NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

2014 Fiat 500 (Page 1 of 2)

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
268,087 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2014 Fiat 500 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2014 Fiat 500 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #21

Apr 262023

500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

the electric vehicle was previously recalled for battery malfunction but now the OBCM module malfunctioned making the vehicle unable to charge(receive power) leaving me stranded in the charging station and unable to go home. The module is the brain of the battery and should have been replaced with the battery if it's what's causing a similar issue. OBCMFAILED CAUSING BPCMAND EVCU NOT TO WAKE UP. NEED TO REPLACE OBCMAND PROGRAMTO VEHICLE

- Arlington, TX, USA

problem #20

Sep 032021

500

  • miles
While seated in my Car on09/03/2021 my vehicle instrument panels warning lights began to flicker and I would describe it as recycle. This occurred in another vehicle that was taken and towed, except for with that vehicle I jump started the vehicle and it restarted perfectly. I am not near the jump start cable, as I am leaving the country for school. I am currently trapped in a strange city. There are people who keep threatening to have the car towed, but I will be repairing the vehicle. the Battery is a Duracell ultra SL147H6M 12 VOLT SERIAL NUMBER 840821033760. The store was a Batteries plus in Los Angeles CA, the store owners were Hattian or East African, at the time it seems that I was the victim of a ubiquitous sexual harassment case, now being investigate. There are other elements to the circumstances as the car being altered possibly in transit by Car Max from Brooklyn Park Minnesota to Memphis Tennessee possibly by Hispanic individuals as the inventory from "Autozone" shows that the car was made in Mexico, not that it was not, it is just that I thought that the guys telling me this were doing so trying to entrap me, so that they could tow the car, that was what they bothered me about the entire time. Then all of the males were not Hispanic, some were other ethnicities, inc. Caucasian. The crime was online

- Hayward, CA, USA

problem #19

Mar 032018

500

  • 31,000 miles
Head lights out!

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #18

Jan 052017

500 4-cyl

  • 34,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Under cold conditions (25 degrees F) and first startup of the day, when driving vehicle in city driving the vehicle's throttle response will stop working intermittently. The issue typically occurs after starting the vehicle in the morning in sub-freezing temperatures and then driving in 1st and 2nd gear to exit residence and enter traffic. Upon stopping at a stop light or sign, and then proceeding to accelerate, the vehicle's throttle will malfunction and the gas pedal will not respond when pressed. The rpms will drop to about 1300rpms and enter what feels like limp mode momentarily until the gas pedal is pumped a few times and then it will resume accelerating as normal. No error codes are thrown and the local Fiat studio cannot get the error to duplicate. This is a safety issue as it typically happens while entering into traffic and the vehicle becomes unresponsive. 2014 Fiat 500L trekking with manual transmission. This has happened each winter I have driven the vehicle. Video evidence has been submitted to Fiat with no resolution.

- Sandy, UT, USA

problem #17

Jan 052017

500 4-cyl

  • 41,000 miles
The Fiat 500L 2014 model suddenly loses power. This has happened three times in traffic. There is no acceleration. Once the car is shut off and restarted it seems to be fine. I took the car to a local mechanic who said he could not identify why this is happening. He did suggest this may be an electric control unit error which causes the vehicle to lose power. Apparently, this is not an easy fault to identify. If this is the source (ECU) it is detecting an error when none exists. It is telling the engine to lose power or stop to avoid an accident. In none of the three circumstances where the car lost power was there any near collision. In the first occasion, I was making a left turn on a city street at a low speed. The vehicle lost power and I was able to coast it to the curb. After turning it off and restarting it, it ran fine. In the second incidence about one week later, I was in very heavy downtown traffic in tampa when it lost power. I was nearly rear ended. I turned the car off and restarted it and again it ran fine. In the third instance, I was making a left turn onto a city street at a low speed. The car again lost power. I turned it off. It restarted and ran fine to get me home. I am now fearful of driving the vehicle and will be having it towed to a Fiat dealer to see if they concur that this is an electronic control unit error.

