Fiat 500 won't start problems

Filed Dec 6, 2022 · Fuel system · NC

In 2019 my 2013 500e wouldn't start/take a charge. I towed it to the dealer and after more than a month and $2250 they replaced the PIM module and HV battery pack. Fast forward to 2022 and I received the SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SYSTEM error. I drove the car to the dealer. They are claiming the failure is the HV battery cooling system is leaking coolant in to the battery itself and the only repair is full replacement. They are also claiming the battery is not under any warranty at this time. Any thoughts or advice on next steps would be appreciated. I cannot believe the HV battery would need to be replaced twice in 3 years.

Filed Aug 17, 2020 · Electrical, Engine · 67,466 miles · TX

The starter motor fails to engage at random times. I have taken it to the dealership and to local mechanics and none have been able to replicate the issue. The starter motor will sometimes start right up for them, causing them to rule out a faulty starter. If the vehicle is left over night, it may start right back up. After selling the car on 2 occasions, both new owners reported within 24 hours of ownership that the vehicle would not start after having driven it for more than 10mi. I believe fca is well-aware of this relatively common issue. A google search for this problem yields pages upon pages of owners reporting similar issues. I can share youtube videos of owner's either reporting the problem or comments of others having a similar issue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7soezkwut4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pffvy3arsvs

Filed Feb 12, 2020 · 78,500 miles · MD

Car will not start and will not come out of park. Lights are all on, and checked battery and all is fine. Being told it is the gear shift module. Time/date: 6:45 am 02/08/20 vehicle was stationary.

Filed May 25, 2019 · Engine · 65,000 miles · CA

I bought the car 2 years ago and driven it without any issues until a few months ago when the low oil pressure light showed. Being in traffic and in the rain, I did drive my car home. I took it to a local mechanic the next day who changed the low oil pressure sensor and changed the oil and it looked like the problem went away. But after a few weeks it appeared again. I tried to research the problem on the net and most posts I found indicated that the entire engine needs to be replaced. The car has 65000 miles, seems like an unfair problem to have for such a young engine. The problem occurrs only at idle. Since I drive the car very little and in no traffic I decided to continue driving it and look out for the light and turn off the engine when it comes on. But one day my car did not start so I towed it to my mechanic which found the starter had some corroded bolts (?) which he cleaned and the car runs fine now. But he warned me that the oil pressure problem is only going to get worse and that at some point I will have to replace the engine. I tried to figure out why this problem occurred in the first place by trying to find any sensible information on the internet. It seems like there is quite a few owners out there that have the same problem, but did not find any answers on what is the cause of it. I found this information on a recall regarding the starter: csn n15 starter motor mounting bolts 2012 (ff) fiat 500 the starter motor mounting bolts on about 3k of vehicles may not ground the starter motor to the transaxle case properly. This could cause the electrical energy from the starter motor during cranking to take an alternate path to ground across the engine crankshaft bearings. My car is not recalled for this problem. But is it still possible that my car was affected by the same problem? And if yes, who is responsible for the damages that result form it?

Filed Jul 19, 2018 · Electrical · 27,000 miles · MA

The car was driven to shopping center, parked ok but when leaving the vehicle started, then engine cut out. Now the vehicle will not start. Engine cranks but engine warning lights goes on. Towed to jeep/chrysler dealer (don allen in nantucket) and they said it was electrical issue. Towed to another repair shop and they said they couldn't fix it (electrical issue). Called fiat and they said not their problem. Car has 27,000 miles.

Filed Sep 19, 2016 · Transmission · 93,400 miles · TX

I pulled into a parking lot, got on the brakes, put the car in park however the car was registering in reverse. Before I knew it, the car was going backwards and I was moving toward passing traffic behind me. I cut the car off to stop it from going into traffic. The cars gearbox would not shift out of park. I attempted to start the car and try and move the gears but the car would not start. Needless to say I was stranded. I called a tow truck and was advised that is a known issue with fiat but the dealership acts as if there isnt a recall around this??? My car is an automatic but this should not be happening.

Filed Sep 1, 2016 · 39,000 miles · TN

When going from median into hwy in 2nd gear,no warning car dies will not start back. Figured it was recall on clutch said they checked it and that it was good but valves were bent and needed a new head. Still won't start but now they are back to clutch/transmission. They have had my car 7 weeks and never restarted it. I had purchased the vehicle and drove it maybe 3 months wasn't even time for an oil change, under 40,000 miles. Was told great vechile only traded due to pregnancy. Ya, right. Still don't know when it will be fixed and apparently I am going to have to pay thousands more and nothing they have done in 7 weeks has worked. After looking online I have seen many other problems. Unhappy customer.

Filed Sep 23, 2015 · Electrical · 4,000 miles · NY

At least 3 times since the car was purchased the battery died. The first couple of times happened in the winter and the car was left parked for 2-3 days. In february they actually had to replace the battery. The fiat dealership explained at the time that in the cold I shouldn't let the car sit for too long, because on the fiat the systems use the battery even when the car is not on. I thought it odd, but figured maybe the cold weather could do this. This summer it happened again. The car was not used in 3 days. It didn't start and I had to get jumped. I brought it to the dealership and this time they said that they found out from fiat that unfortunately the car is designed in such a way that it drains on the battery when not in use and that I can't let the car sit for more then 3 days without starting it. How crazy is that! They told me that if I went away and had to leave the car, that I had to disconnect the cables from the battery. Are they kidding? How can anyone design a car like that. They just shook their heads and said there is no fix and that I would have to live with the car this way. How safe am I if I have to leave the car parked for several days and then when I have to use it, the battery is dead. There needs to be a fix for this. Thanks

Filed Jul 29, 2015 · Engine · TX

Engine light and transmition light keeps coming on along with other dash lights. My car also randomly died, everything would cut on but my car wouldn't turn over. We placed a new battery in it and the fiat did the same thing so we put the old one back on and tried to jump start it, the car acted like it was going to turn over but never did. I took my fiat to a fiat dealership to be fixed they said it was the battery the whole time but the computer chiped was fried. The problem is the fiat has only been back a week and occasionally the engine light and transmition and a couple more lights are still comming on. I haven't even had the car a year and I am already having major problems.

Filed Jun 8, 2015 · Transmission · 12,500 miles · DC

I am reporting a second incident, the first was march 2015 odi #10693082, of the clutch overheating and my vehicle stalling out, this time it was in the middle of f street downtown dc on a friday night. I was sitting in traffic and attempted to make a three point turn when my vehicle stalled out with no warning, no smoke this time, no indication that it was overheating and died in the middle of making a three point turn and would not start again. I had to be pushed out of the street by strangers who assisted me and popped the hood so the vehicle could cool down. This car is putting me in precarious and dangerous situations. The clutch overheats sitting in traffic and it will in turn stall out and won't start again until the clutch cools down. This is a serious defect and I am asking you all for the second time to assist me in having fiat either replace or fix this issue in the 2014 fiat 500 l.