2012 Fiat 500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO OPERATE. WHEN THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE GEAR INTO REVERSE TO ENTER A PARKING SPACE AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO PARK, THE GEAR SHIFTER ENGAGED INTO NEUTRAL INSTEAD. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE GEAR OUT OF NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO SECURE THE VEHICLE IN THE PARKING SPACE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER: R20. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

I DROVE DOWN FROM IL TO WI WITH MY FIAT POP 500 2012 ON HIGHWAY 39 AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY TO MY DESTINATION, MY SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED (BOOM!) ALONG WITH LOUD NOISE. I DUCKED DOWN AND ALL THE SUNROOF GLASSES WAS SHATTERED AND FELL OFF ONTO MY HEAD, MY LAPS AND MOSTLY WENT FALLING DOWN ON THE FRONT OF PASSENGER SEAT. THIS WAS HAPPENING ON A CLEAR SUMMER SUNNY DAY, ON FRIDAY, JUNE 28TH OF 2019. THERE'S NO FOREIGN OBJECTS, THERE'S NOT A LOT (CONGESTED) OF TRAFFICS, THERE'S NO ANY SEMI TRUCKS AROUND ME NOR THE BAD WEATHER OR ANY DISTRACTIONS WHATSOEVER. IT WAS AROUND 6:10 PM LOCAL TIME AND IT IS ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY FROM MY FINAL DESTINATION TO MADISON, WI. THE WEATHER WAS AROUND 81 - 79 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, VERY CLEAR SKY, NO RAIN, NO WET ROAD.NICE AND DRY SUMMER TIME TO DRIVE, NORMAL BREEZE.SKY ARE ALL CLEAR AND SUNNY. WEATHER: 8 HUMIDITY: 62%, BAROMETER: 30.06 HG, AND SE WINDS CONDITION: 6.214 MPH. AS A WOMEN WHO COMPLETELY DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CARS EXCEPT TOOK MY CAR TO THE AUTO SHOP FOR REGULAR OIL CHANGE, THIS WAS VERY SCARY TO ME - COMPLETELY RELYING ON MY SAFETY WITH THE CAR THAT I OWN AND I DRIVE EVERYDAY, AND THIS ACCIDENT DEFINITELY MADE ME REALIZED THAT FIAT POP 500 IT IS NOT A SAFE TO BE DRIVE FOR ANYONE PERIOD. THE SUNROOF THAT ALL OF THE SUDDEN SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED WITH NO VALID REASON WHATSOEVER AND THERE'S NO WARNING FROM FIAT THAT COULD BE PART OF THEIR DEFECT IN THIS TYPE OF CAR IT'S VERY DANGEROUS FOR ANYBODY EVENT TO CONSIDER PURCHASE THIS TYPE OF CAR. THE GLASS THAT SHATTERED AND WAS FALLING DOWN COULD SLICED ANYONE HEADS IN A HALF. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS VEHICLE TO DRIVE FOR ANYBODY OR FOR EVERYONE AND THIS SUNROOF SHOULD BE A RECALL AND THE CONSUMER HAVE A RIGHT TO BE INFORM ABOUT THIS. THIS SUNROOF IS A SAFETY ISSUE. BE AWARE!

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 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.

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.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V302000 (POWER TRAIN). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. HARTSVILLE CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM (900 E BOBO NEWSOM HWY, HARTSVILLE, SC 29550, (843) 309-9892) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT SMELLED CARBON MONOXIDE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED, BUT WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE FAILURES OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, THE ENGINE AND BATTERY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CLUTCH WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURES RECURRED. AN UNKNOWN LOCAL DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE TRANSMISSION HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.