Dear NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, I am filing this formal complaint to report the sale and interstate delivery of a dangerously defective and noncompliant vehicle sold to me by Arlington Auto Group, located at 3621 Columbia Pike, Arlington, Virginia. On [XXX], I purchased a 2013 Fiat 500 (VIN: [XXX] ). The vehicle wa…
Read full complaint
Dear NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, I am filing this formal complaint to report the sale and interstate delivery of a dangerously defective and noncompliant vehicle sold to me by Arlington Auto Group, located at 3621 Columbia Pike, Arlington, Virginia. On [XXX], I purchased a 2013 Fiat 500 (VIN: [XXX] ). The vehicle was delivered to my home in Englewood, Colorado on [XXX]. Within 24 hours of taking possession of the car—and having driven fewer than 100 miles—I had the vehicle inspected by a certified mechanic at The Auto Repair Place in Boulder, Colorado. Their findings revealed multiple severe safety hazards, including: Rear brake pads completely worn to metal-on-metal contact Two bolts missing from the rear passenger wheel A destroyed and leaking turbocharger, which increases the risk of engine failure Inoperable tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) No Virginia safety inspection documentation provided Additionally, the car had been illegally tampered with to bypass emissions systems, including removal of the catalytic converter and installation of sensor bypass wiring, which also violates federal law and emissions standards. This vehicle was represented as safe and legally operable at the time of sale. However, these issues clearly indicate the vehicle poses a substantial risk to public safety and should not have been sold or shipped across state lines. Request for Investigation I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter for violations of federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) and to determine whether this dealership has a pattern or practice of selling unsafe or defective vehicles. I am prepared to provide: Full mechanic inspection report Purchase contract and shipping records Photos of the damage and mechanical issues Communications with the dealership and lender Thank you for your time and attention to this serious safety matter. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] (303) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11651198
Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 2022
Electrical SystemService BrakesSteering
Car break shift lock stuck in park with various different elements illuminating on the dash. Must manually override break shift lock to put car in neutral, start the car, and put it in drive or reverse. Will no go over 40 mph. Power steering will unexpectedly go out in addition to fuel cut off, ABS, and electronic stability cont…
Read full complaint
Car break shift lock stuck in park with various different elements illuminating on the dash. Must manually override break shift lock to put car in neutral, start the car, and put it in drive or reverse. Will no go over 40 mph. Power steering will unexpectedly go out in addition to fuel cut off, ABS, and electronic stability control also stopping. Have had brake light switch replaced for temporary fix, and replaced the battery. Has passed multiple 20 point inspections with no visible damage. The same problem has reoccurred and the fiat mechanics only idea is to replace the entire shifter column and see if any other codes are appearing.
NHTSA ODI #11471124
66,000 miles · Jul 18, 2020
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Power TrainService Brakes
SO - I'VE GOT A 2013 500E AND IT STARTED DOING THIS LAST WEEK OR SO. THE RBC, THE ESC, THE ABS, AND EVEN THE HILL ASSIST TRANSIENTLY, AND ONCE OR TWICE EVEN WENT INTO 'PROPULSION SYSTEM SERVICE' ERROR MODE AND WOULDN'T RUN. AFTER A RE-START IT WOULD THEN RUN. EVEN DID THE BATTERY TRICK. NOT SURE IF IT HELPED OR NOT. SO, I DECIDE…
Read full complaint
SO - I'VE GOT A 2013 500E AND IT STARTED DOING THIS LAST WEEK OR SO. THE RBC, THE ESC, THE ABS, AND EVEN THE HILL ASSIST TRANSIENTLY, AND ONCE OR TWICE EVEN WENT INTO 'PROPULSION SYSTEM SERVICE' ERROR MODE AND WOULDN'T RUN. AFTER A RE-START IT WOULD THEN RUN. EVEN DID THE BATTERY TRICK. NOT SURE IF IT HELPED OR NOT. SO, I DECIDED TO DO THE OBD2 - WITH THE KONNWEI AND THE ALFOBD - FULL PROGRAM - AND IT WAS ABLE TO CLEAR THE CODES AND PULL UP THE ERRORS : U0001, U1201, U1487 - AND EVEN THOUGH IT RECURS AND I FEEL A CLICK AND CHANGE IN BRAKING WHEN THE RBC LIGHT GOES OFF, AND THE ESC LIGHT, AND EVENTUALLY THE ABS LIGHT TOO, AND IT STARTS MAKING FUNNY NOISES FROM THE BRAKES WHEN STOPPED AND PRESSED DEEPLY, BUT I'M ABLE TO CLEAR IT AND GOES BACK TO NORMAL. BUT IT ALWAYS RECURS. ONCE IT WENT AWAY FOR 2 DAYS. ANYWAY - FOUND A TSB ON THIS : NUMBER 08-045-16 - FROM APRIL 22, 2016. AND DESCRIBES PRETTY MUCH ALL THIS AND THE CODES. APPARENTLY THE RBC, AND ABS MODULES NEED REFLASH BY THE DEALER - OR SOMEONE WITH THE WITECH SOFTWARE AND INTERFACE. HERE'S A LINK TO THE PDF ITSELF: HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2016/SB-10076281-3639.PDF - MY MAIN PROBLEM IS MY LOCAL DEALER IN TUCSON DOES NOT HAVE 500E CERTIFICATION NOR A TECH TO SERVICE THE 500E. I'D HAVE TO DRIVE 100 MILES OR SO UP TO PHOENIX TO GET IT DONE. SO I WOULD NEED TO HAUL IT UP THERE. THIS SUCKS. CALLED THE FCA SUPPORT LINE, THEY SAY THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO, I HAVE TO GET IT THERE.
