NHTSA Complaint #10925631 — 2014 FIAT 500

IT SUDDENLY LOSES POWER. NOT THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS BUT AS IN IT WILL SUDDENLY AND WITH NO WARNING, STOP DRIVING. I CAN BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE ACCELERATION WILL CEASE TO WORK. THERE IS NO SOUND. THE CAR IS RUNNING, THERE AREN'T ANY WARNING LIGHTS, NO INDICATION AT ALL THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG ACCEPT YOU CAN PUSH THE PETAL TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR WON'T MOVE. OR IT WILL SUDDENLY MOVE VERY VERY SLOWLY. THE SCARIEST INCIDENT WAS ON 11-8-16. I WAS ON OLD ALEXANDRIA TRNPK TRYING TO CROSS 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC ON LEE HWY TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND GO NORTHBOUND. WHEN THERE WAS A BREAK IN TRAFFIC, I ACCELERATED TO CROSS THE ROAD. AS I WAS CROSSING THE FIRST LANE, MY CAR STOPPED MOVING. I PRESSED FRACTICALLY ON THE ACCELERATOR, MASHING IT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO RESPONSE AS I WATCHED THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC THAT I WAS CURRENTLY SITTING HORIZONTALLY IN FRONT OF; HIT THEIR BREAKS AND SWERVE TO MISS ME. I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AS HARD AS I COULD AND LET THE CAR ROLL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE TAIL END OF MY CAR WAS STILL SITTING OUT IN TRAFFIC WHEN IT ROLLED TO A STOP. I PUT IT IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF THEN IMMEDIATELY TURNED IT BACK ON. IT STARTED WITH NO PROBLEM AND THE ACCELERATOR WORKED AS IT SHOULD. I TURNED THE CAR AROUND AND STARTED BACK ON THE ROAD WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. AT THAT POINT I CALLED A TOW TRUCK. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED LESS THAN 2 YRS AGO. AFTER 2 DAYS IN THE SHOP THE DEALER MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T SAY FOR SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS BUT THAT THEY THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE CLUTCH. THEY SAID THAT THE 2014 FIATS WITH THE 'DUAL CLUTCH' TRANSMISSIONS HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS THAT THEY DID NOT MAKE ANY MORE IN 2015. IT'S A $5K REPAIR THAT IS NOT COVERED BY MY WARRANTY AND THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. FURTHER RESEARCH TURNED UP THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF FIAT OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM.