2012 Fiat 500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER DRIVING, THE TIRES WERE EXTREMELY WARM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE SPECIALIST TO BE INSPECTED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT CONTROL ARM BOLT LOOSENED FROM THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED THE TIRE TO TILT INWARD WITH THE FRONT CONTROL ARM SLIGHTLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PALMETTO ALFA ROMEO-FIAT SERVICE DEPARTMENT (2065 NE 151ST ST, NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FL 33162, (305) 948-6794) WHERE THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE FRONT ROTOR, ROTOR SHIELD, WHEEL BEARING, FRONT CONTROL ARM AND BOLTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR FAILURE ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AND WAS REPAIRED BY MASSEY YARDLEY JEEP CHRYSLER DODGE RAM (777 N. STATE RD 7, PLANTATION, FL 33317, (954) 327-4000). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN WHEN THE CONTROL ARM DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS FLUID LEAKING FROM THE BALL JOINT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,161.

I AM A REAL ESTATE AGENT. LAST YEAR 2019 I WENT TO AN OPEN HOUSE AND PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WHICH WAS ON AN INCLINE - WITH A PLATEAU FOR PARKING. I'VE BEEN DRIVING A STANDARD TRANSMISSION FOR 30 YEARS. WHEN I PARK I PLACE MY GEAR IN 1ST WITH THE PARKING BRAKE FULLY ENGAGED. I PARKED THE CAR, WENT INTO THE HOME TO VIEW THE HOME, AND WAS INSIDE 15 MINUTES. WHEN I WENT BACK TO MY CAR, IT WAS GONE. THE CAR HAD ROLLED BACKWARD DOWN THE HILL AND INTO A GUARDRAIL. THERE WERE NEIGHBORS ALL AROUND MY CAR, AND ONE MAN SAID, "IT MAKES NO SENSE IT THE PARKING BREAK IS ENGAGED." THE NEIGHBORS HAD VIDEO OF THE CRASH. THE CAR WAS PARKED APPROX 10 MINUTES BEFORE ROLLING DOWN THE HILL. MY CAR WAS DAMAGED BY THE GUARD RAIL, AND THANKFULLY NO HUMANS WERE HURT. HAD THE GUARDRAIL NOT BEEN THERE -- THE CAR WOULD HAVE GONE OVER A RAVINE AND INTO A HOME.

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I WOKE UP AND DROVE TO WORK IN THE MORNING. MY FIAT PARKED, I WORKED, EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. 5 HOURS LATER, I GET BACK TO MY CAR TO DRIVE HOME. I START MY ENGINE AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS UP SAYING, "HILL START ERROR ... SEE OWNERS MANUAL". I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, "WELP, L GUESS I'LL GO SEE A MECHANIC NOW.". I LIFT THE E-BREAK, PRESS DOWN THE BREAK PEDAL, AND THEN TRY TO MOVE THE CAR INTO REVERSE, BUT IT'S LOCKED IN PARK. I TURN OFF THE CAR. I USE GOOGLE SEARCH ON MY PHONE TO FIND MY FIAT 500 OWNER'S MANUAL ONLINE. I LOOK FOR THE "HILL START ERROR" AND FIND AN OVERRIDE TO GET MY CAR OUT OF PARK AND INTO REVERSE/DRIVE. I RESTART THE CAR. NOW THE DASHBOARD IS COMPLETELY BLANK EXCEPT FOR THE LETTER 'P' IN THE BOTTOM-CENTER OF THE CIRCULAR DASH PANEL. THE LETTER "P" IS BLINKING CONCURRENTLY WITH A BEEP THAT DOES NOT STOP. THERE IS NO MEASURE OF SPEED AND I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE IF MY LIGHTS ARE WORKING AT THIS POINT. I'M JUST TRYING TO GET THE CAR TO A MECHANIC ABOUT 10 MILES AWAY. I FOUND AN HONEST-FAMILY SPOT AND THE GUY TELLS ME TO LEAVE THE CAR THERE AND HE'LL LOOK AT IT. BREAK LIGHTS WERE OUT AND A SAFETY FEATURE CAUSED IT TO LOCK UP. A COMMON ISSUE IS A BREAK-LIGHT SWITCH WITH THIS CAR, SO... WE REPLACED THE BLS AND DID A FULL DIAGNOSTICS, BUT STILL NO FIX. WE TROUBLESHOOT ALL WEEK AND FOUND THAT A 5-AMP FUSE BLEW OUT IN THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. HE REPLACED THE FUSE AND FOUND THAT IT BURNED OUT AGAIN BECAUSE OF A LOOSE WIRE SOMEWHERE BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL. IF I RUN THE CAR, THE LOOSE WIRE WILL CAUSE MORE CONNECTIONS TO BURNOUT AND BREAK. THE CAR SHORTS IF WE RUN IT NOW. THE LOOSE WIRE CAUSING THIS SHORT CAUSED MY CAR'S GEARSHIFT TO LOCK UP COMPLETELY, DISABLED MY BREAK LIGHTS, AND LEAD TO SHORTAGES ACROSS THE BOARD. I CAN'T DRIVE IT AT ALL, LET ALONE START IT. I BARELY HAVE 89K ON THIS CAR AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH COOKED.

WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. IN THE WINTER WHEN PUSHING THE BAKE DOWN, I GET A FUNNY NOISE AND I HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. I REFUSE TO ALLOW MY CHILDREN TO DRIVE DUE TO THIS. ALSO WHEN EVER TAKING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT, ASSESSORIES ON THE CAR WOULD BE TAKEN OFF. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE CAR TO FIAT DEALERSHIP ON RIDGE ROAD AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A FEE FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT. THEN I WAS TOLD BY CARMAX THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR IT. FIAT WANTED THEIR FEE UPFRONT AND CARMAX REFUSED TO PAY FOR IT. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM LOOKED AT, I FINALLY GAVE UP. THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST . THE CAR IS A NICE CAR, BUT I CANNOT GET SATISFACTION IN GETTING IT REPAIRED. THE CAR WAS LOADED WHEN I PURCHASED IT AND HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE BUYING IT OF WHICH I WAS NOT TOLD THIS.

HI, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH MY CAR WHICH HAVE HAD SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO FIX. SAFETY CONCERNS REGARDING THE CRUISE CONTROL LOCKING UP ON MY VEHICLE, CONVERTIBLE TOP STILL NOT ADJUSTING AND BLOCKING LINE OF SIGHT IN THE BACK SO YOU CANNOT SEE WHAT IS BEHIND YOU WHILE DRIVING, AND START UP ISSUES WITH CAR NOT ALWAYS STARTING UP CORRECTLY, HAVING MISFIRES. THE CAR HAS ONLY BEEN WORKED ON THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AT THE FIAT OF VAN NUYS, CA. THE CAR HAS BEEN WORKED ON SEVERAL TIMES SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED IT BACK IN JAN OF 2013. I AM SEEKING OUT ANY HELP NECESSARY AS I HAVE HAD THESE SAFETY CONCERNS SINCE I FIRST GOT THE CAR TO NOW AND I AM FEEL VERY UNSAFE WITH THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE AS WELL AS MY OWN SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHERS. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

"TAKATA RECALL" MECHANICAL DEFECT HAS BEEN DETECTED. MY CAR WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY IT RANDOMLY BEGAN STATING TO "CHECK TRANSMISSION SEE HANDBOOK." I TOOK IT TO A FIAT DEALERSHIP IN WHICH I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED THEM OF THE DIAGNOSIS CODE P0741 HAD BEEN PROVIDED TO THEM AT DROP OFF BEFORE ANY WORK WAS PERFORMED - TONY (THE SERVICE ADVISOR) SAID THAT WAS NOT HELPFUL COULD MEAN ANYTHING. (DIAGNOSIS MEANS: TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH CIRCUIT PERFORMANCE OR STUCK OFF) I WAS ADVISED NUMBERS LIES AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. TURNS OUT THERE IS A FAULT IN THE WIRING OF THE SYSTEM AND COMPUTER WHICH IS NOW CAUSING CAR TO NOT STAY IN GEAR. I WANT TO RAISE ALL AWARENESS TO THIS ISSUE. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THIS CAR (ONLY 58K IN MILEAGE) I HAVE HAD TO PERSONALLY REPLACE THE FOLLOWING: NUMBER OF RADIATOR REPAIRS: 2 SUNROOF: 1 TRANSMISSION: FAULTY MECHANICAL ERROR TOTAL TUNE UPS: 2 BRAKE INSTALLMENTS: 3 I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF ANY PRIOR ISSUES BEFORE PURCHASE ALL ISSUES HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO MANUFACTURE NEGLIGENCE! NO ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED. PLEASE ASSIST ME IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.