FIAT Complaints

EXPERIENCED REPEATED FAILURE OF THE AIR BAG SAFETY SYSTEM. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR FOUR TIMES AND FAILURE REOCCURED AT BETWEEN 1 AND 80 MILES DISABELING THE AIR BAG SAFETY SYSTEM. *TR

REPORTED ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL THRU VENTILATION SYSTEM. DEALERSHIP DENIED ELECTRICAL BURNING BUT FOUND GAS PUNCTURE IN PLASTIC GAS TANK, SAYS SMELL IS FROM BURNING GAS. (OWNER DISAGREES) HOWEVER WITH NO OTHER SUSPENSION OR BODY DAMAGE FOUND EXCEPT THE GAS TANK PUNCTURE THERE IS GREAT CONCERN THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW. THAT THE TANK CAN BE PUNCTURED SO EASILY WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF DRIVER OF ANY EVENT. *TR

WHEN I AM DRIVING AND I AM START SLOWING DOWN FOR A LIGHT BEFORE IT GET TO A FULL STOP THE TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFT TO QUICK THAT MAKES THE CAR JERK, I STOP AND WAIT FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE AND IT DOWNSHIFT BY ITSELF, IT FEELS LIKE SOMEBODY IS HITTING YOU ON THE REAR OF THE CAR BUT NOBODY IS THERE .I BROUGHT THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES TO THE DEALER BUT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT. ONE OF THE TIMES THAT I WAS AT THE DEALER IT HAPPENED. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, DROVE IT FOR 10 FEET AND THEN SHIFTED TO FORWARD AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR 3 TO 4 SECONDS THEN A JUMP (SHIFTED TO 1ST GEAR) I WAS WITH THE PERSON WHO MAKES THE APPOINTMENTS SO HE TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR NEXT DAY. NEXT DAY THEY DROVE IT AND THE CAR WOULD SHIFT FINE SO NOTHING WAS FIXED. LAST WEEK, I TOLD THEN TO KEEP THE CAR AND LET THE FOREMAN TO DRIVE IT HOME SO HE WOULD FEEL WHAT IT WAS HAPPENING, HE TOLD ME THAT IT HAPPENED ONCE BUT ON DOWNSHIFT AND THAT COULD BE A COMPUTER PROGRAM AND I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FIAT DEVELOP A NEW PROGRAM. THEY TRIED EVERYTHING THAT THEY KNOW AND THE FINAL SOLUTION WAS THE WAY THAT I DRIVE OR THE COMPUTER HAVE TO ADJUST WHEN I CHANGE MY DRIVING FROM THE HIGHWAY TO THE CITY I THING IS A LOT OF BS I DRIVE 120 MILES DAILY TO WORK AND I AM WORRY THAT THE DOWNSHIFT WILL HAPPEN WHEN I AM DRIVING ON HIGHWAY SPEED AND OF COURSE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE DOWNSHIFT WILL NOT HAPPEN ON HIGHER SPEED EVEN THAT THEY SAID THEY DO NOT KNOW WHY I KEEP BRINGING THE CAR WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP ME TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE EVEN THE CAR FOLDS ON THE LEMON LAW STILL I HAVE TO MAKES THE PAYMENTS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY FIAT 500 HAS A DEFECTIVE REAR AXLE. THE REAR WHEELS ARE NOT IN ALIGNMENT. THE AXLE IS SOLID AND HAS NO ADJUSTMENT, THEREFORE IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE REAR WHEELS ARE TOED IN EXCESSIVELY WHICH HAS LED TO PREMATURE TIRE WEAR, VIBRATION AND INFERIOR FUEL MILEAGE. THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT ON MANY EARLY 500'S AND THE DEALER REFUSES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

I PURCHASED VEHICLE CERTIFIED USED 20 JAN 2013. THE FIRST DAY OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I NOTICED A STRONG BURNING SMELL INSIDE THE CABIN. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 8 TIMES AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CANNOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I HAVE OPENED A CASE WITH CHRYSLER/ FIAT RESOLUTION TEAM. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE! THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE SENDING AN ENGINEER TO SERVICE THE CAR. AN ENGINEER WAS SUPPOSE TO SERVICE THE VEHICLE THIS WEEK AND THEY NEVER SHOWED UP. THE SERVICE REP AT THE DEALERSHIP RECALLED THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE SAME ISSUE BEFORE TRADING IT IN. THAT INFO WAS NOT DISCLOSED TO ME BEFORE PURCHASING. DEALERSHIP WILL NOT TAKE THE CAR BACK OR REPLACE IT, HEADQUARTERS INTERVENTION IS NOT PROACTIVE. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500 SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND THE GENERIC WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,114.

AFTER A WEEK, CAR MIL STARTED TO BLINK , BUT MANUAL MENTIONS IT CAN BE DRIVE AND COMPUTER MAY RESET ITSELF, BUT THEN MALFUNCTION LAMP WAS ON ALL TIME , AND THEN CAR STARTED TO STALL , TO STOP COMPLETELY . STARTED CAR JUST TO PARK IT, THEN WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM EXHAUST WHEN REVERSING . IMMEDIATELY TOWED CAR TO REPAIR SHOP, IT TOOK 3 WEEKS FOR REPAIR AS PARTS ARE NOT EASY AVAILABLE. PARTS AFFECTED ARE: MULTI AIR ACTUATOR , GASKET NO, GASKET CY , AND WIRING EN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE KEY BECOME STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

TODAY IS THE 30TH DAY OF THE PURCHASE OF MY CAR AND HAVEN'T MAKE A PAYMENT YET. WHILE DRIVING IN THE NORMAL MORNING COMMUTE TRAFFIC AT 5 TO 10 MILES PER HOUR AND MAKING FREQUENT STOPS DUE TO THE TRAFFIC JAM, SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT OF THE AIR VENT. INITIALLY I THOUGHT THAT THE VENT WAS OPEN TO THE OUTSIDE AND THE SMELL BELONGED TO A TRAILER NEXT TO ME; BUT NO... THE AIR WAS CIRCULATING FROM WITHIN THE VEHICLE. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR HEAVY SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE CAR WAS GOING TO SET ON FIRE, I WAS TRAPPED BETWEEN TWO LANES AND I PANICKED BECAUSE IF AN EXPLOSION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED TOO MANY CARS WERE CLOSE TO ME DUE TO THE HEAVY TRAFFIC. PANEL DID NOT LIGHT UP WITH ANY INDICATIONS OF "CHECK ENGINE" OR "TEMPERATURE" RISING. TEMPERATURE WAS NORMAL ACCORDING TO THE THERMOSTAT. I PULLED UP TO THE SHOULDER AND GOT OFF THE CAR AND OPENED THE HOOD AND IT WAS FULL OF SMOKE. AT THE BEGINNING CAR ENGINE DID NOT RUN BUT LATER THE TOW TRUCK WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR OVER THE PLATFORM. CAR WAS LEFT AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR FURTHER EVALUATION SINCE IT IS A BRAND NEW MODEL THAT JUST CAME TO THE USA. UNKNOWN DEFECT AT THIS TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, OIL LEAKED FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE REAR MAIN SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.