2015 Fiat 500 Engine Problems

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.

NHTSA ID

11492602

Incident

Nov 6, 2022

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!

NHTSA ID

11433432

Incident

Sep 18, 2021

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.

NHTSA ID

11327395

Incident

Apr 20, 2020

Mileage

39,483 mi

WE HAVE RAN INTO TWO ISSUES WITH THE CAR. THE FIRST ISSUE WAS LAST YEAR THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE COMPUTER INSIDE NOT WORKING WHICH IN TURN CAUSE ISSUES WITH THE BLUETOOTH, LIGHTING, AND DASHBOARD. THE MECHANIC SAID IT COULD IN TURN RESULT IN OTHER ISSUES AS WELL. WE RECENTLY STARTED THE CAR AND IT STARTED SHAKING, THE DASHBOARD WENT OUT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT.

NHTSA ID

11277185

Incident

Oct 27, 2019

Mileage

95,000 mi

THE RECALL WAS STOPPED AT 74 000 MILES AND NOW I NEED TO BUY A NEW CARE I HAVE AN OIL LEAK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF\ENGINE BY THE CAM SEAL, ACTUATOR

NHTSA ID

11193125

Incident

Apr 1, 2019

Mileage

92,000 mi

LOSS OF TOTAL DASH DISPLAY AT ANY GIVEN TIME , HAVE TO DISCONNECT BATTERY FOR 5MINS RECONNECT TO REGAIN DASH BACK , THIS STARTED DAY 1 OF PURCHASE WHEN PULLING OFF THE CAR LOT .

NHTSA ID

11104455

Incident

Apr 16, 2016

WAS IN MOTION ON A SURFACE STREET AFTER JUST LEAVING A 4-WAY STOP INTERSECTION. THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY LEFT DRIVE AND WENT TO PARK. THE MESSAGE ON THE THE DASH SAID "BRAKING SYSTEM NEEDS MAINTENANCE." EVERY TIME THE CAR WAS PUT INTO NEUTRAL IT SHIFTED ITSELF TO PARK. ELECTRIC CAR, I THINK IT IS THE ENGINE (POWER INVERTER).

NHTSA ID

11096929

Incident

Apr 8, 2018

Mileage

16,700 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500. THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION INDICATORS ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. ON ONE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FIAT OF MANHATTAN IN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK WHERE UNKNOWN ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 26,000.

NHTSA ID

11044553

Incident

Oct 1, 2016

Mileage

26,000 mi

MANY DIFFERENT THINGS HAVE GONE WRONG WITH THIS CAR STARTING AT THE FIRST 900 MILES. THE CLUSTER THAT SHOWS YOU SPEED AND RPM WENT OUT AT 900 MILES WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK MAKING IT HARD TO DRIVE. IT TOOK THE DEALERSHIP TWO WEEKS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. A COUPLE MONTHS AFTER THIS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FOR NO REASON, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND GAVE IT BACK TO ME. TWO WEEKS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND THEN THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH SOMETHING RELATED TO THE CLUSTER. THEY HAD MY CAR FOR A WEEK THIS TIME WHILE THEY REPAIRED THIS PROBLEM. SIX MONTHS LATER A GENERIC LIGHT CAME ON THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR, I BROUGHT IT IN AND AGAIN THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. A YEAR AFTER I PURCHASED IT THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WENT OUT AND I STARTED GETTING A WARNING TO CHECK THEM, THEY SAID THIS WASN'T COVERED AND WOULD NOT REPLACE THEM. AT ABOUT 65,000 MILES MY HEAD LIGHTS BURNED OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND I HAD TO DRIVE 70 MILES AT NIGHT WITH NO HEADLIGHTS ON THE FREEWAY. I REPLACED THESE MYSELF FOR $60. THEN THREE MONTHS LATER MY HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AGAIN. THE LIGHTS WEREN'T BURNT OUT BUT THEY WERE LOOSE AND I HAD TO JIGGLE THEM TO GET THEM BACK. AT THE SAME TIME THEY HAD A RECALL ON THE CLUTCH AND IT TOOK THEM A YEAR TO GET THE PARTS AND REPAIR THE RECALL AT 66,751 MILES. NOW AT 74,500 MILES THE CLUTCH HAS COMPLETELY GONE OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. LUCKILY I HAD JUST GOT TO MY DESTINATION AND LEFT IT PARKED IN A PARKING LOT. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE ME $3,300 TO FIX THE CLUTCH. THE CAR IS ONLY WORTH $6600 AND I OWE $13000. ALSO I HAVE TRIED TO TRADE IT IN AND NO ONE WILL TAKE IT DUE TO ALL THE PROBLEMS THESE CARS HAVE. FIAT SHOULD BE BANNED FROM SELLING THESE CARS UNTIL THEY STOP TURNING OUT CRAPPY CARS.

