NHTSA Complaint #10779157 — 2012 FIAT 500

CAR SUDDENLY STOPS RUNNING WHILE JUST DRIVING FORWARD. IGNITION KEY REMAINS IN "ON" POSITION, BUT ALL ACCESSORY/WARNING LIGHTS COME ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES, THE FIRST WHILE CAR HAD 950 MILES ON IT IN OCTOBER 1012. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. WHEN I RECEIVED IT BACK I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD "CHANGED THE SOFTWARE". THE SECOND TIME THE CAR CEASED RUNNING (5,414 MILES) WHILE BEING DRIVEN FORWARD, I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND RECEIVED IT BACK WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. I STOPPED DRIVING THE VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR OCCASIONALLY DRIVING IT AROUND MY QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD TO KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGED UP. ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2015, I DECIDED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO A NEARBY TARGET (APPROX. 1.5 MILES FROM MY HOME). THE CAR DROVE THERE PERFECTLY BUT CEASED RUNNING AS I DROVE TOWARDS HOME. AGAIN I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT FIAT/ALFA ROMEO OF AUSTIN. TODAY FIAT CUSTOMER SERVICE CALLED ME AND SAID THE SERVICE FACILITY WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND WAS RETURNING THE CAR TO ME AGAIN WITHOUT DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIR OF THE PROBLEM. MY CASE NUMBER WITH FIAT CUSTOMER SERVICE IS: 278-579-22. ALL THREE OF THESE VERY FRIGHTENING SUDDEN STALLS OCCURRED ON CITY STREETS. THERE IS NO UNUSUAL NOISE OR WARNING, THE CAR JUST SUDDENLY STOPS RUNNING. I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT AHEAD EACH TIME. THE ENGINE WAS NOT HOT OR WERE THERE ANY UNUSUAL ODORS OR SOUNDS. I TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS, TURNED THE IGNITION KEY TO THE "OFF" POSITION, PUT THE SHIFT LEVER IN "PARK" AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED AGAIN AND RAN WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY. I WAS VERY, VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT HIT FROM BEHIND AS THE LAST TWO INCIDENTS WERE IN BUSY TRAFFIC AREAS. I WILL NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN.