2012 FIAT 500 Electrical System Problems

THE KEY FOB BUTTON IS NOT RECESSED. THIS MEANS THE IGNITION KEY OFTEN OPENS INTO MY POCKET JUST FROM NORMAL BODY MOVEMENT. IT STABS MY THIGH. THIS IS A VEHICLE SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE IT HAPPENS WHEN I AM DRIVING MY OTHER VEHICLE AND CAN BE EXTREMELY DISTRACTING. *TR

BODY SEAMS LEFT OPEN/UNWELDED DURING MANUFACTURING CAUSING WATER LEAKS AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AFFECTING BRAKES, LIGHTING, RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, POWER DOOR LOCKS, WINDOWS, MIRRORS, ABS, ESP, HILL START ASSIST, ETC. OPEN/UNWELDED AREAS ALSO WEREN'T PAINTED DURING MANUFACTURING. IMPROPER REPAIRS PERFORMED. "SEALANT" APPLIED TO CLOSE SEAMS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WELDED. PURCHASED 12/22/2011. FOUND INTERIOR WET ON 12/25/2011. RETURNED TO DEALER ON 01/02/2012. SPENT 21 DAYS IN THE SHOP. PROBLEM WAS FOUND TO BE, "NUMEROUS OPEN BODY SEAMS MEASURING OVER 10 INCHES LONG THAT WERE LEFT OPEN AND UNWELDED AND UNPAINTED DURING MANUFACTURING." CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME "REPAIRED" ON 1/23/2012. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN EXPERIENCING NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THEN, NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS LEAKING, AGAIN, AND EVEN WORSE, ON 1/30/2012. CAR WAS NEVER REPAIRED/IMPROPERLY REPAIRED. INTERIOR VERY WET. ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS GETTING WORSE. PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES AND 'HILL START ASSIST'. FIAT WILL NOT RETURN MY CALLS. I'VE SENT LETTERS ASKING THAT THE CAR...

REALLY COLD MORNING, UPON STARTING, THE TPMS REPORTED THE LEFT FRONT TIRE LOW ON PRESSURE. AND TIRE LIGHT STAYED ON. I HAD ALL 4 TIRES CHECKED AND FILLED TO SPECS, CONTINENTAL TIRES, BUT THE TIRE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR THE NEXT DAY AND A HALF, WHEREIN I DROVE ABOUT 65 MILES, AND TURNED THE CAR ON/OFF NUMEROUS TIMES. (AT WORK, STORE, OVERNIGHT, ETC.) THE TIRE PLACE THAT I TOOK THE CAR TOO TO HAVE THE AIR CHECKED, WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE HOW TO RESET THE TPMS. THERE WAS NOTHING OUT ABOUT THIS CAR YET. (FYI, YOU CAN USE A CHRYSLER RESET UNIT) THE TIRE LIGHT FINALLY WENT OUT THE NEXT DAY ON IT'S OWN ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK. WENT TO THE FIAT DEALERSHIP A FEW DAYS LATER TO FIND OUT HOW TO RESET THE TPMS IF/WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. THE SERVICE MANAGER CHECKED IT OUT. LET AIR OUT...

I'D PULLED OVER IN A PARKING LOT TO TAKE A PHONE CALL (BLUETOOTH RECEPTION WAS STATIC-Y), AND WAS SITTING WITH MY FOOT RESTING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I FELT A KICK UNDER MY FOOT, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AS I COMPLETED THE CALL. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AND PULLED TO THE EDGE OF THE LOT'S EXIT, I OF COURSE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE TO STOP AND CHECK FOR TRAFFIC, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STUCK AND I ROLLED INTO THE STREET. I HOPE I USED THE HANDBRAKE TO STOP THE CAR, ALTHOUGH I REALLY DON'T REMEMBER. I DID REVERSE BACK INTO THE PARKING LOT, USING THE SLIGHT SLOPE OF THE DRIVEWAY TO ENSURE I COULD STOP ONCE OUT OF THE STREET. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT'S PROBABLY UNRELATED, BUT THE VOICE RECOGNITION SYSTEM WAS WORKING SPORADICALLY THAT SAME MORNING....

CAR WAS STALLING AND SHUTTING OFF. HAD MY DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. COULDN'T START THE CAR AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS. THEN AFTER WAITING A GOOD 3 MINUTES STARTED THE CAR AND REVVED THE ENGINE AT 4000 RPM AND EVERYTHING SEEMED BACK TO NORMAL. DEALER HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE. *TR