NHTSA Complaint #10944471 — 2014 FIAT 500

THE FIAT 500L 2014 MODEL SUDDENLY LOSES POWER. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN TRAFFIC. THERE IS NO ACCELERATION. ONCE THE CAR IS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED IT SEEMS TO BE FINE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAID HE COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. HE DID SUGGEST THIS MAY BE AN ELECTRIC CONTROL UNIT ERROR WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER. APPARENTLY, THIS IS NOT AN EASY FAULT TO IDENTIFY. IF THIS IS THE SOURCE (ECU) IT IS DETECTING AN ERROR WHEN NONE EXISTS. IT IS TELLING THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER OR STOP TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. IN NONE OF THE THREE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE CAR LOST POWER WAS THERE ANY NEAR COLLISION. IN THE FIRST OCCASION, I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN ON A CITY STREET AT A LOW SPEED. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST IT TO THE CURB. AFTER TURNING IT OFF AND RESTARTING IT, IT RAN FINE. IN THE SECOND INCIDENCE ABOUT ONE WEEK LATER, I WAS IN VERY HEAVY DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC IN TAMPA WHEN IT LOST POWER. I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT AND AGAIN IT RAN FINE. IN THE THIRD INSTANCE, I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO A CITY STREET AT A LOW SPEED. THE CAR AGAIN LOST POWER. I TURNED IT OFF. IT RESTARTED AND RAN FINE TO GET ME HOME. I AM NOW FEARFUL OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND WILL BE HAVING IT TOWED TO A FIAT DEALER TO SEE IF THEY CONCUR THAT THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT ERROR. *TR