FIAT Complaints

WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE SINCE BEFORE CHRISTMAS WITH OUR NEW FIAT 500. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYING ON, AND ONCE IN A WHILE THE SHIFTER PANEL LIGHTS FLASHING FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT WHILE WE WAITED FOR PARTS. IT TOOK TWO WEEKS FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO GET A NEW CONTROL MODULE IN, FIRST THEY GOT A MODULE THAT DIDN'T WORK, THEN THEY GOT ONE THAT DID WORK AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED. LAST NIGHT MY WIFE IS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND SUDDENLY THE "NO GEAR FOUND" ERROR POPS UP ON THE THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY, THE TRANSMISSION DISENGAGED INTO NEUTRAL. NO ACCELERATION WHATSOEVER. THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING, THE BRAKES WORK, THE LIGHTS ARE ON, BUT NO GEARS. SHE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER, CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND GOT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. WE ARE WAITING ON PARTS AGAIN. *TR

CAR DOES NOT SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE. INSTRUMENT PANEL RELAYS MANY WARNINGS (GEAR NOT AVAILABLE, TRANSMISSION WARNING, SEEK SERVICE) AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THIS IS OCCURRING DAILY NOW AND FIAT DOES NOT HAVE A FIX. CODES CAN BE CLEARED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TRANSMISSION MODULE IS WHERE THE WARNINGS ARE STORED. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO LET THE CAR WARM UP FOR 2 MINUTES BEFORE PUTTING IT INTO DRIVE. *TR

THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (ETC) LIGHT CAME ON AFTER SLOWING DOWN AND THEN HAVING TO ACCELERATE FAST TO AVOID AN ONCOMING CAR AT AN INTERSECTION CROSSING. AT THE SAME TIME THE CAR LOST SPEED AND ACCELERATION. WE CONSULTED THE MANUAL IMMEDIATELY AND DID WHAT IT SAID, THAT IS TO RESTART THE CAR. WE DID THIS AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF. TO DO THIS WE HAD TO PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE AND PARK AND THEN GET BACK ON. WHEN GETTING BACK ON I HAD TO SLOW DOWN AND AGAIN ACCELERATE QUICKLY AGAIN TO PROPERLY MERGE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON THE 4 LANE WE WERE TRAVELING. THE ECT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND WE AGAIN STOPPED AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE ECT LIGHT WENT OUT. ABOUT 4 MILES LATER AT AN INTERSECTION I SLOWED THEN ACCELERATED AFTER MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN (THE LIGHT WAS GREEN).THE ECT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND THIS TIME I IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND ACCELERATION AND COULD NOT GET THE CAR ABOVE ABOUT 40 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR.WE HAPPENED TO BE TRAVELING TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP ON ANOTHER MATTER (PHONE PAIRING) AND WE WERE ONLY A HALF A MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP SO WE TOOK IT IN TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THEY GAVE US THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AS A LOANER.WE WENT A FEW MILES THE ECT LIGHT CAME ON IN THIS CAR (FIAT 500) SO WE WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THIS IN TWO CARS. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT I HAD TOUCHED OR PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDDLE AND THE ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME AND THIS CAUSES THE ECT SYSTEM TO ACTIVATE AN ECT LIGHT TO COME ON. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT IF YOU EVEN TOUCH THE BRAKE FOR EVEN A SECOND WHILE THE ACCELERATOR IS ENGAGED OR ESPECIALLY IF IT IS TRYING TO INCREASE SPEED TO THE TIRES THE ECT WILL ENGAGE AND LIGHT WILL COME ON AND TO RESET YOU HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY STOP THE CAR TURN IT OFF SO THE SYSTEM WILL RESET. THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE TO ME WOULD INDICATE A SAFETY PROBLEM OR A DESIGN DEFECT. SIMILAR PROBLEMS SEEN ON INTERNET WITH THE ECT. *TR

VEHICLE CLUTCH FAILED TO DISENGAGE. DEALER ADVISED CUSTOMER (ME) PARTS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND ADVISED FIAT THAT CLUTCH IS WORN OUT. DEALER COMPLETED THE REPAIR; CUSTOMER PAID $940 FOR REPAIR. DEALER INVOICE NOTES: "CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE SPRING DAMAGE AND DISTORTED" - DAMAGED COMPONENT IS NOT A WEAR-AND-TEAR COMPONENT OF THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, AND HAS SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, NOT A PROGRESSIVE WEAR. FIAT REFUSES TO REVIEW AND RE-EVALUATE THE CASE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON A ROAD FLAT/STRAIGHT ROAD WITH A 50 MPH SPEED LIMIT. I WAS SHIFTING MY GEARS (MANUAL) AS I NOTICED THAT THE LIGHT AHEAD WAS TURNING FROM RED TO GREEN. I COULD NOT GET THE GEAR TO GRASP 3RD. MOREOVER, THE WHEN I TRIED PRESSING THE BRAKE, IT DID NOT FEEL LIKE IT NORMALLY DOES. IT WAS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO PUSH THE BRAKE. I WAS REALLY SCARED AND ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT. I WAS SOMEHOW ABLE TO COAX MY CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND TURNED IT BACK ON. I FULLY PUSHED THE CLUTCH IN WITH MY LEFT FOOT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MOVED THE GEAR SHIFT FROM NEUTRAL INTO ANY OF THE GEARS (1ST, 2ND, 3RD, 4TH, 5TH, OR REVERSE). I TURNED THE CAR OFF AGAIN, AT THIS POINT I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE CLUTCH AND WAS ABLE TO FREELY MORE THE GEAR SHIFT INTO ANY OF THE GEARS. SOMETHING IS TREMENDOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS CAR. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED TO ME ON THE HIGHWAY I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE DEALER HAS SAID THAT THE CLUTCH, BEARINGS, AND PRESSURE PLATE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN AGAIN TO ME IF THE DEALER REPLACES THE BAD PARTS WITH NEW ('POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE') PARTS. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED. I DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO AGAIN TO ME OR SOMEONE ELSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500E. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, HE FELT AN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME EXTREMELY SENSITIVE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DECELERATE EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS A COMMUNICATION ISSUE WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,435.

