2014 Fiat 500

ON THE DAY OF FEB. 24 2015 ME AND MY WIFE WERE IN THE DRIVE-THRU AT STAR-BUCK. WHILE WE WERE IN LINE TO GET COFFEE WE SMELL THIS BAD BURNING SMELL. I THOUGHT IT WAS FROM SOME WHERE IN THE AREA, I EVEN ASK THE STAR-BUCK CLERK WHATS THAT SMELL, HIS REPLY WAS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SMELLING IT. AS WE PULLED OFF FROM STAR-BUCKS I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND MAKING ITS WAY INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. CALLED THE FIAT DEALERSHIP AS IT WAS HAPPENING, THEY SUGGEST ME TO BRING FIAT IN, SO I DID. FIAT VERIFIED THE PROBLEM AND STATED THIS.( VERIFIED CLUTCH BURNING TYPE SMELL UNDER HOOD. INSPECT AND FOUND NO LEAK AND NO CODES IN PCM OR TCM. DROVE AND FOUND ENGAGEMENT FROM STOP VERY SLIGHTLY DELAYED COMPARED TO NEWER VEHICLE. RELEARNED CLUTCH CONTACT POINTS. DROVE AGAIN AND FEELS BETTER. OK AT THIS TIME.) THEN ON MAY 6 2015 14005 MILES,MY FIAT 500L DID IT AGAIN. WE WERE AT POPEYES DRIVE-THRU WAITING IN LINE TO BUY CHICKEN AND IT HAPPEN AGAIN WITH THE BURNING SMELL AND WHITE SMOKE,BUT THIS TIME MY FIAT WOULDN'T MOVE WHILE WE WERE IN DRIVE. SO I SHIFTED OUT OF DRIVE TO REVERSE FROM REVERSE TO NEUTRAL AND CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. THEN I PUT IT IN PARK AND KILL THE CAR, REATRTED CAR AND IT DECIDED TO MOVE THEN. SO IT SCARED ME AGAIN WITH THE BREATHING OF THE BURNING SMELL, IN WHICH HURTS YOUR LUNGS AND BURNS YOUR EYES. SO I BROUGHT THE FIAT TO A DIFFERENT FIAT DEALERSHIP, WITH MY CONCERN. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR 1 DAY AND SAID. (TEST DRIVE VEHICLE AND IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. SHIFTS THROUGH GEARS PRO PERTLY, UP SHIFTS AND DOWN SHIFTS. UNABLE TO DUPLICATE CONCERN AT THIS TIME. CHECKED OVER VEHICLE ANS IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,200.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT NORMAL SPEED OF TRAFFIC AND THE CAR LOOSES ACCELERATION. THE CAR GOES FROM 55 MPH DOWN TO 0 AND I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND STOP THE CAR AND THEN START AGAIN. THE GAS PEDAL IS DEAD IS HOW IT IS DESCRIBED BY THE TECH NO RESPONSE TO ME PUSHING IT DOWN. THIS IS A DANGER BECAUSE IT HAPPENS AT RANDOM AND IN THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP GOING AT NORMAL SPEED AND THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS WHERE I FELT IN DANGER OF BEING REAR ENDED ... THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES RANDOMLY... THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING AND NOT OFFERING ANY INSIGHT INTO HOW TO FIX IT AT ALL. *TR

