2015 Fiat 500

The contact owns a 2015 Fiat 500. The contact stated that upon having the vehicle inspected, the mechanic noticed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side headlamps had failed to operate. The brake warning light and the headlamp warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the mechanic reconnected the front driver’s and passenger’s side headlamp connector. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that after the vehicle was started, the contact noticed that the headlamps failed to illuminate. The contact then stated that the rear driver’s and passenger’s side brake lights failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken back the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lighting wirings had burned out and the connectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

After bringing vehicle to a complete stop at a traffic light, it died and gave a propulsion system warning. After about 20 attempts to turn off and reboot the vehicle, it restarted and behaved as if nothing had happened. This was a very dangerous situation with the vehicle stuck in the middle of the road. There have been two recalls on this very specific issue (and this vehicle has had that related software updates). Vehicle did the exact same behavior for no reason. (NHTSA campaign: 16V303000 & 15V179000). And because the vehicle wasn't sold in Georgia, no local dealers know how to work on it.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request: High voltage battery system, the vehicle is available for viewing. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?: Long time garage storage of vehicle and limited owners manual description on procedure to maintain high voltage battery during extended non use of vehicle. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?: The problem has been reproduced and the vehicle is currently at a Fiat/Chrysler dealership. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?: The component is currently under inspection, the vehicle has been at the Fiat/Chrysler since 8/11/2021, it is now 9/18/2021. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?: Error message display on cluster stating HV battery unable to be charged. General Description: Fiat 500e parked in closed garage for a year after following Fiat's Vehicle Storage instructions instruction shown pages 321 & 322 of the owners manual for the Fiat's electrical system. Returned after one year found Fiat's electric system a car went in fail mode. The instructions are limited and do not long term issues of fire danger in a enclosed space like a garage and power outages or brown outs. Fiat will not honor the vehicles warranty as the milage is a 42,625 and the warranty is only good up to 40,000 miles. The California Lemon Law does not cover this as well as it's as well. I need help!

I am a retired master certified automotive technician. Ever since I bought this 2015 Fiat 500e [it is battery electric] in 2017 with NO warning all kinds of trouble/service lights will go on as the car shuts down & stops as if it was thrown into Park, & most of the time it does this it is at highway speeds on crowded L.A. freeways, which has become very close to getting me killed several times I have taken it to local dealers for this problem since shortly after I bought it in 2017, long before the bumper to bumper warranty expired. Most of the time the dealer reads/clears the codes, then parks it in a back lot for days, weeks, & months, then after a while tells me it's done & I can pick it up, but normally within 100 miles the exact same thing happens so I have to take it back to the dealer. Most recently it did not even make it off the dealers lot before it did it. The latest dealer I have been taking it to for this problems, [5 times in a few months] clearly doesn't know the car or what they are doing & is now brazenly lying on repair orders. They have also been claiming it had no problems or trouble codes when I brought it in, after the service writer read & printed out dozens of codes, which they promised to give me a copy of but then refused to give to me. Because this is the exact same problem covered by previous recalls on this car I believe dealers have charged for services & doing recalls that they did not do, because I marked the parts & see NO indication they changed the parts required or did the procedures required to perform the services claimed. This car has had the exact same dangerous problems covered by the recalls since I bought it & I must now pay dealers to service it even though the propulsion system is under warranty. At this point I believe this is brazen dangerous widespread fraud with the factories participation

BEGAN LOSING CLUTCH, CLUTCH/BRAKE ASSEMBLY HAD THE 2 CONNECTING BOLTS BROKEN IN HALF. HAVE PICTURES. CLUTCH INTERLOCK ARRIVED BAD, BYPASSED IT; NOW THE POWER STEERING, ENGINE LIGHT AND EOS LIGHTS STAY ON. CAR ENGINE DIED THEN CRANKED UP ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING 60MPH STATING HIGH TEMP (PULL OVER, TURN ENGINE OFF) - HAD BEEN IN THE CAR LESS THAN 1 MINUTE, JUST LONG ENOUGH TO GET TO 60 ON THE HIGHWAY. NOW CLUTCH INTERLOCK, AND BRAKE INTERLOCK MUST BE REPLACED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BROWNS FIAT LOCATED AT 483 NEW YORK-112, EAST PATCHOGUE, NY 11772, TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 16V303000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,483.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500E. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST MOTIVE POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO RENTON CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM LOCATED AT 585 RAINIER AVE S, RENTON, WA 98057, (425) 430-1000 TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER IN THE POWER INVERTER WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V303000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000.