NHTSA Complaint #10704281 — 2012 FIAT 500

I WAS AT A BUSY INTERSECTION ABOUT TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN WHEN I SUDDENLY WAS UNABLE TO DEPRESS THE CLUTCH COMPLETELY OR SHIFT INTO GEAR. IT TURNED OUT THE CLUTCH HAD COMPLETELY GIVEN OUT WITH NO WARNING - NO SLIPPING, SMELL OF BURNING CLUTCH, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NOTHING. I'VE DRIVEN STICK MY WHOLE LIFE AND NEVER RUN THROUGH A CLUTCH IN 28,000 MILES! NOR HAVE I HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF A CLUTCH GOING OUT WITHOUT WARNING - IT HAS ALWAYS STARTED TO SLIP IN ADVANCE OF NEEDING REPLACED. THE POLICE HAD TO STOP TRAFFIC AND PUSH ME TO SAFETY AS THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE AT ALL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE IF THE POLICE HAD NOT COME SO QUICKLY AS I WAS IN AN AREA WITH A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND SEVERAL PEOPLE NEARLY HIT ME IN THE SHORT TIME I WAS WAITING. DUE TO THE OUT OF THE BLUE NATURE OF THIS CLUTCH FAILURE, I THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH REPORTING AS A SAFETY ISSUE. HAD I BEEN ON A FREEWAY, THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. *TR