FIAT Complaints

I BOUGHT THE CAR 2 YEARS AGO AND DRIVEN IT WITHOUT ANY ISSUES UNTIL A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT SHOWED. BEING IN TRAFFIC AND IN THE RAIN, I DID DRIVE MY CAR HOME. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY WHO CHANGED THE LOW OIL PRESSURE SENSOR AND CHANGED THE OIL AND IT LOOKED LIKE THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. BUT AFTER A FEW WEEKS IT APPEARED AGAIN. I TRIED TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM ON THE NET AND MOST POSTS I FOUND INDICATED THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR HAS 65000 MILES, SEEMS LIKE AN UNFAIR PROBLEM TO HAVE FOR SUCH A YOUNG ENGINE. THE PROBLEM OCCURRS ONLY AT IDLE. SINCE I DRIVE THE CAR VERY LITTLE AND IN NO TRAFFIC I DECIDED TO CONTINUE DRIVING IT AND LOOK OUT FOR THE LIGHT AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE WHEN IT COMES ON. BUT ONE DAY MY CAR DID NOT START SO I TOWED IT TO MY MECHANIC WHICH FOUND THE STARTER HAD SOME CORRODED BOLTS (?) WHICH HE CLEANED AND THE CAR RUNS FINE NOW. BUT HE WARNED ME THAT THE OIL PRESSURE PROBLEM IS ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE AND THAT AT SOME POINT I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHY THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED IN THE FIRST PLACE BY TRYING TO FIND ANY SENSIBLE INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS QUITE A FEW OWNERS OUT THERE THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT FIND ANY ANSWERS ON WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF IT. I FOUND THIS INFORMATION ON A RECALL REGARDING THE STARTER: CSN N15 STARTER MOTOR MOUNTING BOLTS 2012 (FF) FIAT 500 THE STARTER MOTOR MOUNTING BOLTS ON ABOUT 3K OF VEHICLES MAY NOT GROUND THE STARTER MOTOR TO THE TRANSAXLE CASE PROPERLY. THIS COULD CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL ENERGY FROM THE STARTER MOTOR DURING CRANKING TO TAKE AN ALTERNATE PATH TO GROUND ACROSS THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT BEARINGS. MY CAR IS NOT RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM. BUT IS IT STILL POSSIBLE THAT MY CAR WAS AFFECTED BY THE SAME PROBLEM? AND IF YES, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGES THAT RESULT FORM IT?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500L. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO THE PROPER GEAR. THE CONTACT COULD NOT PLACE THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CONTACT MADE MORE THAN TWO ATTEMPTS TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE. THE CONTACT WAITED APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE AND WAS ABLE DRIVE OFF SAFELY. THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, "SWITCH TO NEUTRAL THEN TO DRIVE" APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A FIAT DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NORTH STAR DODGE SAN PEDRO (7242 SAN PEDRO AVE, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78216, (210) 249-7500) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC RESULTS. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE MAY HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED SYMPTOMS OF AN UNKNOWN RECALL THAT WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH HER VIN. THE MECHANIC THEN REFUSED TO SERVICE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON A 4 LANE PARKWAY, WITH MY CHILDREN, AND THE CAR SUDDENLY WOULDN'T GO INTO ANY GEAR. UPON INSPECTION, THE CLUTCH WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 70,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS HAD ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500L. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND WHEN DRIVING THE ENGINE LOST ENGINE POWER CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DECREASE IN SPEED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE AND A PASSERBY HAD TO ASSIST WITH MOVING THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY. A DEALER HAD NOT DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE YET. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE OWNERS RESIDENCE DUE TO THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V192000 (POWER TRAIN) AND WAS WAITING TO DETERMINE FROM THE MANUFACTURER IF THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,299.

BOTH FRONT TIRES SAY SAILUN ON ONE SIDE AND ALTREZZO ON OTHER SIDE. I BOUGHT THE CAR AT CARMAX.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500L. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR AND THE GEAR NOT AVAILABLE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AUTONATION CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM ROSEVILLE (200 AUTOMALL DR, ROSEVILLE, CA 95661, (916) 467-8055) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE SAME DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED A SECOND TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO USE THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT, IT FAILED TO EXTEND. THE CONTACT CALLED BROWN'S FIAT (LOCATED AT 483 NY-112, EAST PATCHOGUE, NY 11772, (631) 317-1161) AND WAS INFORMED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,883.

TWICE SINCE 2014, THE HEAVY DRIVER SIDE, GLASS WINDOW HAS SLID DOWN INTO THE DOOR AND HAS NEEDED EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. DRIVING WITHOUT A FUNCTIONING DRIVER SIDE WINDOW IS NOT SAFE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THIS HAPPENED. ALSO AT LEAST ONE OR OTHER OF THE HEADLAMPS NEEDED CHANGING, THREE TIMES, CREATING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE UNTIL I HAD THE TIME TO GET IN AND HAVE THEM FIXED. THE DOORS ARE EXTREMELY HEAVY AND THE STOPS THAT HOLD THEM OPEN, DO NOT WORK WHEN THE CAR IS NOT PARKED ON THE LEVEL (WHICH IT HARDLY EVER IS, IN THE HILLY SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA). THIS CREATES A MAJOR RISK OF THE HEAVY DOOR SLAMMING ONTO YOUR LOWER LIMBS AS YOU GET IN AND OUT OF THE CAR. THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY DEFECTS IN THE DESIGN OF THIS CAR, AND SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER.

MY TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM LIGHT STAYS ON DESPITE HAVING CHANGED ALL FOUR TIRES AND VALVE PRESSURE STEMS. THERE SEEMS TO BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM. LOOKING ON THE FIAT FORUMS ONLINE APPARENTLY MANY OTHER OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE WIRELESS SYSTEM. MY VEHICLE IS A 2012 WITH LESS THAN 40K MILES. I REMEMBER HAVING THE PROBLEM WHEN THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW AGAIN. TIRES AND VALVE PRESSURE STEMS ALL NEW AND INSTALLED AND CHECKED BY COSTCO TIRE CENTER. THE SYSTEM HAS NOT RESET ITSELF DESPITE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS.

TRUNK LATCH FROZEN. CANNOT OPEN. NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE OR RODENT ACTIVITY, GOOGLE SEARCH FOUND THIS TO BE COMMON ACROSS MODELS AND YEARS.