2012 Fiat 500 Exterior lighting Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CHECK REAR DRIVER LIGHT WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THE LEFT LICENSE PLATE BULB WAS NOT ILLUMINATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER ARRIGO FIAT WEST PALM BEACH (6500 OKEECHOBEE BLVD, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33411, (561) 618-3160) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE REAR LIGHTS ASSEMBLY TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 51,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIR WOULD COST $475 AT THE DEALER. THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE LICENSE PLATE BULBS AND PERSONALLY INSTALLED THE BULBS.

NHTSA ID

11394511

Incident

Feb 2, 2021

Mileage

51,000 mi

THE REAR HIGH BRAKE LIGHT WIRING ON THE CONVERTIBLE WEARS AND BREAKS IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE C PILLAR DUE TO USE OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP RENDERING THE BRAKE LIGHT NON-OPERATIVE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FIAT 500 CONVERTIBLE.

NHTSA ID

11390052

Incident

Nov 10, 2020

Mileage

53,250 mi

INTERMITTENT EXTERIOR MARKER LIGHT FAILURE. FRONT PASSENGER MARKER LIGHT AND REAR DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LIGHT FAIL TO OPERATE ON OCCASION. THE LIGHT SENSOR IN THE GAUGE CLUSTER ALERTS TO FAILURE. WHEN LATER INVESTIGATING, ALL LIGHTS APPEAR TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.

NHTSA ID

11323042

Incident

Apr 25, 2020

Mileage

67,000 mi

THE WIRING HARNESS GETS CRIMPED WHEN IT GOES FROM THE MAIN BODY OF THE CAR INTO THE HATCH CREATING SHORTS AND MALFACTION OF ELECTRIC COMPONENTS. AS, DOES THE REAR WIPER HOSE. WHICH LEAKS AND EMPTIES INTO THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS HAPPENS EVERYWHERE, AT ALL TIMES.

NHTSA ID

11277752

Incident

Jun 6, 2019

Mileage

42,000 mi

I TOOK MY CAR FOR INSPECTION. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT LICENSE PLATE LIGHT FAILED. BULB COULD NOT BE REPLACED. I HAD TO REPLACE WHOLE TAILGATE ASSEMBLY FOR $500 JUST FOR THE NEW BULB. NEW ASSEMBLY THEY PUT IN NOW HAS A REPLACEABLE BULB.

NHTSA ID

11221722

Incident

Oct 1, 2018

Mileage

50,000 mi

THIRD HIGH CENTER BRAKE LIKE WIRES KEEP BREAKING. THEY RUN ALONG ROOF TO TRUNK LID AND THE OPENING OF THE TRUNK LID CAUSES THIS.

NHTSA ID

11091517

Incident

Jun 15, 2015

Mileage

17,000 mi

I NEED TO REPLACE THE SAME LITE ONCE AT MONTH ONE OF THE LITE BURN ONENCE A MONTH

NHTSA ID

11073580

Incident

Jan 1, 2018

I CAN NOT GET MY HEADLIGHTS TO SHUT OFF WHEN I CONTACT FIAT AT 888-242-6342 THEY TELL ME THAT IT IS SOME KIND OF UPDATING SOFTWARE CALLED FOLLOW ME 30. I KNOW FOR FACT THAT THIS VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE THIS SOFTWARE AVAILABLE FOR THE 2012 THAT SOFTWARE WAS ONLY USED ON VEHICLES IN 2010 AND FIAT DIDN'T HAVE 5 DEALERSHIPS IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IF THEY HAD ONE IN 2010. THE SOFTWARE FOLLOW ME WAS ONLY ON FOREIGN FIAT CARS ALSO I KEEP GETTING A LIGHT SAYING TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING IS UNAVAILABLE! WHEN I CALL FIAT I GET POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE I EVEN HAD A LADY CALL ME A CRIMINAL FOR GIVING MY WHOLE VIN # SHE STATED SHE NEEDED TO "MAKE SURE YOU DIDN'T JUST WALK BY THE VEHICLE AND GIVE A VIN # THAT YOU GOT FROM SOMETHING ELSE." I BELIEVE FIAT IS HACKING IN TO VEHICLES IN AN EFFORT TO GET CUSTOMERS TO BRING THE VEHICLES TO KEN GRAFF FIAT 198 E 500 SOUTH SALT LAKE CITY UTAH 84111. I REFUSE TO GO BACK TO THIS CAR DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE MORE CONCERNED WHITH WHEN AND WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND IF I HAD A CAR NOTE FIAT TRIED TO PRETEND THAT THEY DIDNT HAVE PARTS AVALIBLE AND TO GET ME TO DRIVE A LOANER CAR. I OWN MY CAR! I DONT HAVE A CAR NOTE AND IT SEEMS TO BE ALOT OF FUNNY BUSINESS GOING ON IN REGARDS KEN GRAFF AND CHYSLER FIAT AURBUN HILLS REFUSES TO HELP WITH THE MATTER ALSO THE MILEGAGE SEEMS TO HAVE SLOWED DOWN A WHOLE LOT FOR EXAMPLE IF I DRIVE 20 MILES IT WILL ONLY SHOW 15. I WANT MY CAR TO WORK NOT BE A DANGER TO MY CHILD AND MYSELF MY CAR NOW HAS 176,000 MILES ON IT!

