NHTSA Complaint #11270303 — 2014 FIAT 500L

BEGINNING AFTER WE PURCHASED OUR USED FIAT 500L WE BEGAN HAVING INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH THE TRUNK/BOOT LID NOT OPENING. THE OUTSIDE LATCH NOR THE KEYFOB WOULD OPEN THE TRUNK. TRUNK HAS TO BE OPENED USING THE EMERGENCY LATCH RELEASE WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO GET TO. PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING AND OFTEN WHEN A VISIT IS PLANNED TO DEALERSHIP THE PROBLEM IS NOT HAPPENING AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE DIAGNOSED. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH FIAT AND UNLESS WE ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS FEE AT A DEALERSHIP THEY ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST US. THE ISSUE IS KNOWN AND CAN BE EASILY FOUND BY A SEARCH FOR FIAT 500L BOOT OR TRUNK LID ON SITES SUCH AS FIAT500OWNERS.COM, FIXYA.COM,FIATFORUM.COM, AND OTHERS. I WILL PASS THIS SITE ALONG TO OTHERS SO THEY CAN BE REPORTED AND AN INVESTIGATION CAN BE CONDUCTED AND GET THIS ONGOING PROBLEM RESOLVED. MY WIFE IS HANDICAPPED AND WE WILL BE GETTING A NEWER MOTORIZED WHEEL CHAIR THAT CAN BE TAKEN APART AND STORED IN THE TRUNK. THE ISSUE COMES WHEN YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ALLOWED TO OPEN THE TRUNK WITHOUT CRAWLING THROUGH THE BACKSEAT TO USE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE OR IF BAGS OR GROCERIES ARE BLOCKING ACCESS TO THE RELEASE. WE LOVE THE VEHICLE BUT ARE NOT HAVING ANY LUCK GETTING A KNOWN ISSUE FIXED. THE TRUNK MIGHT OPEN BEFORE LEAVING FOR A TRIP BUT QUIT WORKING WHEN YOU NEED TO ACCESS IT. THERE IS NOT ANYTHING THAT MAKES THE CONDITION OCCUR OR PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING. THERE IS AN OPEN CASE WITH FIAT BUT AT THIS POINT THEY COULDNT OFFER ANY RESOLUTION. I WAS DIRECTED TO THIS WEBSITE BY THE PERSON I SPOKE TO.