FIAT Complaints

LOST CONTROL OF STEERING WHEEL. BIG SAFETY PROBLEMS! UNABLE TO CONTROL WHEN TURNS!! THE WHEEL TURNS BACK BY ITSELF!! REPAIRED BY THE DEALER ONCE, DEALER CHANGED THE ENTIRE STEERING SYSTEM ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. RIGHT NOW IT HAPPEN AGAIN!! AND IT HAPPENS EVERYDAY EVERY TIME WHEN I MAKE THE TURN!NOT SAFE FOR THE DRIVER , NOT SAFE FOR EVERYONE ON THE ROAD!!

WHILE DRIVING MY FIAT CONVERTIBLE WITH TOP DOWN, I SUDDENLY HEAR A LOUD POP NOISE AND MY REAR WINDSHIELD POP AND SHATTERS TO MANY PIECES. THE CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW FOR LESS THAN A YEAR EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A 2014 MODEL BECAUSE IT COULD NOT BE SOLD THE YEAR PRIOR. SEND THE CAR IN TO DEALER AND FIAT CHRYSLER REFUSE TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD BY DENYING IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. IF THERE WAS PASSENGERS IN THE BACK THE SHATTERED GLASSES COULD HAVE FALLEN ON THEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500L. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE AND IDLING, THE TRANSMISSON CLUCTH STARTED TO HEAT UP AND SMOKE. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF IN ORDER FOR THE FAILURE TO STOP. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMERIOUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE. ON THE FIRST VISIT, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD STOP EVENTUALLY. ON THE SECOND VISIT, THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NETURAL TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

ON 01/25/2016 WAS ON I20 DRIVING TO WORK WHEN I STARTED TO SMELL LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING THEN WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON THAT THE CAR NEEDED TO BE TURNED OFF AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE SERVICED, MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. ALSO THE WINDSHIELD STARTED TO CRACK WELL FOR STARTERS MY CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE JAN. 25,2016 AND HERE IT IS MARCH 29TH OF 2016 AND THEY BARELY CALLED ME THAT IT IS READY. WELL SINCE READING ABOUT POWERTRAIN RECALL AND READING THAT MY CAR HAS HAD THAT REPAIRED ONCE ALREADY AND NOW REPAIRED FOR THE 2ND TIME I FEAR THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A ON GOING PROBLEM AND NOW I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY. WHEN I SPOKE WITH DEALERSHIP ON 03/25/16 I MADE SHOP TECH AWARE THAT THE LOANER I WAS USING NEEDED A NEW REGISTRATION TAG AND NOW TODAY MY CAR IS READY WELL THAT SCARES ME. WHEN I FIRST SPOKWE WITH DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT IT TOOK THEM ALMOST 4 DAYS TO LET ME KNOW THEIR FINDINGS AND THE WAY IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME WAS PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE THE 6 CYLINDER TRANSMISSION MAKING ME FEEL LIKE IT WAS MY FAULT WHEN THIS WHOLE TIME IT HAS BEEN A ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL.

VEHICLE HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WITHOUT WARNING, DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS ON A CITY STREET, IT BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT GEARS. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP (FIAT DEALER) WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THE FLYWHEEL, CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE, AND CLUTCH BEARING WERE BROKEN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. COST FOR THE REPAIR WAS $1612.00