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

WE PURCHASED THE 500L FIAT IN DECEMBER OF 2014. ON FEBRUARY 14, 2015 WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN BECAUSE ON A RETURN TRIP FROM TIJUANA MEXICO WHILE IN BORDER TRAFFIC THE ENGINE STARTED SMOKING. THE CAR LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE, IT SMELLED OF BURNT RUBBER. WE BROUGHT THE CAR IN AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT AND THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE BUT IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WE CONTACTED CHRYSLER USA AND OPENED A CASE, HOWEVER DURING THE CASE REVIEW THE CAR DID THE SAME THING AND WE RETURNED THE CAR TO THE SERVICE SHOP ON MARCH 10TH...WHICH AGAIN THEY SAID IT IS OUR FAULT THE CAR IS DOING THIS DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. I SHOULD EXPLAIN THAT WHAT THEY ARE CALLING DRIVER ERROR, IT IS AN AUTOMATIC VEHICLE AND CHRYSLER USA IS SAYING THAT FOR THIS VEHICLE (MIND YOU IT IS AN AUTOMATIC) IF YOU ARE IN TRAFFIC FOR A PERIOD OF 5 MINUTES OR LONGER YOU MUST SHIFT THE CAR ON EVERY OCCASION INTO NEUTRAL OR ELSE IT COULD BURN OUT THE TRANSMISSION. THEY GO ON TO SAY THAT IF THE CAR DOES SMOKE JUST PULL OVER AND AFTER THE TRANSMISSION COOLS DOWN IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE AGAIN. I ASKED CHRYSLER USA TO SHOW ME ON EXACTLY WHAT PAGE DOES IT SAY THAT IN THEIR MANUAL, FURTHERMORE THAT WHEN PURCHASING THIS CAR THE DEALER DID NOT DISCLOSE SPECIAL DRIVING INSTRUCTION FOR THEIR AUTOMATIC VEHICLE. IF THE DEALER DID DISCLOSE THAT INFORMATION BEFORE THE SALE WE WOULD HAVE NOT BOUGHT A CAR THAT COULD LEAVE US STRANDED IN MEXICO OR OTHER AREAS. AT THIS POINT AFTER CHRYSLER USA, HAS REFUSED TO SHOW US WHERE IT STATES THAT IN THE MANUAL IF IN TRAFFIC MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES THE CAR MUST BE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL TO AVOID BURNING OUT THE TRANSMISSION, AND THEY ARE NOT INTENDING ON DOING ANYTHING BESIDES TELL US THAT "SORRY THE CAR IS PERFORMING AS DESIGNED". WE ARE TAKING EVERY MEANS NECESSARY TO GET A BUYBACK ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

WHILE SITTING AT A DRIVE THROUGH, THE CAR STARTED TO SMOKE PROFUSELY AND SHUT OFF. IT WAS A HORRIBLE SMELL. TECHNICIAN SAID DUE TO THE STOP AND GO SITUATION AT THE DRIVE THRU, THE CLUTCH ENGAGE/DISENGAGE ACTION, THE CLUTCHES OVERHEATED AND THE TRANSMISSION SAFETY SWITCH SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. I HAD JUST PULLED INTO THE DRIVE THRU AND STOPPED. I DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO "GO" BEFORE THE CAR SHUT OFF. I LIVE APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE FROM THE RESTAURANT. *TR

I AM WRITING OUT OF SERIOUS CONCERN OVER THE OVERHEATING CLUTCH ON THE FIAT 2014 500L TREKKING MODEL. I HAD ABSOLUTELY LOVED MY FIAT, UNTIL IT OVERHEATED AFTER SITTING IN A CAR WASH LINE FOR ALL OF MAYBE TEN MINUTES AT THE MOST. SCARED AND EMBARRASSED THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE, I HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT OF LINE AND ASSISTED BY THE CAR WASH MANAGER, WHO POPPED THE HOOD AND TOLD ME TO CALL FOR A TOW.I THEN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT AND WAS TOLD THAT UNLESS THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON OR TRANSMISSION LIGHT, THAT THE OVERHEATING WAS A COMMON CONSEQUENCE OF STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WITH A DUEL TRANSMISSION. I THEN WENT ONLINE AND SAW ALL THE VARIOUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE FROM OTHER 500 L OWNERS MUCH TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISMAY. I LIVE IN WASHINGTON DC, THE CAPITOL CITY WITH THE NORM BEING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, THE WORST IN THE NATION. I TOLD THE SERVICE REP THAT I HAD SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING ON A PRIOR OCCASION BUT NEVER EXPERIENCED FULL ON SMOKE AND THE VEHICLE STALLING OUT BECAUSE IT WAS OVERHEATED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING FROM MY FIAT, NO SERVICE LIGHT OR ANYTHING INDICATING THE CLUTCH WAS OVERHEATING. DO I NEED TO TELL YOU ALL HOW DANGEROUS THE OVERHEATING ISSUE CAN BE IN TRAFFIC WITH NO WARNING, STALLING OUT, WON?T START AGAIN UNTIL IT COOLS DOWN? THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT. I AM BROKENHEARTED AND EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH BEING TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT FIAT USA WILL NOT REPAIR/FIX THIS ISSUE AND, TO TELL OWNERS IT IS A CONSEQUENCE OF A NEW ENGINE, ALTHOUGH I AM CLOSE TO 10K MILES. THAT IS ABSURD, PLEASE HELP ME AND OTHER FIAT 500 L OWNERS RECTIFY THIS MATTER AND PREVENT OTHER CONSUMERS FROM HAVING THIS HEADACHE IN THE FUTURE. *TR

