NHTSA Complaint #10761550 — 2012 FIAT 500

PULLED UP TO A STOP LIGHT, DEPRESSED CLUTCH AND SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. WHEN LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH AND IT LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE ALLOWING ME TO SHIFT INTO A GEAR. MECHANIC SAID ITS A BENT PRESSURE PLATE AND THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSY. NEEDS REPLACED FOR ~$2,000. OBVIOUSLY BENDING OF THE PRESSURE PLATE IS NOT "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" AND ITS ALSO VERY RARE TO HAVE A CLUTCH FAIL SO EARLY (20,000 MILES). UNFORTUNATELY FIAT IS SAYING THIS IS A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. READING THE FORUMS, THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANUAL SHIFT FIATS AND IS A TERRIBLE SAFETY HAZARD (THINK IF THE CLUTCH LOCKED UP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS PREVENTING SOMEONE FROM SHIFTING OUT OF GEAR). THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED ON ALL MANUAL TRANSMISSION FIATS AND COSTS FULLY COVERED.