I WAS DRIVING IN 3RD GEAR (MANUAL TRANS) AND TRIED TO SHIFT TO 4TH. THE SHIFT KNOB POPPED OUT OF 3RD FINE, BUT THEN WOULD NOT GO INTO 4TH. WHEN I TRIED TO GO BACK INTO 3RD IT WOULDN'T ENGAGE. I ENDED UP NEEDING TO SHIFT INTO 2ND WHEN THE CAR LOST MOMENTUM, IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN THIS GEAR EITHER, OR 1ST. I HAD TO TURN QUICKLY ONTO A SIDE STREET IN ORDER TO NOT GET HIT FROM BEHIND. WITH THE CAR ON, IN NEUTRAL, AND STATIONARY, IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR (WITH THE CLUTCH PRESSED DOWN). IT FELT LIKE IT JUST BOUNCED OUT OF GEAR WITHOUT IT EVER ENGAGING. WITH THE CAR OFF, THE SHIFTER WOULD ENGAGE FINE - IN ANY GEAR. FROM WHAT I'VE READ ON MULTIPLE FIAT FORUMS, THIS IS A REOCCURRING PROBLEM FOR MANY. MY CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 46,000MILES, AND NOT HAD ANY MAJOR ISSUES THUS FAR, WITH THE ENGINE AND BODY ARE IN GREAT CONDITION. - HTTP://WWW.FIAT500OWNERS.COM/FORUM/8-FIAT-500-GENERAL-DISCUSSION-FORUM/81033-WONT-ABLE-SHIFT-GEARS.HTML ---- HTTP://WWW.FIAT500OWNERS.COM/FORUM/8-FIAT-500-GENERAL-DISCUSSION-FORUM/27713-STIFF-CLUTCH-CAR-WONT-SHIFT-INTO-GEAR-GETTING-SICK-ALL-THESE-ISSUES.HTML ----

AT 25,000 MILES I HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. AFTER THAT, I NOTICED UNSAFE FEELING ON MY STEERING ON HIGH SPEED (OVER 75MPH) THAT I NEVER FELT BEFORE THE SERVICE. IT JUST DIDN'T FEEL STEADY. BROUGHT THE CAR BACK IN THEN THEY REPLACED AN INTERNAL SHAFT BUT DIDN'T HELP. BROUGHT BACK IN TWICE MORE AND THEY TEST DROVE IT AND CHECKED EVERYTHING (SO THEY SAID) BUT NOTHING WAS FOUND. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIRES WERE GETTING OLD AND TO JUST GET USED TO IT AND NOT TO DRIVE SO FAST. BUT ON INTERSTATES, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GO WITH THE FLOW AND THAT FLOW CAN BE THAT HIGH SPEED. I TALKED TO TWO SERVICE PERSONNEL BUT THEY SEEMED LIKE THAT THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND MY CONCERN NOR CARE ABOUT IT. I POSTED MY CONCERN ON FIAT USA FACEBOOK PAGE AND SOMEONE FROM THE FIAT HEADQUARTERS CONTACTED ME WHICH WAS NICE BUT NOT MUCH HELP BECAUSE MY DEALERSHIP DIDN'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THEM. I WAS EVEN SUGGESTED BY A PERSON FROM THE HEADQUARTERS TO CHANGE THE DEALERSHIP. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT I WILL HAVE TO BUY NEW TIRES ABOUT 6,000 MILES FROM NOW BUT THIS KIND OF THING NEVER HAD HAPPENED TO ANY OF MY PREVIOUS CARS.

IT HAS THE EURO TWIN AUTOMATIC CLUTCH SYSTEM, AND THE TRANSMISSION IS VERY SLOW TO RESPOND. WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE THE CAR WILL SIT FOR A SEW SECONDS BEFORE FINALLY GOING. IT HAS PUT US IN NEAR-ACCIDENT SITUATION SEVERAL TIMES. ITS HARD TO SPEED UP TO MERGE ON A HIGHWAY, OR GET THROUGH A ROUND-ABOUT. WE NEVER KNOW IF THE CAR IS GOING TO GO OR JUST SIT THERE. IT HAS HAD THE SOFTWARE UPDATES DONE 3 TIMES, AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO FIAT. ALL THEY TELL US IS "ITS WORKING AS IT SHOULD" INSTEAD OF ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE SYSTEM ITSELF IS FLAWED. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT THROUGH TOWN OR EVEN ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE IT JUST DOES NOT SHIFT GEARS LIKE A SHOULD AND WE CAN'T TRUST IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 (NA) FIAT 500L. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LACK OF ACCELERATION. THE TTMS AND ELECTRICAL THROTTLE BODY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE STILL DID NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,800. UPDATED 05/06/16*LJ *TR

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.