FIAT Complaints

BOUT THE CAR AND WAS CLEANING THE SEATS (I'M A SMOKER SO WIPING THE ASHES OFF) AND NOTICED A DEPRESSION/INDENTATION IN THE DRIVER SEAT AND PASSENGER SEAT AS WELL AS A PLASTIC CORD INDER THE SEAT COVER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. HAD THE DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEMS, WELL THE DEALERSHIP MADE THE SEATS EVEN WORSE DOING A CRAP JOB ON THE COVERS. VERY DISSATISFIED WITH FIAT AS WELL AS THE DEALERSHIP.

ON JANUARY 9TH, 2018 I LEASED A NEW 2017 FIAT 500X FROM FIAT AUTO GALLERY VAN NUYS AT 5711 VAN NUYS BLVD, VAN NUYS, CA 91401. TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE WASHING MY CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME, I NOTICED SOME CLOUDY SPOTS ON THE CAR'S EXTERIOR PAINT (3 SPOTS) AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE A BURN SPOT ON THE LEFT PASSENGER DOOR. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE THAT NEEDED TO BE HANDLED BY FIAT. THEY TOOK PICTURES AND WERE SUPPOSED TO CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT AT FIAT TO HANDLE MY CASE. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF NO ACTIVITY, I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT FIAT DIRECTLY AND HAD THEM OPEN A CASE FOR ME. THE CASE AGENT COORDINATED WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO SEND THE PICTURES TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT AT FIAT, AN INSPECTOR CAME OUT TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IN FACT, MY CAR'S PAINT HAD A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THIS WAS DETERMINED BACK IN APRIL AND FIAT HAS FAILED TO RESOLVE MY CASE. I HAVE CALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE BEEN LIED TO REPEATEDLY THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH ME TO EITHER REPLACE MY VEHICLE OR HAVE ME TURN IN THE VEHICLE FOR A FULL REFUND. IT HAS BEEN 10 MONTHS SINCE I ALERTED FIAT OF THE ISSUE AND THEY REFUSE TO RESOLVE MY CASE.

TRANSMISSION LOST GEARS WHILE MERGING WITH TRAFFIC. DUE TO SHIFTER CABLE BUSHING FAILURE. LOST 3RD, 4TH & 5TH YEAR. THIS HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS OWNERS STRANDED. HTTP://WWW.FIAT500USAFORUM.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?21879-LOST-SOME-GEARS-SHIFTER-BROKEN/PAGE3

EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY SHIFTING GEARS, AND ONCE THE CAR STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY; WAS ABLE TO GET IT INTO THIRD GEAR TO MOVE THE CAR. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED 10/09/2018 I WAS UNABLE TO ENGAGE THE GEARS; THE MANUAL GEARSHIFT WOULD NOT ENTER ANY GEAR. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHILE ON THE ROAD, AS YOU ARE UNABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. I CALLED FCA AND THEY ADVISED THAT THIS IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL, BUT THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUES AS THOSE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO TOW THE THE VEHICLE A 2ND TIME TO A FCA REPAIR SHOP WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT A) THEY CAN FIX IT; B) THEY WILL COVER ANY OF THE COSTS INCURRED; C) THEY WOULD INCLUDE THIS INFORMATION OR VEHICLE IN THE REPORTING OF THOSE AFFECTED BY THE (ALREADY KNOWN) S34 RECALL. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 80K MILES AND I CONSISTENTLY BROUGHT IT TO FCA DEALERSHIP AND SERVICE CENTERS SINCE PURCHASE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER.

WHEN MAKING A TURN, FROM A COMPLETE STOP ONTO A ROAD THAT HAS A SLIGHT INCLINE, THE ESC LIGHT FLASHES ON THE EVIC, AND VEHICLE LOSSES ALL ACCELERATION. THIS IS ON DRY, EVEN, IN PERFECT CONDITION ROADS ACCELERATING FROM 0MPH TO 5MPH, BEFORE IT DROPS BACK DOWN TO 0MPH. HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT 4X NOW AS CAR WILL NO LONGER ACCELERATE OR EVEN REV AS ONCOMING TRAFFIC IS COMING STRAIGHT FOR ME!