NHTSA ODI #11340069
10,000 miles · Dec 21, 2019
Service Brakes
NOT JUST "HAPPENED", BUT RATHER CONSTANTLY HAPPENING. THE "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN" DATE BELOW IS WHEN IT STARTED, RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT IT. EVERY SINGLE TIME BRAKING SPEED REACHES AROUND 6MPH: AS I BRAKE FROM OVER 7MPH, THE BRAKES SUDDENLY GRAB, DECELERATING ALMOST VIOLENTLY. 1 OF MY FRIENDS BOUGHT A 2014, & ANOTHER LEASED A 2016…
Read full complaint
NOT JUST "HAPPENED", BUT RATHER CONSTANTLY HAPPENING. THE "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN" DATE BELOW IS WHEN IT STARTED, RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT IT. EVERY SINGLE TIME BRAKING SPEED REACHES AROUND 6MPH: AS I BRAKE FROM OVER 7MPH, THE BRAKES SUDDENLY GRAB, DECELERATING ALMOST VIOLENTLY. 1 OF MY FRIENDS BOUGHT A 2014, & ANOTHER LEASED A 2016, & THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I'M A MEMBER OF FIAT500USERS.COM & IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY SINGLE VEHICLE OF THIS MODEL HAS THE SAME ISSUE, REGARDLESS OF MANUFACTURING DATE.
NHTSA ODI #11290445
13,000 miles · May 30, 2016
Service Brakes
I OWNED THE SECOND FIAT 500 THOUGHT THE BRAKE'S ISSUE WOULD GO AWAY WHEN DRIVING IN THE WINTER TIME. BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR AND EVEN YOU PRESSED IT ALL THE WAY DOWN. I HEARD FROM A FRIEND WHO LOST CONTROL OF HER FIAT'S BRAKE THIS LAST WINTER IN BOSTON, MA AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IT'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLES AS W…
Read full complaint
I OWNED THE SECOND FIAT 500 THOUGHT THE BRAKE'S ISSUE WOULD GO AWAY WHEN DRIVING IN THE WINTER TIME. BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR AND EVEN YOU PRESSED IT ALL THE WAY DOWN. I HEARD FROM A FRIEND WHO LOST CONTROL OF HER FIAT'S BRAKE THIS LAST WINTER IN BOSTON, MA AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IT'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLES AS WELL BEFORE THE WINTER THIS YEAR.
NHTSA ODI #10871449
3,171 miles · Jul 2, 2015
Power TrainService Brakes
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE LIGHTLY DEPRESSED AND THE STEERING WHEEL HAD TO BE TURNED IN ORDER FOR THE NOISE TO SUBSIDE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS …
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE LIGHTLY DEPRESSED AND THE STEERING WHEEL HAD TO BE TURNED IN ORDER FOR THE NOISE TO SUBSIDE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. A WEEK LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT STRUT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR BRAKES FAILED AND THE CALIPER SEIZED, WHICH CAUSED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE ROTOR TO ABNORMALLY DETERIORATE. THE ROTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. A FEW MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CLUTCH COULD NOT BE DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT SHIFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,171.
NHTSA ODI #10731727
20,600 miles · May 19, 2015
Service BrakesSteering
AT LOW SPEEDS 20 MPH AND BELOW YOU COULD HEAR A GRINDING NOISE THAT SOUNDED MUCH LIKE BAD BRAKES BEARINGS. SECOND TIME WE SUGGESTED THIS PROBLEM. FIRST TIME THE TECH SAID HE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE NOISE. THIS TIME THEY FOUND BOTH OF THE REAR BEARING HAD BEEN COMPLETELY EATEN AWAY BY BRAKE DUST INSIDE THE BEARING ASSEMBLY.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the shifter cable detaches from the transmission, the transmission may not shift into the gear selected by the driver. Additionally, despite selecting PARK with the shifter, the vehicle may roll away. These scenarios may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable adjuster, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB4.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:floor Shift
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.
Consequence: If the shifter cable detaches from the transmission, the transmission may not shift into the gear selected by the driver. Additionally, despite selecting PARK with the shifter, the vehicle may roll away. These scenarios may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable adjuster, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB4.
Power Train:automatic Transmission
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Fiat 500 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions. The shifter cable bushing may fail allowing the cable to detach from the transmission.
Consequence: If the shifter cable detaches from the transmission, the transmission may not shift into the gear selected by the driver. Additionally, despite selecting PARK with the shifter, the vehicle may roll away. These scenarios may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable adjuster, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is VB4.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2016 Fiat 500 vehicles manufactured June 21, 2010, through January 12, 2016, equipped with a manual transmission. The clutch diaphragm spring may fracture and fail, causing an inability to switch gears.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the clutch diaphragm spring fails, the driver may not be able to shift gears or the vehicle may lose motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The remedy for this recall will include the installation of a clutch pedal limiter and a clutch pedal switch. The recall began on November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S34.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Fiat 500 battery electric vehicles manufactured March 8, 2013, to March 7, 2015. The Electric Vehicle Control Unit (EVCU) of the affected vehicles may set a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) that may cause the transmission to unexpectedly shift to neutral.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicle unexpectedly shifts to neutral, the loss of drive could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EVCU, free of charge. The recall began June 19, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R20.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1
EA19001 · Electrical Overstress
Opened Apr 19, 2019 · Closed Sep 19, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications. The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU. In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle. Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW. These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes. An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time. In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU. This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners. Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW. The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation. The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage. There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation. The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU. If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC. Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC. All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled. In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024. With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
2013 Fiat 500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
Illustration