NHTSA ID

11000177

Incident

Jun 17, 2017

Mileage

74,500 mi

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, MY CAR HAS SUDDENLY REVVED UP TO 6000 RPM, START JERKING AND REVVING UP; AND A RANDOM ERROR WILL POP UP ON THE DASH. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, IF YOU LET OFF OF THE BREAK THE CAR WILL AUTOMATICALLY SPEED UP TO 40 MPH WITHOUT PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL DOWN. SOMETIMES IT WILL HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL START AS SOON AS THE CAR IS STARTED. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT KIND OF ROAD THE CAR IS ON. SOMETIMES THE CAR JUST JERKS AND DISPLAYS AN ERROR. THE MOST PREDOMINANT ERROR IS "ESC OFF NO HILL START". SOMETIMES IT SAYS "COOLANT TEMP HIGH". I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND EVERY TIME I DO THEY SAY THEY ARE UNABLE TO "RETRIEVE AN ACTIVE CODE OFF OF THE COMPUTER OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM." ONE TIME, THEY REPLACED THE COMPUTER IN THE CAR BECAUSE THEY READ HIGH VOLTAGE COMING OFF OF ONE OF THE CIRCUITS, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AFTER THAT. MY WIFE RECORDED A VIDEO ONCE WHERE IT COUNTED DOWN FROM 3 TO 1 AND THEN SUDDENLY REVVED UP. SHE ALSO SHOWED DIFFERENT VIDEOS THAT SHE HAD MADE OF IT AT DIFFERENT TIMES TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY JUST FLAT OUT SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

NHTSA ID

10986106

Incident

Dec 15, 2016

Mileage

35,700 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL WHEN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OVERHEATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE ONTO THE ROAD SHOULDER, RESTART THE ENGINE, AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION AFTER THE ENGINE COOLED DOWN. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO SHIFT THE GEAR INTO NEUTRAL MANUALLY WHEN THE BURNING ODOR EMITTED OR THEY COULD REPROGRAM THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; HOWEVER, IT WOULD NOT PERMANENTLY CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

NHTSA ID

10788410

Incident

Oct 30, 2015

Mileage

17,000 mi

FIAT 500 ABARTH 2015 AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 30 MIN. I PARKED THE CAR AND AFTER RETURNING TO LEAVE I STARTED THE CAR BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE AND THE ENGINE JUST DIED. TRIED TO START IT 3 TIMES WITH NO CRANKING SOUND. PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED THE CAR BACK INTO PARKING SPACE. 5 MINUTES LATER STARTED THE CAR WITH NO PROBLEM. THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON BUT NOT BLINKING. I DECIDED TO REMOVE THE GAS CAP AND PUT IT BACK ON. THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR ABOUT A DAY AND THEN WENT OUT. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN APPOINTMENT.. THE DIAGNOSE WAS A FAILED INTAKE BRICK AND REPLACED THE INTAKE ACTUATOR. THEN DID A PCM FLASH, FLASH, PERFORMED PCM SOFTWARE UPDATE/ THEN A TCM FLASH, FLASH, PERFORMED TCM SOFTWARE UPDATE.

NHTSA ID

10726162

Incident

Jun 2, 2015

Mileage

1,850 mi