FIAT Complaints

LOCKING MECHANISM ON DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED. BUCKLE POPPED OPEN AND CANNOT BE LOCKED. MUST USE PASSENGER SIDE LOCKING MECHANISM IN ORDER TO PROTECT DRIVER. IF TWO PASSENGERS ARE IN THE FRONT SEAT, ONLY ONE CAN BE PROTECTED DUE TO THIS FAILURE. LOCKING MECHANISM APPEARS TO BE JAMMED OR LOCKED UP AND WILL NOT "CLICK" WHEN SEAT BELT TONGUE IS INSERTED PER FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT AND MANUFACTURER STATES CANNOT FIX UNTIL "PARTS ARE AVAILABLE", ESTIMATED NOVEMBER 2014. *TR

CENTER EMBLEM KEEPS COMING OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE STEERING WHEEL REVEALING THE AIRBAG BEHIND IT. I KEEP "POPPING" IT BACK IN PLACE, BUT IT DOES NOT STAY. THE NEAREST DEALER FOR REPAIRS IS 90 MILES AWAY. I SCHEDULED A TIME FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT, BUT NOW HAVE TO BRING IT IN AGAIN SO THEY CAN KEEP IT LONGER TO DETERMINE IF IT JUST NEEDS THAT PIECE REPAIRED OR IF I NEED A WHOLE NEW STEERING WHEEL. I CAN ONLY HOPE THE AIRBAG DOES NOT DEPLOY FROM BEHIND THIS LOOSE PIECE AS IT IS CLEARLY NOT ATTACHED TO ANYTHING. *TR

I PURCHASED THE BRAND NEW VEHICLE JUNE 8, 2014 WITH 98 MILES ON IT FROM PREMIERE FIAT OF FREMONT. AFTER ONLY OWNING THE CAR FOR 4 DAYS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON JUNE 12, 2014. IT WAS TOWED TO THE NEILLO FIAT STUDIO IN SACRAMENTO WHERE THEY FIRST DETERMINED A BROKEN RELAY TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE LIGHT. AFTER TEST DRIVING THE CAR, THE LIGHT STILL CAME ON. THEN THEY DECIDED THE PROBLEM WAS A BROKEN O2 SENSOR. THEY ORDERED THE PART, AND REPLACED IT. THE LIGHT STILL CAME ON DURING A TEST DRIVE. AT THIS POINT, THEY NOW HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR OVER A WEEK WITH LITTER IDEA OF WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THE LAST UPDATE I RECEIVED WAS THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR A PART TO COME IN SO THEY COULD TEST THE POWER CONTROL MODULE. THERE IS NO ETA FOR THIS. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CHRYSLER IN ORDER TO TRY TO SEE WHAT MY OPTIONS ARE, AS THIS CAR NOW SEEMS LIKE A LEMON AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THEY ARE PROVIDING LITTLE ASSISTANCE OTHER THAN CONTACTING THE STUDIO FOR UPDATES AND TRYING TO DETER ME FROM ASKING FOR A TRADE. THERE DOES SEEM TO BE SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THIS BRAND NEW VEHICLE, WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN GOOD FAITH AND ONLY DRIVEN FOR 4 DAYS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500L. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSE BY A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP LIGHT UNDER LIGHT ACCELERATION, MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON INCLUDING "ESC DISABLED" AND MULTIPLE LIGHT WARNINGS FOR THE GEARBOX, THE STEERING, ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL, GENERAL MALFUNCTION LIGHT, ESC OFF LIGHT, AND ESC MALFUNCTION LIGHT, AND LOST POWER STEERING, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WHILE TRYING TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY WITH NO CHANGE. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR A HALF-HOUR, THE CAR WAS RESTARTED AND STEERING WAS RESTORED AND NO WARNING LIGHT WERE ON. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME AND PARKED UNTIL IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY DROVE THE CAR OVER 50 MILES AND WERE UNABLE TO REPEAT THE INCIDENT OR IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM SO THEY RELEASED THE UNREPAIRED VEHICLE TO THE OWNER. *TR

DRIVING TO GO HOME, VEHICLE WON'T SHIFT AND UNEXPECTED DIRECTION AND LOSS OF POWER CAUSING VEHICLE AND MYSELF TO COLLIDE WITH LIGHT POLE. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. GAS PEDAL STUCK AND TRANSMISSION HAD VERY SLOW SELECTIONS. VEHICLE HAD FLASHING CONTROL LIGHTS BEFORE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. MY VEHICLE ACTED LIKE IT FROZE UP AND LOSS OF POWER AND DIDN'T SHIFT CORRECTLY CAUSING ACCIDENT. *TR

TWICE DRIVING ON FREEWAY WE PUSH GAS PEDAL DOWN TO ACCELERATE AND CAR DOES NOTHING, WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS GOING TO STOP OR ?? SAME THING HAPPENS WHEN WE'RE DRIVING AND WANT TO SPEED UP AND FOR EXAMPLE PASS A CAR OR GO THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT BUT THE LONGER I DRIVE THE CAR THE MORE FREQUENTLY IT'S BEEN HAPPENING. THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS A NEW PROBLEM: WHEN BACKING UP CAREFULLY WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE I CANNOT PUSH THE BRAKE DOWN ALL THE WAY, FEELS LIKE A METAL BAR IS BLOCKING IT. WILL BE LEAVING IT AT THE FIAT DEALERSHIP TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRST PROBLEM SEEMS LIKE THEY CAN'T FIX IT (TAKEN IT IN 3 TIMES). I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE MANAGERS AT THE LAST VISIT THAT A "GO PEDAL" IS SUPPOSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. CAN BE INSTALLED AT A PLACE IN SIGNAL HILL, CA FOR $300. *TR

WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF RT. 50 E IN ANNAPOLIS MD, I PUT THE CAR INTO PARK. THE CAR BECAME CONSUMED WITH A STRONG BURNING ODOR. AS TRAFFIC BEGAN TO MOVE, I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON BRIEFLY. SINCE THE CAR HAD BEGUN TO ROLL FORWARD, I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND TURNED ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS. TRAFFIC BEGAN TO GET BACK TO SPEED BUT I WAS BROKEN DOWN IN THE MIDDLE LANE, BLOCKING TRAFFIC. I CALLED THE STATE POLICE FOR ASSISTANCE, AND THE CAR WAS EVENTUALLY SAFELY TOWED TO THE DEALER, JOHNSON FIAT OF ANNAPOLIS. THE DEALER HAD THE CAR FOR 4 WORKING DAYS AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT, THAT THEY DROVE IT FOR 60 MILES AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE REPAIR INVOICE NOTES " NO WARNING LIGHTS ON AS OF NOW, COULD NOT DUPLICATE COMPLAINT FROM CUSTOMER. TOOK CAR FOR MULTIPLE TEST DRIVES, NO SIGN OF BRAKE FAILURE, NOT RUNNING POORLY, CAR JUST HAS A HORRIBLE BURNING SMELL". I ACCEPTED THE CAR AND IT SEEMS TO BE FINE ALTHOUGH I HAVE LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN ITS SAFETY WHILE DRIVING IT. *TR

AUTO DUAL DRY CLUTCH TRANSMISSION. MANUFACTURED 7/2013, PURCHASED NEW FROM DEALER 1/14. CAR SHUDDERED AND HESITATED ON THE TEST DRIVE. TOLD IT WOULD SMOOTH OUT BECAUSE IT WAS AN ADAPTIVE TRANSMISSION. CONTINUED TO SHUDDER, HESITATE AND LURCH. BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALER 3 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN 5 TIMES SINCE AND STILL IS NOT FIXED. THE DEALER WILL NO LONGER TAKE THE CAR FOR SERVICE AND SAID THE CAR WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY DURING HEAVY, STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED BUT IT DID NOT HELP. THEY SUGGESTED WE CONTACT FIAT CUSTOMER CARE WHO HAS OPENED A CASE BUT NOT RESPONDED AND NOT RETURNING PHONE CALLS. CAR IS UNUSED BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE. IT LURCHES CONSTANTLY AND BARELY MISSES HITTING OTHER CARS IN TRAFFIC. TIMELINE: 1. TEST DRIVE SHUDDERED AND HESITATED, TOLD IT WOULD GET BETTER WITH DRIVING. 2. DAY 3 TOOK TO DEALER. SAID IT WAS SPARK PLUGS AND CHANGED OUT ALL PLUGS. CAR CONTINUES TO STUTTER, CLUTCH OVERHEAT, LURCHING. 3. DEALER TRIP, THEY SAID IT WAS "JUST THE WAY THE TRANSMISSIONS ARE AND THEY'RE SORRY BUT THERE ISN'T ANYTHING THEY CAN DO." CAR CONTINUES TO STOP, NOT SHIFT IN TO GEAR, LURCH, CLUTCH OVERHEATING. 4. RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE. ALL SERVICE PERFORMED. 5. 24 HOURS LATER, CAR NOT FUNCTIONING, BACK TO THE DEALER. DEALER REDID SOFTWARE INSTALLATION, REPLACED BRAKES, CLUTCH AND FLY WHEEL. 6. 48 HOURS LATER CLUTCH OVERHEATS, NEARLY HITS THE CAR IN FRONT OF US IN TRAFFIC. DEALER REFUSES TO ACCEPT CAR IN FOR SERVICE, SAID "THIS TRANSMISSION WILL NOT FUNCTION IN HEAVY STOP AND START TRAFFIC. YOU NEED TO CONTACT FIAT, THERE IS NOTHING MORE WE CAN DO FOR YOU." 7. FIAT CUSTOMER CARE SAYS THEY WILL OPEN A CASE ON MAY 30, 2014. NO RESPONSES SINCE. DANGEROUS VEHICLE SHOULD BE TAKEN BACK AND REFUNDED OR EXCHANGED WITH A MODEL MANUFACTURED AFTER JANUARY 2014. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE I BOUGHT IT THREE WEEKS AGO. THE FIRST TIME I WAS GOING THROUGH A DRIVE THROUGH AND THE CAR JUST COUGHED AND TURNED OVER AND THEN STALLED. IT WAS FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR WOULD START AGAIN. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS WAITING AT A LIGHT AND PULLED OUT TO TURN AND THE CAR JUST COUGH AND STALLED AGAIN. I HAD THREE MEN COMING TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE INTERSECTION AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE MOTOR TURNED OVER AND STARTED AGAIN. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH. VERY DANGEROUS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT I GET NERVOUS EVERYTIME I ENTER A INTERSECTION. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING AWAITING A CALL BACK. *TR