FIAT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A SECOND VEHICLE. DURING THE CRASH THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BOTH LEG INJURIES AND A INJURED NECK DURING THE CRASH THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE NOT TOWED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER FIAT OF MELBOURNE LOCATED AT 300 E NASA BLVD, MELBOURNE, FL 32901 AND EXAMINED BY A MANUFACTURERS ENGINEER WHO DETERMINED NO FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, WITH "DRIVE MODE NOT AVAILABLE" WARNING. CAR SHUTS OFF FOR NO REASON WHILE IN MOTION. RESTART, LIGHT GOES OFF. SEEMS TO BE AFFECTED BY CHANGE IN WEATHER.

CLUTCH PETAL TRANMISSION NOISE WHEN SHIFTING INDICATING DAMAGE IT MAY BE THE SAME PART THAT WAS RECALLED BUT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AFTER RECALL PERIOD CLOSED FOR WORK DONE ON VEHICLE. I NEED TO KNOW IS THERE ANY TYPE OF EXTENSION OR WAIVER THAT CAN BE GIVEN TO FIX ISSUE.

THE CAR RANDOMLY JUMPS INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I MUST TRY TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER, AS THE DASH IS TELLING ME TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR. ONCE I'VE STOPPED I HAVE TO MOVE THE GEAR SHIFT TO PARK, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT.

I BROUGHT MY 2014 500L TO FIAT DEALER TO TAKE CARE OF THE RECALLS REGARDING THE SHIFTING AND ENGINE IDLE SPEED. BEFORE I BROUGHT THEIR IT WAS RUNNING FINE. I GOT IT BACK THE SAME DAY AND WHEN I RECEIVED IT GOT A REPORT THAT ALL WAS GOOD. NOW MY CAR IS ACTING UP. SOMETIMES I STEP ON ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING HAPPENS THAT WAS AT MY HOME. ALSO WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE IT DOESN'T ENGAGE AND ON THE SCREEN IT TELLS ME TO PUT IN PARK THEN NEUTRAL AND THEN DRIVE THAT WAS AT MY SONS SCHOOL. SOME TIMES IT STILL DOESN'T WORK AND HAVE TO DO IT MULTIPLE TIMES. I BROUGHT IT BACK AND TOLD THEM THEIR SOFTWARE UPGRADE HAS MADE MY CAR WORSE THAN IT WAS. THEY EVALUATED IT AND THE SERVICE WRITER SAID HE WOULD NEED TO CHARGE ME 8HRS OF LABOR @ $185 AN HR. JUST TO EVALUATE THE PROBLEM. IT STILL THEIR AND WILL CALL FIAT DIRECTLY TO TRY TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE RECALL.

HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH DIFFICULTY SHIFTING INCLUDED IN FCA RECALL 16V302000. AS WITH MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THE NHTSA, FCA AND THE DEALERSHIP ARE DENYING MY VIN IS COVERED IN THE RECALL, BUT I HAVE A 2013 MANUAL TRANSMISSION FIAT 500, AND THE RECALL INCLUDES 2012-2016 MODEL YEARS. THE CABLE HAS NOT BROKEN YET, BUT I AM HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY GETTING THE CAR TO SHIFT INTO 1ST AND REVERSE. THE RECALL SPECIFICALLY SAYS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE INCREASING THE RISK OF CRASH IF THE CABLE BREAKS WHILE OPERATING THE CAR, BUT FCA IS CLEARLY NO COVERING UNDER RECALL ALL OF THE VEHICLES EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. SO, AN OTHERWISE PERFECTLY MAINTAINED CAR IS NOW LEAVING ME QUESTIONING IT'S SAFETY. THANKS FIAT FOR NOT ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THE VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM!

VEHICLE SOMETIMES WILL NOT GO INTO DRIVE AFTER REVERSE. WILLMREVERSE OUT OF DRIVEWAY BUT CAR WON'T DRIVE FORWARD WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE GEAR. I THEN GE A MESSAGE TO PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TRY AGAIN. SOMETIMES THIS WORKS BUT SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T.

RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE FOLLOWING RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON MY 2014 FIAT 500L VIN [XXX]: "ITEM AFFECTED: POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONDATE ANNOUNCED: 03/04/2014DESCRIPTION OF RECALL:CHRYSLER GROUP LLC (CHRYSLER) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2014 FIAT 500L VEHICLES MANUFACTURED APRIL 5, 2013, THROUGH JANUARY 22, 2014. IN CERTAIN TEMPERATURES, MOVING THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER MAY HAVE A DELAYED EFFECT OR NO EFFECT ON SELECTING A TRANSMISSION GEAR." HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM IS STILL UNRESOLVED. EVERY DAY WE FIRST START THE CAR, NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN WE PUT IT IN GEAR, AND WE GET AN ELECTRONIC STATEMENT THAT THE "GEAR IS UNAVAILABLE". WE HAVE TO MOVE THE GEARSHIFT BETWEEN AUTO DRIVE, REVERSE, AND MANUAL DRIVE UNTIL SOMETHING WORKS, AFTER WHICH EVERYTHING WORKS PROPERLY. WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS A SOFTWARE ISSUE, AND WE DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO PAY $6,000+ FOR A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION! CAN THIS EXACT SAME RECALL BE REDONE AT NO COST TO US? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ON AUG 19TH MY CAR WENT IN FOR SERVICE DUE TO THE UNSAFE FAILURES OF ITEMS REPLACED DURING THE 2 RECALLS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE GEAR SHIFT MODULE AND POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE WERE BOTH RECALLED AND "FIXED". YET ON OCOTOBER 7TH 2020, I EXPERIENCED THE INABILITY TO SHIFT AND CONTROL THE TRANSMISSION GEAR SELECTION. I HAD UNINTENDED DIRECTIONAL MOVEMENT. I EXPERIENCED A DIMINISHED ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND TO MAINTAIN VEHICLE SPEED AS EXPECTED. I WAS ONLY GOING 20MPH-40MPH ON STREETS. THE CAR WAS SWITCHING GEARS ON ITS ON AND STALLING IN TRAFFIC. WHEN I WOULD PUSH ON GAS PEDDLE IT WAS ROLLING BACK WHILE ON AN INCLINE. WHAT WAS MOST ALARMING WAS THAT AS I TRIED TO GET THE CAR HOME IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AS I PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC. I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE TO GET IT INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. OBVIOUSLY THE RECALLS IN BOTH 2014 & 2017 FAILED TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN PER AUG 19TH'S SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS, AVOIDING AGGRESSIVE HIGH SPEEDS AND WHEN IDLE PUT IN PARK TO AVOID OVER HEATING. I HAVE DRIVEN IT AN AVERAGE OF 18MILES A DAY SINCE LAST SERVICED. EVERYTHING I AM EXPERIENCING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE TWO RECALLS. UNSAFE CAR.

I WORK AT AN INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR FACILITY. WE HAVE SEEN SEVERAL HEADLIGHT BULB CONNECTOR FAILURES WHERE THE CONNECTOR MELTS. WHEN THE CONNECTOR MELTS, THE LIGHT STOPS FUNCTIONING. THE REPAIR REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF THE CONNECTOR AND THE BULB.