What 90 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio

Rear end car crash. Seat back collapsed and threw me into back seat where I sufferred brain injury.

NHTSA ODI 11477315

Our FIAT was rear-ended on October 20. My wife suffered multiple critical injuries. The accident occurred in Manatee County Florida. I have the accident report, a picture of the vehicle, and a reported recall of the vehicle for a seat problem that took place in Australia. There has been no recall in the U.S. I will upload the relevant documents. The company reports the front seat’s guide tracks may not comply to safety standards do to a manufacturing fault. If the guide tracks are faulty, the seat could suddenly shift backwards or forwards during a crash, which poses an increased risk of injury.

NHTSA ODI 11445396

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 ODI 11433432

I WAS DRIVING A TOTAL OF 4 AND A HALF HOURS BACK HOME FROM A TRIP. MOST OF THE TRIP WAS VIA STRAIGHT FREEWAY. I WAS 2 HOURS IN WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. I CALLED MY DAD WHO SAID TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY. I LET MY CAR GLIDE THROUGH THE EXIT THAT WAS COMING UP AND I NOTICED SMOKE FLOWING BEHIND MY CAR. I PULLED OVER AND GOT OUT TO SEE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. I OPENED THE HOOD AND DISCUSSED WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH MY DAD. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A BLOW TORCH AND FLAMES CAME UP OUT OF THE ENGINE. I RAN ABOUT 50-100 METERS AWAY AND CALLED 911. QUICKLY, THE WHOLE HOOD WAS ON FIRE. THANKFULLY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MUST HAVE BEEN CLOSE BY BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE BEFORE IT GOT TOO FAR INSIDE THE CAR. THE WINDSHIELD MELTED AND SHATTERED. I FOUND GLASS STUCK ON MY PURSE AND HAT SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I HAD TO THROW THEM AWAY AS I COULD NOT GET THE GLASS OFF. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A TOW YARD WHERE MY INSURANCE COMPANY INSPECTED IT. THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE FOR THE DAMAGE. SINCE THE CAR WAS A 2015 MODEL THAT I HAD PURCHASED NEW AND IT WAS 2018, I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN SO I HAD FIAT PICK UP THE VEHICLE AND INSPECT IT. THEY SAID THEY DID NOT FIND THAT THE FIRE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH MANUFACTURING OR ASSEMBLY ERROR. I THEN HAD MY INSURANCE COMPANY TAKE IT AND CLOSE THE CLAIM. STILL FIND IT STRANGE THAT A 3 YEAR OLD CAR SUDDENLY CAUGHT ON FIRE WITH NO WARNING. I'M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO MOVE OFF TO THE SIDE AND THAT I WASN'T IN THE CAR WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE FULLY. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE THOUGH IS STILL UNKNOWN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11330188

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT DETECTED AN ABNORMAL BURNING ODOR AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND WAS TOWED TO CLASSIC CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP (111 I-20 EAST FRONTAGE RD, ARLINGTON, TX 76018, 682-226-6400). THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 32948895. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER A WARRANTY OR RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,191.

NHTSA ODI 11071966

FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS ARE HARD TO OPEN AND CLOSE. TWICE, THE DOORS SPRUNG BACK WHEN OPENING, HITTING ME ONCE AND MY DAUGHTER ON ANOTHER OCCASION, BOTH TIMES NEAR THE EYE AREA. MY DAUGHTER RECEIVED A SMALL BUMP ABOVE HER RIGHT EYE. THE UPPER CORNERS OF THE DOORS SEEM TO BE SWEPT BACK AT A SHARPER ANGLE THAN MOST CARS. THIS IS A LOANER BECAUSE OF THE TAKATA RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 10908619

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 FIAT 500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TOWED BY A 2002 E450 RV DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A NEARBY FIRE STATION WHERE THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS BURNED EXTENSIVELY AND DECLARED TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. LESS THAN TWO MONTHS LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V302000 (POWER TRAIN). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

NHTSA ODI 10888450

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500. WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR END OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AFTER THE CRASH, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,500.

NHTSA ODI 10821308

BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE THE FIRST TIME IN ORDER TO STOP THE CAR FOR PARKING SPACE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN THE FOLLOWING DAY WHERE I TRIED TO HOLD THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND NOTHING!!! I RETRIED AGAIN A SECOND TIME AND TOO LATE CAR WAS HIT TWICE IN THE FRONT DESTROYING WHOLE FRONT END. CAR WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW. I HAVE CONTACTED FIAT HQ TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS DEADLY SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 10759232