IN MAY 2014 MY 2014 FIAT 500L WAS BROUGHT TO ZIEGLER DEALERSHIP FOR A SAFETY RECALL CONCERNING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE GEAR SHIFT MODULE AND THEY FLASHED THE ESM (RECALL ON NHTSA WEBSITE). IN JANUARY 2015 WE NOTICED A BURNING SMELL UNDER THE ENGINE. IF WE PUT CAR INTO REVERSE AND GAS PEDAL PUSHED, CAR HESITATED 1-2 SECONDS BEFORE THE CAR WOULD START MOVING. CAR LURCHED FORWARD SEVERAL TIMES ON ROAD AT A DEAD STOP. ROUGH SHIFTING ON ROADS. CHECK TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN EARLY FEB 2015 AND WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO ZIEGLER. THEY DETERMINED IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. ONLY 4 MODULES IN THE ENTIRE US, AND ALL WERE SPOKEN FOR (4 OTHER FIATS IN FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM). ZIEGLER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER TO GET AN "UPGRADED" TRANSMISSION MODULE, NOT THE ONE ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR THE CAR. AFTER BEING TOLD IT WOULD BE 1 1/2 MONTHS TO GET THE UNIT, IT SHOWED UP MID FEBRUARY. I CONFIRMED THAT WE GOT THIS "UPGRADED" UNIT AND DEALER SAID YES. TOOK POSSESSION OF MY CAR ON 2/13/15. THIS PAST WEEK, WE AGAIN HAD A BURNING SMELL IN THE ENGINE, ENCOUNTERED CAR LURCHING WHILE CAR WAS IN DRIVE AND FOOT SECURELY ON THE BRAKE. SLOW ENGINE REACTION WHEN HITTING GAS WHEN PUTTING CAR INTO REVERSE, ROUGH SHIFTING. WAS PLANNING ON CALLING DEALER ON MONDAY 3/2, HOWEVER ON SATURDAY 2/28/15 THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A DRIVER SIDE T-BONE CRASH AS THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHED. CAR TOTALLED BY INSURANCE COMPANY. MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT MOVE WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED. FIAT IS NOW FIRESELLING THESE 2014 MODELS AND ARE NOT OFFERING THIS "DUAL CLUTCH" TRANSMISSION IN 2015 MODELS. THEY KNOW ABOUT THESE TRANSMISSION ISSUES BUT THEIR "FIX" IS STILL PUTTING LIVES IN JEOPARDY. IF YOU OWN THIS CAR, GET RID OF IT ASAP! *TR

IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THE CAR STARTED JERKING AND WAS HESITANT TO MOVE FORWARD. SMOKE WAS EMITTED AND CAME INTO THE CAR WITH A STRONG ODOR. DEALER DIAGNOSED AS AN OVERHEATED CLUTCH (THIS IS THE EURO DDCT, AN AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSION). THE CLUTCH/TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT DID NOT COME ON BEFORE OR DURING THE ISSUE. WHEN THE CAR COOLED DOWN, IT WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AGAIN BUT WAS JERKY WHEN SHIFTING. DEALER DID A "RELEARN" ON THE CLUTCH AND ADVISED ALL SOFTWARE IS UP TO DATE. ALSO THAT TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE PLACED IN NEUTRAL AT STOPS AND SHIFTED MANUALLY IN STOP AND GO DRIVING (NEITHER OF WHICH ARE SPECIFIED IN OWNER'S MANUAL). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V103000 (POWER TRAIN); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.