2013 Fiat 500E Problems

OUR FIAT DIED THREE TIMES WITHIN A FOUR MONTH PERIOD, SPECIFICALLY ON 6/20/2014 (2,609 MILES), 8/11/2014 (3,101 MILES), AND 10/20/2014 (4,050 MILES). A "SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT APPEARED EACH TIME IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE, STOP, OR STEER. OF THE THREE INCIDENTS, THE FINAL INCIDENT ON 10/20/2014 WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS: THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE CROSSING TRAIN TRACKS (LIGHT-RAIL) WHILE A TRAIN WAS APPROACHING. CHRYSLER-FIAT HAS SINCE REPURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 5/2015 PER CALIFORNIA LAW.

ON 1/18/2014 WE LEASED A 2013 FIAT 500E ("THE CAR")FROM KEARNY MESA FIAT. VIN [XXX]. IT HAD LESS THAN 20 MILES ON IT WHEN WE TOOK POSSESSION OF IT. ON 3/3/2014 IT WOULD NOT CHARGE GIVING ME A LARGE YELLOW INDICATOR SAYING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEMS WERE NOT WORKING. THIS FLASHED AND THEN DROPPED OFF THE SCREEN. ON 3/17/2014 THE SAME LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY. THE CAR WAS WITH THE DEALER FOR REPAIR UNTIL APRIL 8, 2014, FOR A TOTAL OF 22 DAYS. FIAT OFFERED, AND I ACCEPTED A CASH SETTLEMENT FOR THIS REPAIR. ON 10/3/2014 THE LIGHT RETURNED. THERE WERE 11747.4 MILES ON THE CAR. KEARNY MESA FIAT PERFORMED RECALL WORK. ON 10/11/2014 THE LIGHT ALTERNATED WITH THE TURTLE LIGHT. THEN THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. IT HAD 12302 MILES. ON 10/13/2014 THE DEALER IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED PIM. I GAVE NOTICE I WANTED TO RETURN THE CAR. AFTER CONFIRMING I HAD NOT HIRED A LAWYER, [XXX]. FROM FIAT OFFERED TO SELL ME ANOTHER CAR FROM CHRYSLER IF I PAID AN ADDITIONAL $5000. I DECLINED. ON 10/17/2014 THE DEALER RETURNED THE CAR SAYING THE MAIN COMPUTER HAD FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED. THIS DIFFERED FROM THE 10/13 OPINION. ON 4/27/2015 (19,817 MILES)THE WARNING LIGHT RETURNED AND STAYED ON. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER (5TH TIME IN 18 MO.). SERVICE SAID TWO MODULES WERE "NOT COMMUNICATING" AND THEY REBOOTED THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. ON 5/5/2015 (20,369 MILES) THE CAR STOPPED COMPLETELY, FLASHING THE SERVICE PROPULSION SYSTEM LIGHT. IT STOPPED AND PUT ITSELF INTO PARK WHILE I WAS ON HWY 67. CARS WERE DRIVING AT ME AT 60 MPH FROM 3 DIRECTIONS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AS WE PULLED AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, THE CAR MADE A LOUD POPPING SOUND AND LOST POWER TO THE DRIVE SYSTEM. THE DASHBOARD IMMEDIATELY DISPLAYED A "PROPULSION SYSTEM WARNING" MESSAGE AND COULD NO LONGER BE DRIVEN. THE CAR WAS TOWED (FLAT BED) TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR. AFTER A WEEK, AND THE DEALER'S TECHS TALKING WITH TECHNICIANS IN DETROIT, DETROIT SUGGESTED REPLACING THE CAR'S POWER INVERTER. THIS REPAIR WILL COST MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. THIS CAR HAD THE POWER INVERTER REPLACED BY THE SAME SHOP IN RESPONSE TO THE RECALL TO PREVENT SUDDEN POWER FAILURE. OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE POPPING SOUND AND SUDDEN POWER LOSS IS IDENTICAL TO DESCRIPTIONS FROM OTHER OWNERS WHO HAD THE RECALL FOR THE POWER INVERTER REPLACEMENT. GLAD NO ONE WAS HURT AND THAT WE WERE NOT ON A HIGHWAY.

OUR FIAT DIED THREE TIMES WITHIN A FOUR MONTH PERIOD, SPECIFICALLY ON 6/20/2014 (2,609 MILES), 8/11/2014 (3,101 MILES), AND 10/20/2014 (4,050 MILES). A "SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT APPEARED EACH TIME IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE, STOP, OR STEER. OF THE THREE INCIDENTS, THE FINAL INCIDENT ON 10/20/2014 WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS: THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE CROSSING TRAIN TRACKS (LIGHT-RAIL) WHILE A TRAIN WAS APPROACHING. CHRYSLER-FIAT HAS SINCE REPURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 5/2015 PER CALIFORNIA LAW.