NHTSA ID

10905668

Incident

Jul 29, 2016

Mileage

1,760,000 mi

THE CAR WAS PURCHASED ON APRIL 15, 2016. SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD TO TAKE THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES. THE FIRST ISSUE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT. THE SECOND ISSUE WAS THAT THE GEARS WOULD NOT MOVE AND I HAD TO USE A SCREW DRIVER TO CHANGE THE CAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE AND VICE VERSA, DRIVE TO REVERSE AND VICE VERSA, ETC... THE THIRD ISSUE WAS THAT THE CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE RECENT ISSUE WAS FOR A RECALL ON THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL. IN ADDITION, THE CAR WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND LOCAL STREETS DRIFTS TO THE RIGHT SIDE. AS A RESULT OF THE DRIFTING, I HAVE HAD ALMOST THREE CAR ACCIDENTS IN THE PAST MONTH. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME THAT THE DRIFTING IS A RESULT OF THE ROADS ON THE FREEWAY AND LOCALLY AND NOT AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVE TO THIS CAR AND FEAR GETTING INTO A MAJOR ACCIDENT. TODAY I CONTACTED THE FIAT OWNER ASSISTANCE TO FILE A COMPLAINT AND REQUEST THAT THE ISSUE BE ADDRESSED. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THE CAR WAS SAFE AS PER THE SERVICE REPORTS AND THAT I SHOULD GET A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT MY EXPENSE. THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE BY A CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVE AND NOT A MECHANIC. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT THE ISSUE BE ADDRESSED AND THAT I AM ABLE TO RETURN THE FIAT FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT IS SAFE AND MEET THE STANDARD OF QUALITY FIAT IS KNOWN FOR.

NHTSA ID

10875746

Incident

Apr 17, 2016

Mileage

27,800 mi

THE REAR LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS HAVE FAILED. THE LED BULBS ARE FUNCTIONAL, BUT THE WIRING HARNESS PROVIDING POWER TO THE LIGHTS HAS FAILED DUE POOR ROUTING OF THE HARNESS RESULTING IN BROKEN WIRES AND ELECTRICAL SHORTS TO THE SYSTEM. OTHER SIMILAR MAKE AND MODELS OF THIS CAR HAVE SUFFERED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERERS THIS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I CONSIDER THIS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. IF THIS PROBLEM AFFECTED THE HEADLIGHTS, THIS COULD BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

10861049

Incident

Apr 4, 2016

Mileage

65,000 mi

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AT NIGHT, I HAVE HAD THE HEADLIGHTS FAIL! SUDDENLY JUST GO DARK! EACH TIME, IT HAPPENED WHEN I OPERATED A WINDOW SWITCH. THE OUTAGE EACH TIME WAS SHORT, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD COME BACK ON WITHIN SECONDS [THOUGH IT SEEMED LONGER]. THE SERVICE GUYS AT THE DEALERSHIP HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE IT, NO IDEA WHY IT HAPPENED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10583721

Incident

Feb 20, 2014

Mileage

60,000 mi