- Bartow, FL, USA

problem #16

May 222016

500

  • 32,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500. While driving various speeds, the gears failed to shift or would delay in shifting without warning. When the brake pedal was depressed, the hazard warning lights illuminated and the radio failed. The dealer was unable to duplicate any of the failures. The radio was replaced on two different occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

- Kissimmee, FL, USA

problem #15

Sep 302016

500

  • 5,400,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Air conditioner electrical fire and transmission not shifting or moving while on idle.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #14

Nov 222015

500

  • 20,000 miles
I bought car on May 2014. After I used car for 2-3 months I have a problem about I couldn't start because of no battery power. I took to the shop and they said change the battery brand new. However, after I use car for 6-7 months it happened again that I couldn't start the car D/T no battery, the technician said to me that the computer drain the battery and they will adjust the computer system not to drain battery. After the 2nd time happen I drove for another 3-4 months I experience the smoke coming out from the front hood while I was driving. I brought to the shop and the technician couldn't find any problem. And as of today (11/22/15) it happen again that I couldn't start my car. My car monitor said the radiation fluid temperature is too high. I have to towed car to the shop. The shop called me said they couldn't find any problem the car is start normally. My current mileage of the car is 20,000. Im so lucky that still alive and I only bought car not even a good 2 years. I already have tremendous problem and Fiat companies didn't want to try to help me to resolved it at all.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #13

Aug 012015

500

  • 4,000 miles
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

- Staten Island, NY, USA

problem #12

Aug 172015

500

  • 6,000 miles
This is the 3rd check engine light. The first time about a month ago, it came on and they found a leak on a hose attached to the A/C. the 2nd time they claimed it was a small leak in one of the air lines. Do they really know or are they just making this stuff up. Very frustrated!! I am scheduled to take it in later this week. I wonder what they will say this time. These cars are leaky or maybe I just got a 2014 lemon! thank god it's under warranty.

- Glendale, AZ, USA

problem #11

Apr 152015

500

  • 20,777 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driving car suddenly stop in the middle of street, Fiat after repair say: Battery was defective. And second issue is the show flake sensor appears and shut down air conditioner / blow heat. The brand new Fiat delivery date 10-13-2013 zero miles. The car has been in the repair shop several times for the air conditioner /

- Key Biscayne, FL, USA

problem #10

Dec 312014

500

  • 4,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500. While at a stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact noticed smoke coming from the tires. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the transmission ball bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,000.

- Costa Mesa, CA, USA

problem #9

Dec 302014

500

  • 5,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500L (na). The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the sensor on the rearview camera failed to function. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the sensor for the rearview camera needed to be replaced. Also, the technician stated that the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,000.

- Clear Water, FL, USA

problem #8

Mar 102015

500

  • 7,810 miles
We purchased the 500L Fiat in December of 2014. On February 14, 2015 we brought the vehicle in because on a return trip from tijuana Mexico while in border traffic the engine started smoking. The car looked like it was going to catch on fire, it smelled of burnt rubber. We brought the car in and they explained that this has been happening a lot and the manufacturer is aware but is not doing anything about it. We contacted Chrysler usa and opened a case, however during the case review the car did the same thing and we returned the car to the service shop on March 10th...which again they said it is our fault the car is doing this due to driver error. I should explain that what they are calling driver error, it is an automatic vehicle and Chrysler usa is saying that for this vehicle (mind you it is an automatic) if you are in traffic for a period of 5 minutes or longer you must shift the car on every occasion into neutral or else it could burn out the transmission. They go on to say that if the car does smoke just pull over and after the transmission cools down it is safe to drive again. I asked Chrysler usa to show me on exactly what page does it say that in their manual, furthermore that when purchasing this car the dealer did not disclose special driving instruction for their automatic vehicle. If the dealer did disclose that information before the sale we would have not bought a car that could leave us stranded in Mexico or other areas. At this point after Chrysler usa, has refused to show us where it states that in the manual if in traffic more than five minutes the car must be shifted into neutral to avoid burning out the transmission, and they are not intending on doing anything besides tell us that "sorry the car is performing as designed". we are taking every means necessary to get a buyback on this vehicle.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #7

