What 164 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio

Dear NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, I am filing this formal complaint to report the sale and interstate delivery of a dangerously defective and noncompliant vehicle sold to me by Arlington Auto Group, located at 3621 Columbia Pike, Arlington, Virginia. On [XXX], I purchased a 2013 Fiat 500 (VIN: [XXX] ). The vehicle was delivered to my home in Englewood, Colorado on [XXX]. Within 24 hours of taking possession of the car—and having driven fewer than 100 miles—I had the vehicle inspected by a certified mechanic at The Auto Repair Place in Boulder, Colorado. Their findings revealed multiple severe safety hazards, including: Rear brake pads completely worn to metal-on-metal contact Two bolts missing from the rear passenger wheel A destroyed and leaking turbocharger, which increases the risk of engine failure Inoperable tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) No Virginia safety inspection documentation provided Additionally, the car had been illegally tampered with to bypass emissions systems, including removal of the catalytic converter and installation of sensor bypass wiring, which also violates federal law and emissions standards. This vehicle was represented as safe and legally operable at the time of sale. However, these issues clearly indicate the vehicle poses a substantial risk to public safety and should not have been sold or shipped across state lines. Request for Investigation I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter for violations of federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) and to determine whether this dealership has a pattern or practice of selling unsafe or defective vehicles. I am prepared to provide: Full mechanic inspection report Purchase contract and shipping records Photos of the damage and mechanical issues Communications with the dealership and lender Thank you for your time and attention to this serious safety matter. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] (303) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11651198

Car break shift lock stuck in park with various different elements illuminating on the dash. Must manually override break shift lock to put car in neutral, start the car, and put it in drive or reverse. Will no go over 40 mph. Power steering will unexpectedly go out in addition to fuel cut off, ABS, and electronic stability control also stopping. Have had brake light switch replaced for temporary fix, and replaced the battery. Has passed multiple 20 point inspections with no visible damage. The same problem has reoccurred and the fiat mechanics only idea is to replace the entire shifter column and see if any other codes are appearing.

NHTSA ODI 11471124

SO - I'VE GOT A 2013 500E AND IT STARTED DOING THIS LAST WEEK OR SO. THE RBC, THE ESC, THE ABS, AND EVEN THE HILL ASSIST TRANSIENTLY, AND ONCE OR TWICE EVEN WENT INTO 'PROPULSION SYSTEM SERVICE' ERROR MODE AND WOULDN'T RUN. AFTER A RE-START IT WOULD THEN RUN. EVEN DID THE BATTERY TRICK. NOT SURE IF IT HELPED OR NOT. SO, I DECIDED TO DO THE OBD2 - WITH THE KONNWEI AND THE ALFOBD - FULL PROGRAM - AND IT WAS ABLE TO CLEAR THE CODES AND PULL UP THE ERRORS : U0001, U1201, U1487 - AND EVEN THOUGH IT RECURS AND I FEEL A CLICK AND CHANGE IN BRAKING WHEN THE RBC LIGHT GOES OFF, AND THE ESC LIGHT, AND EVENTUALLY THE ABS LIGHT TOO, AND IT STARTS MAKING FUNNY NOISES FROM THE BRAKES WHEN STOPPED AND PRESSED DEEPLY, BUT I'M ABLE TO CLEAR IT AND GOES BACK TO NORMAL. BUT IT ALWAYS RECURS. ONCE IT WENT AWAY FOR 2 DAYS. ANYWAY - FOUND A TSB ON THIS : NUMBER 08-045-16 - FROM APRIL 22, 2016. AND DESCRIBES PRETTY MUCH ALL THIS AND THE CODES. APPARENTLY THE RBC, AND ABS MODULES NEED REFLASH BY THE DEALER - OR SOMEONE WITH THE WITECH SOFTWARE AND INTERFACE. HERE'S A LINK TO THE PDF ITSELF: HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2016/SB-10076281-3639.PDF - MY MAIN PROBLEM IS MY LOCAL DEALER IN TUCSON DOES NOT HAVE 500E CERTIFICATION NOR A TECH TO SERVICE THE 500E. I'D HAVE TO DRIVE 100 MILES OR SO UP TO PHOENIX TO GET IT DONE. SO I WOULD NEED TO HAUL IT UP THERE. THIS SUCKS. CALLED THE FCA SUPPORT LINE, THEY SAY THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO, I HAVE TO GET IT THERE.

NHTSA ODI 11340069

NOT JUST "HAPPENED", BUT RATHER CONSTANTLY HAPPENING. THE "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN" DATE BELOW IS WHEN IT STARTED, RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT IT. EVERY SINGLE TIME BRAKING SPEED REACHES AROUND 6MPH: AS I BRAKE FROM OVER 7MPH, THE BRAKES SUDDENLY GRAB, DECELERATING ALMOST VIOLENTLY. 1 OF MY FRIENDS BOUGHT A 2014, & ANOTHER LEASED A 2016, & THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I'M A MEMBER OF FIAT500USERS.COM & IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY SINGLE VEHICLE OF THIS MODEL HAS THE SAME ISSUE, REGARDLESS OF MANUFACTURING DATE.

NHTSA ODI 11290445

I OWNED THE SECOND FIAT 500 THOUGHT THE BRAKE'S ISSUE WOULD GO AWAY WHEN DRIVING IN THE WINTER TIME. BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR AND EVEN YOU PRESSED IT ALL THE WAY DOWN. I HEARD FROM A FRIEND WHO LOST CONTROL OF HER FIAT'S BRAKE THIS LAST WINTER IN BOSTON, MA AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IT'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLES AS WELL BEFORE THE WINTER THIS YEAR.

NHTSA ODI 10871449

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE LIGHTLY DEPRESSED AND THE STEERING WHEEL HAD TO BE TURNED IN ORDER FOR THE NOISE TO SUBSIDE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. A WEEK LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT STRUT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR BRAKES FAILED AND THE CALIPER SEIZED, WHICH CAUSED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE ROTOR TO ABNORMALLY DETERIORATE. THE ROTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. A FEW MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CLUTCH COULD NOT BE DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT SHIFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,171.

NHTSA ODI 10731727

AT LOW SPEEDS 20 MPH AND BELOW YOU COULD HEAR A GRINDING NOISE THAT SOUNDED MUCH LIKE BAD BRAKES BEARINGS. SECOND TIME WE SUGGESTED THIS PROBLEM. FIRST TIME THE TECH SAID HE COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE NOISE. THIS TIME THEY FOUND BOTH OF THE REAR BEARING HAD BEEN COMPLETELY EATEN AWAY BY BRAKE DUST INSIDE THE BEARING ASSEMBLY.

NHTSA ODI 10717394