NHTSA Complaint #10596670 — 2014 FIAT 500L

AUTO DUAL DRY CLUTCH TRANSMISSION. MANUFACTURED 7/2013, PURCHASED NEW FROM DEALER 1/14. CAR SHUDDERED AND HESITATED ON THE TEST DRIVE. TOLD IT WOULD SMOOTH OUT BECAUSE IT WAS AN ADAPTIVE TRANSMISSION. CONTINUED TO SHUDDER, HESITATE AND LURCH. BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALER 3 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN 5 TIMES SINCE AND STILL IS NOT FIXED. THE DEALER WILL NO LONGER TAKE THE CAR FOR SERVICE AND SAID THE CAR WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY DURING HEAVY, STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED BUT IT DID NOT HELP. THEY SUGGESTED WE CONTACT FIAT CUSTOMER CARE WHO HAS OPENED A CASE BUT NOT RESPONDED AND NOT RETURNING PHONE CALLS. CAR IS UNUSED BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE. IT LURCHES CONSTANTLY AND BARELY MISSES HITTING OTHER CARS IN TRAFFIC. TIMELINE: 1. TEST DRIVE SHUDDERED AND HESITATED, TOLD IT WOULD GET BETTER WITH DRIVING. 2. DAY 3 TOOK TO DEALER. SAID IT WAS SPARK PLUGS AND CHANGED OUT ALL PLUGS. CAR CONTINUES TO STUTTER, CLUTCH OVERHEAT, LURCHING. 3. DEALER TRIP, THEY SAID IT WAS "JUST THE WAY THE TRANSMISSIONS ARE AND THEY'RE SORRY BUT THERE ISN'T ANYTHING THEY CAN DO." CAR CONTINUES TO STOP, NOT SHIFT IN TO GEAR, LURCH, CLUTCH OVERHEATING. 4. RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE. ALL SERVICE PERFORMED. 5. 24 HOURS LATER, CAR NOT FUNCTIONING, BACK TO THE DEALER. DEALER REDID SOFTWARE INSTALLATION, REPLACED BRAKES, CLUTCH AND FLY WHEEL. 6. 48 HOURS LATER CLUTCH OVERHEATS, NEARLY HITS THE CAR IN FRONT OF US IN TRAFFIC. DEALER REFUSES TO ACCEPT CAR IN FOR SERVICE, SAID "THIS TRANSMISSION WILL NOT FUNCTION IN HEAVY STOP AND START TRAFFIC. YOU NEED TO CONTACT FIAT, THERE IS NOTHING MORE WE CAN DO FOR YOU." 7. FIAT CUSTOMER CARE SAYS THEY WILL OPEN A CASE ON MAY 30, 2014. NO RESPONSES SINCE. DANGEROUS VEHICLE SHOULD BE TAKEN BACK AND REFUNDED OR EXCHANGED WITH A MODEL MANUFACTURED AFTER JANUARY 2014. *TR