CHRYSLER/FIAT LOCATED IN CHATTANOOGA, TN) WHERE THE PCM, TCM, AND TRANSMISSION WERE REPROGRAMMED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FIAT 500X. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE GEAR SELECTOR ERRONEOUSLY SWITCHED FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (RICK CASE FIAT/CHRYSLER OF DAVIES, FLORIDA), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED, LOCKED UP, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V529000 (POWER TRAIN), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 700.

I WAS MAKING A SLOW TURN IN A PARKING LOT AND THE CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE RADIO REMAINED ON AND DASH LIGHTS/GEAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED BUT THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE OTHERWISE. I REALIZED IT HAD TURNED OFF SO I RESTARTED IT & IT CONTINUED TO DRIVE NORMALLY. ABOUT 50 MILES LATER I WAS DRIVING 35MPH AND A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON STATING "DRIVE MODE UNAVAILABLE" THEN ANOTHER SAYING "SERVICE ENGINE". I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY SAID IT JUST NEEDED SOME UPDATES, GAVE IT THE UPDATES, AND SENT ME HOME. ABOUT 50 MILES LATER THE DRIVE MODE AND SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. ABOUT 50 MILES LATER THEY TURNED OFF ON THEIR OWN, AND ANOTHER 20 MILES LATER THEY CAME BACK ON AGAIN. THE CAR SEEMS TO DRIVE NORMALLY BUT THE DIFFERENT DRIVE MODES SUCH AS "TRACTION +" AREN'T ACCESSIBLE. IT'S BEEN BETWEEN 60-80 DEGREES OUTSIDE & CLEAR ON EACH OCCASION. IT HASN'T TURNED ITSELF OFF AGAIN SINCE THE FIRST TIME.

HAZARDOUS DELAY IN DOWNSHIFTS WHEN AN EXTRA BURST OF SPEED IS NEEDED. THIS HAPPEN OFTEN. DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO MERGE.