FROM CALIFORNIA VISITING FAMILY IN OKLAHOMA. AT THE TIME OF VISIT WE EXPERIENCED A WINTER COLD FRONT THAT BROUGHT ICE RAIN AND SNOW. WENT OUT ON THE MORNING OF THE INCIDENT TO WARM THE CARS IN THE YARD, AND THE TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME WAS 18 DEGREES WIND CHILL, WITH EFFECT WAS 5 DEGREES. STARTED THE CAR AND LET IT WARM UP FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES, AND HEAT AND DEFROST WERE NOT TURNED ON AT THE TIME, THEN AFTER 15 MINUTES WENT OUT TO TURN OFF ALL THE VEHICLES. I THEN TURNED OFF THE FIAT AND CLOSE THE DOORS AND TOOK TWO STEPS AWAY FROM CAR AND THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED OUTWARD. WHEN I WARMED UP THE CAR, NO DEFROSTER WAS TURNED ON OF ANY KIND, I JUST TURNED THE CAR ON SO THE FLUIDS WOULDN'T FREEZE. I CALLED AHEAD OF TIME TO ASK ALL THE APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS BEFORE HEADING OUT TO 45 MINUTES TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEN I TOOK IT IN TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A STANDARD 12 BY 12 SERVICE CONTRACT WITHOUT INSPECTING THE VEHICLE. THEY DIDN'T DO ANY DIAGNOSTIC TEST LIKE THEY SAID THEY WOULD OVER THE PHONE, THEY ONLY DID A OIL CHANGE THAT I ASKED FOR. THEY TOLD US THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, AND IT COULD ONLY BE CAUSED BY SOME TYPE OF IMPACT. THEY NEVER TOOK OFF THE PLASTIC ON THE WIDOWS THAT WE PUT ON TO HOLD WHAT GLASS THAT WAS LEFT IN PLACE. I CALLED CORPORATE AND TALKED TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND GAVE THEM PERTINENT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE WINDOW. THEY OPEN THE FILE FOR US, AND CHECKED WARRANTIES. THEN I WAS ASKED TO DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED, SHE TOOK DOWN THAT INFORMATION, AND THEN WAS PUT ON HOLD, BECAUSE SHE NEED TO CONFER WITH THE TECHNICIANS AT THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER TALKING WITH THE TECHNICIAN, I WAS TOLD BY HER THAT THEY CONCLUDE THAT IT WAS IMPACT RELATED AND COULD NOT BE SERVICE UNDER ANY WARRANTY. WE FOUND ADDITIONAL SITUATIONS ON THE INTERNET ON FIAT WINDOWS EXPLODING. *TR

NEW CAR ROLLED AS I SWERVED AND STRUCK A PARKED TRUCK. GOING ONLY 27 MPH THE CAR THEN ROLLED OVER, THE ROOF CRASHED. NO SUDDEN MOMENTS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO AIR BAGS WENT OFF BUT GLASS IN THE WINDSHIELD AND ROOF SHATTERED. DRIVER THROWN INTO PASSENGER SEAT AND RECEIVED CUTS AND BRUISES. *TR

AFTER DEALER REPLACED FAULTY REAR MAIN SEAL IN JULY/AUGUST 2013, REAR WIPER BLADE WOULD ACTIVATE WITH CONTROLS IN OFF POSITION, CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO MOVE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL ARM UP AND DOWN, AND THEN REAR WIPER BLADES WOULD STOP. ALSO THE CAR STARTER WOULD INTERMITTENTLY MAKE A ELECTRICAL NOISE AFTER TURNING THE KEY AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START, THEN I HAD TO TURN KEY TWO TO THREE TIMES TO START CAR. AFTER TWO MONTHS WITH ABOVE, IN COLD WEATHER BELOW 35 DEGREES THE STEREO, CD PLAYER, BLUEME SYSTEMS WON'T WORK! IT ONLY STARTS TO WORK AFTER THE CAR AND SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT REACHES 40-45 DEGREES. CALLED INTO DEALER AND HAVE APPOINTMENT FOR CHECKING ALL AND REPAIR/REPLACE COMPONENTS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND SAFELY. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHTS ARE NOT SHOWING ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THE AIRBAGS ARE NOT WORKING! *TR