2015 Fiat 500 Electrical System Problems

The contact owns a 2015 Fiat 500. The contact stated that upon having the vehicle inspected, the mechanic noticed that the front driver’s and passenger’s side headlamps had failed to operate. The brake warning light and the headlamp warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the mechanic reconnected the front driver’s and passenger’s side headlamp connector. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that after the vehicle was started, the contact noticed that the headlamps failed to illuminate. The contact then stated that the rear driver’s and passenger’s side brake lights failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken back the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lighting wirings had burned out and the connectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

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.

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!

I am a retired master certified automotive technician. Ever since I bought this 2015 Fiat 500e [it is battery electric] in 2017 with NO warning all kinds of trouble/service lights will go on as the car shuts down & stops as if it was thrown into Park, & most of the time it does this it is at highway speeds on crowded L.A. freeways, which has become very close to getting me killed several times I have taken it to local dealers for this problem since shortly after I bought it in 2017, long before the bumper to bumper warranty expired. Most of the time the dealer reads/clears the codes, then parks it in a back lot for days, weeks, & months, then after a while tells me it's done & I can pick it up, but normally within 100 miles the exact same thing happens so I have to take it back to the dealer. Most recently it did not even make it off the dealers lot before it did it. The latest dealer I have been taking it to for this problems, [5 times in a few months] clearly doesn't know the car or what they are doing & is now brazenly lying on repair orders. They have also been claiming it had no problems or trouble codes when I brought it in, after the service writer read & printed out dozens of codes, which they promised to give me a copy of but then refused to give to me. Because this is the exact same problem covered by previous recalls on this car I believe dealers have charged for services & doing recalls that they did not do, because I marked the parts & see NO indication they changed the parts required or did the procedures required to perform the services claimed. This car has had the exact same dangerous problems covered by the recalls since I bought it & I must now pay dealers to service it even though the propulsion system is under warranty. At this point I believe this is brazen dangerous widespread fraud with the factories participation

BEGAN LOSING CLUTCH, CLUTCH/BRAKE ASSEMBLY HAD THE 2 CONNECTING BOLTS BROKEN IN HALF. HAVE PICTURES. CLUTCH INTERLOCK ARRIVED BAD, BYPASSED IT; NOW THE POWER STEERING, ENGINE LIGHT AND EOS LIGHTS STAY ON. CAR ENGINE DIED THEN CRANKED UP ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING 60MPH STATING HIGH TEMP (PULL OVER, TURN ENGINE OFF) - HAD BEEN IN THE CAR LESS THAN 1 MINUTE, JUST LONG ENOUGH TO GET TO 60 ON THE HIGHWAY. NOW CLUTCH INTERLOCK, AND BRAKE INTERLOCK MUST BE REPLACED.

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.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500E. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST MOTIVE POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO RENTON CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM LOCATED AT 585 RAINIER AVE S, RENTON, WA 98057, (425) 430-1000 TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER IN THE POWER INVERTER WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V303000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000.

WHENEVER I TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON, THEY GO OFF. WHENEVER I TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF, THEY GO ON. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE BREAK LIGHTS DON'T WORK. WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT I HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN BREAK LIGHTS OR HEADLIGHTS. FIAT WANTS OVER $1000 TO FIX ONE MONTH AFTER WARRANTY.

RADIO AND OTHER ELECTRONICS WENT BLANK, WE CAME TO LOCAL DEALER TO FIX IT. THEY CHANGED IT AND IT STILL NOT WORKING,VERY WENT BACK THEY CHANGED IT AGAIN, STILL NOT WORKING, MADE 3 RD APPOINTMENT TO FIVE IT, LOOSING A FAITH THAT THEY EVER WILL FIX IT RIGHT.

2015 FIAT 500 POP. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PROBLEMS COMPUTER SYSTEM AND ACCELERATION. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE CD PLAYER WAS INOPERABLE, THE REAR WIPERS STICK, THE GAUGES FLUCTUATE, AND THE FLOOR MATS WERE MISSING FROM THE VEHICLE. *JS

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).

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.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED. THIS LETTER WAS SENT TO THE NTSB. THEY SENT US A FOLLOW-UP LETTER STATING THAT THE NHTSA WOULD NEED TO HANDLE THIS. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT A COPY OF OUR LETTER WAS SENT TO THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT ON 4/27/2017. THANK YOU

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED BUT THE PARTS REPLACED WERE UNKNOWN. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD A WARNING LIGHT HOWEVER WAS UNSURE WHAT THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATED. THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED AND WAS ABLE TO COME INTO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BUT THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

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.

SOFTWARE RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 200C (NA). THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES WITH THE VOICE RECOGNITION AND RADIO. ALSO, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO PARK AND THE VEHICLE WAS STILL MOVING EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFTER STATED IT WAS IN PARK. THE VEHICLE SEIZED IN THE DRIVE POSITION. THE FAILURES OCCURRED BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

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 .

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FIAT 500. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE RPMS INCREASED, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SWITCHED OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY. IN ADDITION, THE BLUETOOTH CAPABILITY FAILED. ONCE THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL THE VEHICLE OVER, IT RESTARTED ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED A BUY BACK AS AN OPTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,000.

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.