FRUSTRATION IS THE ONLY WORD CAN DESCRIBE THIS HORRIBLE CAR FIAT 500L SINCE I BOUGHT THAT CAR IS BEEN TOLL SO MANY TIMES TO FIAT DEALER SERVICE. WHEN WAS UNDER GUARANTEE, FIAT SERVICE ALWAYS SAID "IT IS NOTHING", "NOT PROBLEM", "NOW IS WORKING FINE". EVEN WHEN THE CAR STOPPED ON THE STREET WITH SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE. NOW WHEN THE GUARANTEE EXPIRED 4 MONTHS AGO: THE CAR NEEDS "NEW MOTOR STARTER", THEY CHANGED ($1600 PLUS $300 RENTAL CAR FOR 21 DAYS). BUT ONCE THE CAR HAS THE NEW MOTOR STARTER. SURPRISE!!! THE PROBLEM IS ALSO THE ENGINE!!! NOT POWER AT ALL. NOTHING!!!! NEEDS A NEW MOTOR FOR CAR THAT NOW HIS PRICE IS ONLY $6,000!!! SO BASICALLY FIAT JUST RIPPED ME SELLING A DEFECTIVE CAR!!!! THE ENGINE IS DEFECTIVE!!! NOW I'M GOING TO MOVE THE CAR TO MY HOUSE AND TRY TO SELL IT AS JUNK!

TRANSMISSION SEIZED, CLUTCH SMELLED BURNT AND BEGAN TO SMOKE WHICH STALLED THE ENGINE. THE GEARS DISABLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WHEN THIS HAPPENED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE CAR'S RESPONSE WAS "NORMAL" I TOOK MY CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE CAR AND READ THE COMPUTER CODES. THE CODES THAT DISPLAYED ARE C415H-50197. DEALER CLAIMS THAT CODE IS NON-EXISTENT.

MULTIPLE TIMES I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON A CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY, GOING A NORMAL MPH (USUALLY AROUND 40), WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE THE CAR LITERALLY WILL JERK TWO OR THREE TIMES BEFORE IT GETS TO ACCELERATING. THE JERKING INVOLVES GOING FORWARD AND BACKWARDS AT LEAST TWO OR THREE TIMES.

CLUTCH PEDAL STICKS TO FLOOR WHEN RELEASING IT. HAVE TO MANUALLY PULL IT UP. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY, AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. INCREASING ENGINE RPM SEEMS TO POP THE PEDAL UP (NO LONGER AT THE FLOOR) THERE IS NO BRAKE FLUID LEAK ANYWHERE. SLAVE CYLINDER WAS REPLACED AND BLED PROPERLY.

THE CAR IS SHOWING THE SAME SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE 2014 500L TRANSMISSION RECALL. IT WILL EITHER STAY IN THE PARKING GEAR OR HAVE SIGNIFICANT DELAYS IN SWITCHING GEARS. WE FIRST SAW THE ISSUE WITH A PARKED, COLD CAR. FIRST USE IN THE MORNING. IT WAS NEVER MOVED FROM THERE OTHER THAN BEING TOWED TO 2 DIFFERENT SHOPS. CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE IS AT A SHOP WAITING FOR A SECOND ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR. THE FIRST DIAGNOSTIC CAME FROM A FIAT DEALER FOLLOWED BY A VERBAL ESTIMATE AT MORE THAN $3900. SEE ATTACHED. THIS VEHICLE WAS BUILT ON JAN 2015, SHORTLY AFTER THE 2014 RECALLED MODELS. THE RECALL DID NOT COME OUT UNTIL 2017. COULD THESE 2015 MODELS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT LED TO THE 2014 MODEL RECALL?