FIAT 500 E (ELECTRIC ENGINE) WAS FULLY CHARGED. STARTED CAR AND BACKED OUT OF DRIVEWAY. HEADED DOWN RESIDENTIAL STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 25MPH. WITHIN 1/8 MILE, "SERVICE ELECTRICAL VEHICLE SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT CAME UP. CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER, BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER BEFORE CAR STOPPED. CAR WOULD START, SHOW WARNING LIGHT, BUT COULD NOT BE PUT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE TO BE DRIVEN. WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD TOWED (FLAT BED) TO FIAT DEALER - WHERE CAR RESTARTED WITHOUT PROBLEM. FIAT DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. KEPT CAR FOR ONE WEEK, TESTED FOR 100+ MILES. TOLD ME "CORPORATE" KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND WAS WORKING ON A "SOFTWARE FIX" - BUT TO TAKE THE CAR HOME AND DRIVE IT. THIS CAR HAS BEEN PART OF A FIAT RECALL (WORK COMPLETED TWO MONTHS PRIOR) TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. DID NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE RECALL. SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED IN A FRIEND'S 2014 FIAT 500 E TONIGHT - EXACT SAME WAY - WITH ENGINE POWER FAILING WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION - WITH JUST BARELY ENOUGH TIME TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC LANE. THIS FRIEND'S VEHICLE HAD ALSO HAD THE RECALL COMPLETED A MONTH PRIOR. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS ON THE INTERNET AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A CAR FAILS IN MOVING TRAFFIC RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500E. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SENSOR BEGAN FLASHING AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE SENSOR ILLUMINATED WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS FULLY CHARGED, HALFWAY CHARGED, OR LOW. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NO REMEDY WAS PROVIDED. THE CONTACT WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V235000 (ENGINE). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE SENSOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150.

OUR FIAT DIED THREE TIMES WITHIN A FOUR MONTH PERIOD, SPECIFICALLY ON 6/20/2014 (2,609 MILES), 8/11/2014 (3,101 MILES), AND 10/20/2014 (4,050 MILES). A "SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT APPEARED EACH TIME IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE, STOP, OR STEER. OF THE THREE INCIDENTS, THE FINAL INCIDENT ON 10/20/2014 WAS THE MOST DANGEROUS: THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE CROSSING TRAIN TRACKS (LIGHT-RAIL) WHILE A TRAIN WAS APPROACHING. CHRYSLER-FIAT HAS SINCE REPURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 5/2015 PER CALIFORNIA LAW.

NEW CAR ROLLED AS I SWERVED AND STRUCK A PARKED TRUCK. GOING ONLY 27 MPH THE CAR THEN ROLLED OVER, THE ROOF CRASHED. NO SUDDEN MOMENTS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO AIR BAGS WENT OFF BUT GLASS IN THE WINDSHIELD AND ROOF SHATTERED. DRIVER THROWN INTO PASSENGER SEAT AND RECEIVED CUTS AND BRUISES. *TR

THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH "AUTO-PARK". IF THE DRIVER'S DOOR IS OPENED AND SEAT BELT UNBUCKLED IT AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGES PARK. SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA, EXCEPT: IT DOES THIS ALSO IF THE KEY IS TURNED OFF-- WHILE STILL MOVING!!!!! OR IF ROLLING BACK OR FORWARD SLIGHTLY ON AN INCLINE AS I ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE TO BEGIN TO LEAVE VEHICLE TO ATTEND TO A GATE ON MY HILLY DRIVEWAY. THIS OCCURS SO SUDDENLY IT CAN LAUNCH OCCUPANTS FORWARD INTO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL! (MY WIFE AND I TYPICALLY DO NOT RE-BELT TO MOVE 15 FEET TO CLOSE THE GATE). ACCORDING TO FIAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE DEALER SAY THIS CANNOT BE DEPROGRAMMED. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND SOMEONE WILL BE HURT, OR AN ACCIDENT COULD OCCUR IF THE KEY WAS TURNED OFF WHILE MOVING DUE TO A THROTTLE OR OTHER DEFECT. YOUR FORM IS FREAKY ABOUT ACCEPTING THE AFFECTED PARTS! *TR

NEW CAR ROLLED AS I SWERVED AND STRUCK A PARKED TRUCK. GOING ONLY 27 MPH THE CAR THEN ROLLED OVER, THE ROOF CRASHED. NO SUDDEN MOMENTS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO AIR BAGS WENT OFF BUT GLASS IN THE WINDSHIELD AND ROOF SHATTERED. DRIVER THROWN INTO PASSENGER SEAT AND RECEIVED CUTS AND BRUISES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500E. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, HE FELT AN EXCESSIVE VIBRATION IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME EXTREMELY SENSITIVE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DECELERATE EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS A COMMUNICATION ISSUE WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,435.

NEW CAR ROLLED AS I SWERVED AND STRUCK A PARKED TRUCK. GOING ONLY 27 MPH THE CAR THEN ROLLED OVER, THE ROOF CRASHED. NO SUDDEN MOMENTS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO AIR BAGS WENT OFF BUT GLASS IN THE WINDSHIELD AND ROOF SHATTERED. DRIVER THROWN INTO PASSENGER SEAT AND RECEIVED CUTS AND BRUISES. *TR