2012 Fiat 500

MY 2012 FIAT500C HAD CLUTCH/PRESSURE PLATE FAILURE A FEW WEEKS AGO. I GOT INTO MY CAR TO RUN SOME ERRANDS AND IT STARTED FINE ALTHOUGH I DID FEEL THE CLUTCH WAS A BIT STIFF. I GOT UP TO 3RD GEAR AND DROVE 2 BLOCKS TOWARD THE INTERSECTION. AS I TRIED TO SHIFT THE GEAR TO NEUTRAL AT THE RED LIGHT I COULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. LUCKILY I PRESSED DOWN HARD ENOUGH PRESSING ON THE BREAKS AND MANAGED TO BRING THE GEAR TO NEUTRAL. I PUT MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND MANAGED TO ROLL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MY FIAT SERVICE CENTER AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL THE COMPLIMENTARY TOW SERVICE. I GOT A CALL ON MONDAY MORNING SAYING THAT THE PRESSURE PLATE AND CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST ~$1000. I ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR WHY IT WASN'T COVERED BY THE WARRANTY AND HE SAID THAT IT WAS CONSIDERED A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE. IN OTHER WORDS, IT WAS MY FAULT THE CLUTCH FAILED AT 32,000 MILES. I CONTACTED FIATCARES AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT. THEIR REPLY WAS THAT THE CAR NEEDED A NEW PRESSURE PLATE AND NEW CLUTCH AND THAT THE TECHNICIAN DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECT ON THE MANUFACTURER'S PART AND THEREFORE THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR. NO CLUTCH SHOULD WEAR OUT WITHIN 3 YEARS AND ~30K MILES WHEN IT HAS HAD ONLY ONE DRIVER WITH EXPERIENCE IN DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE. IT IS QUITE CLEAR FROM PUBLIC ACCOUNTS THAT 2012 FIAT 500'S EXHIBIT PREMATURE CLUTCH WEAR PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION TO THE CLUTCH ISSUE, I'VE ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR ALMOST FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN IT ONLY HAD A FEW HUNDRED MILES ON IT. I'VE HAD NUMEROUS FALSE-START ISSUES WITH THE IGNITION, I'VE EVEN HAD A INCIDENT WHERE MY ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING! LUCKILY THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY. IMAGINE HOW DANGEROUS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF I WERE DRIVING 70 MPH ON A HIGHWAY.

LOWER BALL JOINTS ON BOTH SIDES LOOSE AND SHOW EXCESSIVE WEAR. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED MAINTENCE AND DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING WHILE UNDER WARRANTY BUT NEXT MAINTENCE SHOWED EXCESSIVE WEAR AND CAR WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY AND FIAT WOULD NOT COVER REPAIR. NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED INCIDENTS ON 2012 FIAT 500'S WHERE BALL JOINTS HAVE BROKEN LOOSE. A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT FIAT NEEDS TO ADDRESS AS THE BALL JOINTS ARE WEARING WITHIN 50,000-60000 MILES

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND A NEED TO SHIFT OCCURS, THE CLUTCH WILL LOCKUP, COMPLETELY FROZEN, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU PUSH, TO DEPRESS THE PEDAL MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT GEAR. THIS HAPPENS EVERY 20,000 MILES AND EACH TIME, DEALER SERVICE DEPT SAYS IT'S A "BENT PRESSURE PLATE". BUT FIAT CLASSIFIES THIS A "WEAR & TEAR" ITEM AND CANNOT HELP. DEALER SERVICE WANTS $2000 EACH TIME (THOUGH INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS LIKELY WOULD CHARGE LESS). THIS HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TWICE AND FIAT WILL NOT HELP. HARD TO BELIEVE THAT FIAT BELIEVES THIS IS NORMAL EXPECTED BEHAVIOR ON THEIR VEHICLES, FOR OWNERS TO HAVE TO FORK OUT $2000 EVERY 20,000 MILES FOR NEW PRESSURE PLATES. WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOU, IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS DEPENDING WHERE YOU HAPPEN TO BE AT THE TIME. INTERNET SEARCHES FOR FIAT PRESSURE PLATE WILL SHOW A PATTERN OF THIS ISSUE, AND NO OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM FIAT.

CAR SUDDENLY STOPS RUNNING WHILE JUST DRIVING FORWARD. IGNITION KEY REMAINS IN "ON" POSITION, BUT ALL ACCESSORY/WARNING LIGHTS COME ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES, THE FIRST WHILE CAR HAD 950 MILES ON IT IN OCTOBER 1012. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. WHEN I RECEIVED IT BACK I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD "CHANGED THE SOFTWARE". THE SECOND TIME THE CAR CEASED RUNNING (5,414 MILES) WHILE BEING DRIVEN FORWARD, I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND RECEIVED IT BACK WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. I STOPPED DRIVING THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR OCCASIONALLY DRIVING IT AROUND MY QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD TO KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGED UP. ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2015, I DECIDED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO A NEARBY TARGET (APPROX. 1.5 MILES FROM MY HOME). THE CAR DROVE THERE PERFECTLY BUT CEASED RUNNING AS I DROVE TOWARDS HOME. AGAIN I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT FIAT/ALFA ROMEO OF AUSTIN. TODAY FIAT CUSTOMER SERVICE CALLED ME AND SAID THE SERVICE FACILITY WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND WAS RETURNING THE CAR TO ME AGAIN WITHOUT DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIR OF THE PROBLEM. MY CASE NUMBER WITH FIAT CUSTOMER SERVICE IS: 278-579-22. ALL THREE OF THESE VERY FRIGHTENING SUDDEN STALLS OCCURRED ON CITY STREETS. THERE IS NO UNUSUAL NOISE OR WARNING, THE CAR JUST SUDDENLY STOPS RUNNING. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT AHEAD EACH TIME. THE ENGINE WAS NOT HOT OR WERE THERE ANY UNUSUAL ODORS OR SOUNDS. I TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS, TURNED THE IGNITION KEY TO THE "OFF" POSITION, PUT THE SHIFT LEVER IN "PARK" AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED AGAIN AND RAN WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY. I WAS VERY, VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT HIT FROM BEHIND AS THE LAST TWO INCIDENTS WERE IN BUSY TRAFFIC AREAS. I WILL NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN.

I TOOK MY CAR IN TO FIAT IN SLC UTAH KEN GARFF THEY TOOK MY CAR SAID I HAD AN OIL LEAK THEN CAME BACK AND SAID I NEEDED A CATALYST CONVERTER I BELIEVE THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM HAS BEEN HACKED INTO BY THE DEALERSHIP IN ORDER TO MAKE MONEY WHICH PUTS ME AND MY 13 YEAR OLD CHILD ARE AT RISK IN THIS CAR PLEASE HELP I HAVE BEEN THOUGH THIS SAME THING IN BUFORD GA PLEASE HELP I WANT FIAT TO BUY MY CAR BACK I OWN IT OUT RIGHT PLEASE I DONT TRUST THE DEALER SOMETHING IS GOING ON WITH THE ELECTONIC SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE GEAR WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT FROM THE FOURTH GEAR. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FINGER PLATE ON THE CLUTCH WAS CRACKED AND THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE REMEDY FAILED. THE PART FOR THE REPAIR WAS ORDERED BUT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WAS ALREADY CRACKED BEFORE USE. THE PART WAS REORDERED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

MY 2012 FIAT IS HAVING STARTER ISSUES. SOMETIMES THE ENGINE JUST CUTS OFF. I TOOK THE CAR IN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT ALL 2012 FIATS RECENTLY SERVICED, ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. THERE IS NO FIX UNTIL CHRYSLER CREATES A CODE FOR THE SYSTEM. I ASKED HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON AND HE SAID 3 MONTHS NOW. SO BASICALLY I HAVE TO DEAL WITH MY CAR BARLEY STARTING AND POSSIBILY CUTTING OFF AND THERE IS NO SOLUTION. THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS AND MAY LEAD TO OTHER DAMAGES. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

PULLED UP TO A STOP LIGHT, DEPRESSED CLUTCH AND SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. WHEN LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH AND IT LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE ALLOWING ME TO SHIFT INTO A GEAR. MECHANIC SAID ITS A BENT PRESSURE PLATE AND THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSY. NEEDS REPLACED FOR ~$2,000. OBVIOUSLY BENDING OF THE PRESSURE PLATE IS NOT "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" AND ITS ALSO VERY RARE TO HAVE A CLUTCH FAIL SO EARLY (20,000 MILES). UNFORTUNATELY FIAT IS SAYING THIS IS A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. READING THE FORUMS, THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANUAL SHIFT FIATS AND IS A TERRIBLE SAFETY HAZARD (THINK IF THE CLUTCH LOCKED UP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS PREVENTING SOMEONE FROM SHIFTING OUT OF GEAR). THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED ON ALL MANUAL TRANSMISSION FIATS AND COSTS FULLY COVERED.

THE CAR GOT STUCK WITH MUD UNDER THE CAR. WHEN WE GO IT PULLED OUT AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WOULD HAVE COST US 3000 TO HAVE IT FIXED. THAT WAY TO MUCH AND THEY TOLD THERE WAS PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE NOW. THEY WOULDN'T WORK A DEAL ON IT. WHEN DRIVING HOME WE NOTICED THRY LEFT A PLATE FROM UNDER THE STERLING WILL AND HAD RIP THE BLACK PEACE THAT WRAPES OROUND IT.WE TO IT TO A TRAMISSION PLACE IN TOWN WHERE THEY FIXED THE TRANSMISSIN , THE CAR DRIVE LIKE A MESS I JUST AFRAID TO GO LOMG DISTANCE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WITH MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, WHEN PARKED, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO START AND THE KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE'S SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, BUT THE REMEDY FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,400.