Was told recently need to replace d/s axel but when firestone went to call fiat for part they were told' this vehicle has customer service satisfaction recall in which with the axel the control arm and other components must be replaced and to refer to dealerships or recall. when went to fiat dealership they said there no recall and proceed to say must buy rf axle, lower control arm, knuckle, bearing in order to replace original axle. parts alone totaling 1131.75. its was only 5 year old car at time. and previous fiat owners say they received the customer service recall before alfa romero said no.
At 47,500 miles and 4 years, 9 months of ownership, my passenger side lower front ball joint broke. there were no signs of problems leading up to the breakage. unfortunately fiat no longer makes the 2012 lower front ball joints and the 2013+ ball joints require a new assembly so the entire ball joint, control arm, etc. assembly has to be created.
There is no way to adjust the rear suspension for being out of alignment. because of this, the tire wear unevenly on the inside while having the appearance to have proper tread. new tires lasted only 18,000 miles.
With a low mileage (under 20k miles), the car has been in taken back to the service department for over 5 times for main seal (between engine and the transmission) leakage, engine programming recall, and repeated noise when the car is in motion that can't be identified/fixed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 fiat 500. the contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the technician informed that the vehicle needed to be reset. the vehicle was repaired. the failure recurred with an abnormal sound emitting from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 28,488. ....updated 07/05/16 *bf the consumer stated she took the vehicle to the dealer, after receiving a recall notice regarding the transmission. however, the dealer informed her, the back up device was not working. the consumer also stated there was an issue with the suspension. it felt as though the vehicle was going to turn over. updated 07/21/16.*jb
2012 fiat 500 prima edizione. backing out of parking lot, driver's side front wheel disconnects from the lower control arm. car falls almost to the ground. dealer identifies worn ball joint. just under 62k miles. recent alignment and tire replacement done by the dealer. all regular service done at same local dealer since new. first and only owner. very fortunate this did not happen on the highway at speed.
Ball-joint broke off completely causing damage to tires and front wheel well panel. vehicle only has 36k miles and tires are rotated at every oil change. 10/4/15 rust spots on back hatch panel (reported over a year ago, has been returned 2 times and they are fighting me on the 3 return)
Lower ball joints on both sides loose and show excessive wear. dealership performed maintence and did not notice anything while under warranty but next maintence showed excessive wear and car was just out of warranty and fiat would not cover repair. numerous documented incidents on 2012 fiat 500's where ball joints have broken loose. a serious safety issue that fiat needs to address as the ball joints are wearing within 50,000-60000 miles
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 fiat 500. while driving at approximately 70 mph, the steering seal was loose. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the failure was located at the ball joints. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
Noticed car would 'hunt' over rutted road surfaces such as coming to a stop at a traffic light. took in for alignment and was told driver side ball joint bad and the upper strut mount was as well. was also informed by both a local goodyear dealer and the fiat dealer that the original parts were not available and that the repair would be $1400+ because multiple things had to be upgraded to a later year's specifications requiring the purchase and installation of 2013 or later cast not stamped lower control arm with new joint. because that had to be changed, the steering knuckle, the bearings and the drive shaft would all require replacement to match the 2013 or later product. this would be very expensive as noted and is a known problem that the manufacturer is ignoring. this should be a 100% manufacturer paid replacement if they have determined the part is not safe or otherwise too defective to be sold. *js
My steering shaft has been making noise since the car was purchased, the part has been on back order every time the car has been in for service. it's been a year, since i've had a clunking steering shaft, and they assured me it will be fixed.... but the part is on back order... this is a common issue with these cars it seems.
Car falls front and drops on a parking lot. i was manuvering to park and the car fall because the tire , shock,transaxle,ball joint fall off. this results in damage in the body and i have photos of the car at the site on my work. no pothole,no crash, just falls and breaking apart...updated 12/02/14 *bf updated 12/22/2015*js updated 9/7/2017*cn
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 fiat 500. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, oil leaked from under the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis where it was stated that the rear main seal needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 25,000.
My fiat 500 has a defective rear axle. the rear wheels are not in alignment. the axle is solid and has no adjustment, therefore it is a manufacturing defect. the rear wheels are toed in excessively which has led to premature tire wear, vibration and inferior fuel mileage. this is a common defect on many early 500's and the dealer refuses to correct the problem. *tr
Axle is making cracking noises and dealer said they can't duplicate after 2 attempts. noise is getting louder. first started at 600 miles. safety issue. *tr