NHTSA Complaint #11043129 — 2012 FIAT 500

2012 FIAT POP, 14,693 MILES. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND A MESSAGE ADVISING THAT I SHOULD PULL OVER BECAUSE THERE WAS LOW OIL, THE OIL LIGHT WARNING CAME ON. DROVE CAR TO DEALER AT 1820 SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD, SANTA MONICA FIAT. THEY DIAGNOSED CODE P1068 WHICH THEY ADVISED IS A "CYLINDER 2 OIL SUPPLY SELONOID OUT OF RANGE." AL AT THE DEALER ADVISED THAT IT WOULD TAKE 5 - 6 HOURS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND THE TIME TO DO IT. HE FURTHER ADVISED THAT HE HEARD A NOISE (WHICH I COULD NOT HEAR) AND THAT THE CODE AND NOISE COMBINED INDICATES THAT THE CAR NEEDS A NEW CRANK SHAFT AND THAT METAL SHAVINGS FROM BEARING FAILURE COULD CAUSE OIL PUMP STRESS AND DAMAGE TO OIL PUMP, WHICH WOULD COST $4,016.90 PLUS TAX. I DECLINED THE REPAIRS BECAUSE AL'S ADVICE WAS BASED ON HIM HEARING A NOISE, AND NOT BASED ON DIAGNOSIS BY A HANDS-ON MECHANIC. THE ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON. AL, AT THE FIAT DEALER, WILL NOT TAKE FURTHER STEPS TO RULE OUT OTHER (LESS EXPENSIVE) REASONS THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON (E.G., FAILED GAS CAP, ETC.). "HEARING A NOISE" IS NOT GROUNDS TO MAKE A $4,000+ REPAIR ON A CAR WITH MERELY 14,000+ MILES. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMBINED WITH FIAT'S LACK OF CARE TO FIX THE PROBLEM COULD BE A ROAD HAZARD. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO AL THAT HE HAD NOT ACTUALLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM, BUT RATHER "GUESSED" THAT THE CAR NEEDED A NEW CRANK SHAFT, HE DECIDED NOT TO CHARGE ME. HE SAID, "YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DIDN'T DO THE WORK TO MAKE SURE YOU NEED IT." HE ADMITTED IT WAS A GUESS, AND NOTED THAT HE "WOULD NOT KNOW FOR SURE TILL THE VEHICLE HAS GONE THROUGH A TEAR DOWN." I AM NERVOUS WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON, AND NO TRUE DIAGNOSIS FROM FIAT (IT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM A GAS CAP PROBLEM TO A FAILED ENGINE).