NHTSA Complaint #11310612 — 2012 FIAT 500

ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2019 MY 2012 FIAT 500 BEGAN TO EMIT A STRONG ODOR. I THOUGHT THE CAR WOULD CATCH ON FIRE. THE CAR ALSO MADE A LOUD, SCREECHING AND GRINDING NOISE. WHEN I ARRIVED SAFELY TO MY DESTINATION, A FEW MINUTES AWAY, I STOPPED AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. I HAD TO CANCEL A HAIR APPOINTMENT BECAUSE I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE DISTANCE IN THE VEHICLE. ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2019 I TOOK MY CAR INTO A FIAT CHRYSLER DODGE RAM JEEP DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND FREE BASIC INSPECTION. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THEY ALSO HEARD THE NOISE COMING FROM THE CLUTCH AREA BUT NEEDED TO PERFORM AN OFFICIAL DIAGNOSTIC. I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY AT THE TIME SO I WAITED UNTIL JANUARY 2, 2020 TO HAVE THE DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER AND WHILE MY CAR WAS IN THE SHOP I TOOK LYFT RIDESHARE FOR TRANSPORTATION AS I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR. THE CAR STAYED IN THE SHOP OVER THE WEEKEND AND I WAS ABLE TO PICK IT UP ON MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2020. THE ISSUE WAS RELATED TO A RECALL FCA # S34, NHTSA# 16V-302 THAT HAPPENED A COUPLE YEARS BEFORE. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RESOLVED FOR THIS VEHICLE BUT I WAS HAVING SIMILAR AND WORSE PROBLEMS, WHICH ARE DUE TO THE PREVIOUS FAULTY CAR PART. THE FIAT HAS ONLY $113K MILES ON IT. I HAVE OWNED MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES PREVIOUSLY AND NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE. I PREVIOUSLY OWNED A HONDA CIVIC (GAINED OVER 200K MILES) AND A CHEVY AVEO AND NEITHER CAR HAD THIS ISSUE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND MYSELF AND MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED HAD I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE. THE CLUTCH COULD HAVE STOPPED ALL TOGETHER AND WE COULD HAVE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE OR BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED ON THE INTERSTATE OR STREET TRAFFIC. EVEN WITH THE REPAIRS I AM NO LONGER CONFIDENT IN THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE. IT SHOULD BE DECLARED A LEMON.