Feb 062015

500

  • 11,000 miles
While parked at a mcdonalds drive-thru window in detroit mi in my 2014 Fiat 500L at approximately 11:30 a.M. the car began to smoke profusely. The smoke filled the interior cabin and under the hood area. The car smelled horrid like burning electrical copper wires. The car then shut off, but continued smoking. I ran out of the car and a police officer who was eating lunch inside ran out to help me. The officer and mcdonalds employees pushed the car away from the drive-thru window. No flames were seen, only smoke. The car was taken to golling Fiat in bloomfield hills mi. The dealership returned the car to me days later as is, stating that they could not find nor replicate the problem or any problem with the car. The serviceman [xxx] did state two times that he smelled smoke and burning wires under the hood, but told me that "maybe the burning smell is just a fluke". no repairs were made. I'm very concerned because this car also has a history of leaking gasoline. Now it is smoking and the dealership says nothing is wrong with it. I was previously charged $2100 to replace the leaking gas tank after they told me the tank would not be covered under my new car warranty! I have reported both the leaking gasoline complaint and smoke complaint to the NHTSA. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Redford, MI, USA

problem #6

Oct 072014

500

  • 3,600 miles
I had not drove my car in 3 days it was parked inside our garage, I put in the ignition key, and car would not make a sound, not even a click, while the key in the start position, all kinds if things stared to come on the display, . I had to call the dealership, and they jumped the car to get it out of my garage, and had the car for 5 days, every once and a while I smell gas fumes inside the car, we spent 24,000 for the car, and it just does not seem to be right.

- Evansville, IN, USA

problem #5

Jul 252014

500 4-cyl

  • 800 miles
At a stop to shop, everything locked up. Could not turn car key on or off or remove key. Could not open doors or windows. After about 10 minutes it was ok. I am elderly and quite nervous about such things. Next day took it to dealer and they still are waiting for replacement parts and telling me a bunch of nonsense that this can happen if steering wheel and front wheels are not aligned properly.

- Seffner, FL, USA

problem #4

Jun 122014

500 4-cyl

  • 290 miles
I purchased the brand new vehicle June 8, 2014 with 98 miles on it from premiere Fiat of fremont. After only owning the car for 4 days, the check engine light came on June 12, 2014. It was towed to the neillo Fiat studio in sacramento where they first determined a broken relay to be the cause of the light. After test driving the car, the light still came on. Then they decided the problem was a broken O2 sensor. They ordered the part, and replaced it. The light still came on during a test drive. At this point, they now have had the car for over a week with litter idea of what is wrong with it. The last update I received was that they were waiting for a part to come in so they could test the power control module. There is no eta for this. I have been in contact with Chrysler in order to try to see what my options are, as this car now seems like a lemon and unsafe to drive. They are providing little assistance other than contacting the studio for updates and trying to deter me from asking for a trade. There does seem to be something very wrong with this brand new vehicle, which was purchased in good faith and only driven for 4 days.

- Dublin, CA, USA

problem #3

Jan 012014

500 4-cyl

  • 5,000 miles
Had car for about 6 months and after coming home from vacation, 1 week, battery totally dead. After aaa attempted to charge battery 3 times it finally charged up but was told to drive directly to dealership. I got about 3 miles from home when car again died in middle of road but was able to steer to the side before steering locked. After car was towed to dealership I was told they never really saw this before, a totally dead battery that would not charge up. No explanation, accused me of possibly leaving lights on which was not the case. They said if I was going to leave the car sitting for even a few days I should have someone start car to keep battery charged. Funny but my daughter's 2010 Ford Focus sat for the same week without being started and when I started it that car had no problem.

- Tarpon Springs, FL, USA

problem #2

Dec 262013

500 4-cyl

  • 3,500 miles
On December 26th my key was no longer recognized by the Fiat ignition system. I called home, had a spare delivered, and the spare started the car up. Called the dealership and two weeks later the key was replaced. On February 14th I once again had the same issue where the ignition system would not detect the key. Once again I had the new spare delivered and the car started right up. I am currently in the process of getting the bad key replaced by the dealership. Both times the bad keys would give the indication of a car with a padlock over it. The owners manual indicates that this means the key in the ignition is not recognized by the system.

- Cheyenne, WY, USA

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