NHTSA — Electronic Stability Control Problems

4.0

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
29,630 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2016 Fiat 500X brakes problems

brakes problem

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2016 Fiat 500X Owner Comments

problem #10

May 182020

500X 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When driving the car its seems as if its not changing gears pushing the gas to accelerate its will let off a rushing sound with no movements then it will jerk and accelerate faster it mainly does this when taking off and turning onto another road where their is busy traffic that will eventually cause a accident with oncoming vehicles if the acceleration isn't at its speed.

- Mount Holly, NC, USA

problem #9

May 072020

500X 4-cyl

  • 73,000 miles
I was driving on the highway and my car shut off without warning. The steering wheel locked up, the shifter locked, the brake locked. There was no safe way to bring the vehicle off the highway. I coasted off the highway into the grass. There was a Sierra 1500 that was behind me that was fortunate enough to avoid hitting me. The Fiat dashboard had no warning lights on, such as check engine, oil low, or any other indication that something was wrong. The dealership's response was it needed an oil change. There was no addressing the fact that my car was burning through oil at an accelerated rate and that the car itself turning off and locking up while in operation is "not a defect" or "a safety hazard". I spoke with the Fiat dealership that I purchased the vehicle from and they informed me that there is nothing they can do as the factory warranty has expired. The factory warranty expired 1/1/2020. 127 days later, my car has this incredibly dangerous defect. Fca claims that no buy back option available due to the warranty expiration. They offer to have service attempt to fix the car but the issue is with the engine, not just changing the oil. There is no other engine that can be placed in this car to completely fix my vehicle. If another tigershark engine is placed in my car, there is no way to determine if it is defective until the car shuts off again unexpectedly while driving which can result in a fatal accident or injury. Fca's resolution is to continuously bandaid the situation. They are not offering to buy back the vehicle due to the manufacturer defect. I also have an efg warranty though the dealership I purchased the car from that is useless in remedying this situation also. The dealership points the finger at fca to fix this while fca points the finger at the dealership to remedy this situation. My car with the tiger shark engine is not safe to drive.

- Taylor, TX, USA

problem #8

Jan 242020

500X

  • miles
Automatic transmission

- Bronx, NY, USA

problem #7

Jan 032020

500X

  • 80,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The other day my check engine light came on and said that my coolant level was low. I went a grabbed coolant and filled it up to the max line. For two days in a row now, I have been having lights randomly pop up on my dash. Such as drive mode unavailable, service engine, 4WD unavailable. It has also randomly stalled while driving with my son in the car. The dealership said there is nothing wrong with the car. Which there obviously is. I searched and numerous people have had the same issues with their 2016 Fiat 500X, and the dealerships all say the same thing. Incidents have allhapened while the car was in motion. On neighborhood roads to interstate. At speed mileage of anywhere from 15-70mph.

- Denham Springs, LA, USA

problem #6

May 052019

500X

  • 75,000 miles
Tiene jalones Y SE apagan las luces

- Mayaguez, PR, USA

problem #5

Sep 242019

500X

  • miles
I purchased a 2016 Fiat 500X in December 2016. I am a home care nurse so I drive a lot. I have had this same issue since buying this car and it's been in and out of the shop. It is now out of warranty and I am having to pay out of pocket. Here is the story: When it rains heavily, in Arizona, my electronics in my car go haywire. According to autonation, I have had the car in approximately 9 times. My power steering becomes disabled and my airbags become disabled. This time, I was driving down 7th street at 7:30am and this happened. I was luckily able to get the car to stop. No one seems to care what is eventually going to happen to me, is that I get killed. This car is a lemon. I need help before I die.

- Peoria, AZ, USA

problem #4

Jul 182018

500X

  • 30,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Happened again -- this is the third time this has happened since I purchased the car in Nov 2016. Engine shuts off while driving. Fiat dealer apparently clueless about the issue and how to repair. Took car to same dealer all three times this happened - each time they've given me a ridiculous reason the car is literally shutting off while I am driving down the street!! first time they said it was because the computer needed updating"!"! second time (posted on NHTSA when 2nd time happened) they said it was a loose cable connection to the battery - never once explained why car was giving the alert "drive mode unavailable), and now this third time they said they couldn't get car to replicate the problem. Makes zero sense - car engine shutting off while driving and in motion 3+ times a day!!! Fiat dealer kept car for 8 days - at one point told me it needed almost $2000 of work and that the reason engine was shutting off while driving was low oil pressure"!?! after I questioned them extensively about the charges and the supposed low oil pressure - they changed their story and said oil pressure was just slightly below normal and apologized about the $2000 charges - said I didn't owe anything?? again, they could not give me a reason why car was shutting off and supposedly they couldn't get it to replicate the issue. So I picked up the car and it hasn't died on me once - so they must have done something to it. Why the cover up!?! why does my car completely shut off while driving?!"! everything goes out when it does -- becomes difficult to steer and brake. Seriously scary!!!

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #3

Mar 132018

500X

  • 26,000 miles
Car has approx 26K miles. Driving under normal conditions this morning and warning came on "service engine. Drive mode unavailable". I had the sun roof open as I was driving and I kept thinking I was smelling a hot or burning smell, but couldn't be sure. I popped the hood when I got home and didn't smell anything obvious. Don't know if this is related, but just had it in for oil change a week ago - they never reset the oil change light (which wasn't coming on before oil change - though low oil pressure light was coming on -- now low oil pressure light is off, but oil change light is on!). again, don't know if it is related but want to give all pieces of the puzzle. Also my engine shuts off for no apparent reason while driving occasionally. Very scary! took it in to Fiat and they gave me a lame excuse -- it just needed some updates! to me that is just unacceptable -- what if I had been going 70mph on the interstate and this happened!? I asked them that exact question at Fiat and they just shrugged their shoulders. This is a serious safety issue and it is shocking to me that Fiat is not taking it more seriously! after the "update" that they performed about 8 months ago -- all seemed fine until about a month ago. Car stalled as I was driving -- seemed to happen only when I was going over a speed bump or a rough road. That was not the case the first time -- first time I was on a smooth, flat road. I really feel like a safety recall should be done on these cars because after reading about so many other people having these exact same problems -- this is clearly an issue!

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #2

Nov 252017

500X

  • miles
Car states 'drive mode unavailable' and a day after car stopped completely while driving turned back on and drive as normal also radio screen turns off and on by itself

- National City, CA, USA

problem #1

Mar 172017

500X

  • 12,300 miles
I was making a slow turn in a parking lot and the car turned itself off while driving. The radio remained on and dash lights/gear lights were illuminated but the car was completely unresponsive otherwise. I realized it had turned off so I restarted it & it continued to drive normally. About 50 miles later I was driving 35mph and a warning light came on stating "drive mode unavailable" then another saying "service engine". I took it to the dealership where they said it just needed some updates, gave it the updates, and sent me home. About 50 miles later the drive mode and service engine lights came on again. About 50 miles later they turned off on their own, and another 20 miles later they came back on again. The car seems to drive normally but the different drive modes such as "traction +" aren't accessible. It's been between 60-80 degrees outside & clear on each occasion. It hasn't turned itself off again since the first time.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

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