NHTSA Complaint #10655154 — 2013 FIAT 500E

FIAT 500 E (ELECTRIC ENGINE) WAS FULLY CHARGED. STARTED CAR AND BACKED OUT OF DRIVEWAY. HEADED DOWN RESIDENTIAL STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 25MPH. WITHIN 1/8 MILE, "SERVICE ELECTRICAL VEHICLE SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT CAME UP. CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER, BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER BEFORE CAR STOPPED. CAR WOULD START, SHOW WARNING LIGHT, BUT COULD NOT BE PUT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE TO BE DRIVEN. WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD TOWED (FLAT BED) TO FIAT DEALER - WHERE CAR RESTARTED WITHOUT PROBLEM. FIAT DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. KEPT CAR FOR ONE WEEK, TESTED FOR 100+ MILES. TOLD ME "CORPORATE" KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND WAS WORKING ON A "SOFTWARE FIX" - BUT TO TAKE THE CAR HOME AND DRIVE IT. THIS CAR HAS BEEN PART OF A FIAT RECALL (WORK COMPLETED TWO MONTHS PRIOR) TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. DID NOT HAVE THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE RECALL. SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED IN A FRIEND'S 2014 FIAT 500 E TONIGHT - EXACT SAME WAY - WITH ENGINE POWER FAILING WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION - WITH JUST BARELY ENOUGH TIME TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC LANE. THIS FRIEND'S VEHICLE HAD ALSO HAD THE RECALL COMPLETED A MONTH PRIOR. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS ON THE INTERNET AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A CAR FAILS IN MOVING TRAFFIC RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR