NHTSA Complaint #10661876 — 2012 FIAT 500

WHILE EXITING THE FREEWAY, I NOTICED THAT THE CLUTCH FELT DIFFERENT IN THAT THERE WAS SUDDENLY A LOT OF RESISTANCE NEAR THE FLOOR WHEN DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH PEDAL. CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO 1ST GEAR AT THE LIGHT. FINALLY STRUGGLED IT INTO 2ND AND WENT. THE CLUTCH DOES NOT FULLY DISENGAGE. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE FORUMS, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A RECURRENT PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE, AND IT IS MOST LIKELY A PRESSURE PLATE FAILURE, SINCE THE CLUTCH DOES NOT SLIP ONCE IT'S IN GEAR, BUT THE CLUTCH ALSO DOES NOT FULLY DISENGAGE WITH THE PEDAL PRESSED ALL THE WAY DOWN, EVEN THOUGH PREVIOUSLY, THE CLUTCH DISENGAGED AT HALF PEDAL HEIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO BABY THE CAR HOME, AND PROCEEDED TO BLEED THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS AND OBSERVE CLUTCH PEDAL ACTION. WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THE ACTUATOR MOVES ALL THE WAY ON THE TRANSMISSION, SO IT IS NOT A PEDAL FAILURE. IT IS MOST DEFINITELY THE PRESSURE PLATE, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. *JS