10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
47,653 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.

2014 Fiat 500L drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2014 Fiat 500L:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2014 Fiat 500L Owner Comments (Page 1 of 6)

problem #105

Feb 032024

500L

  • miles

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

1.) Vehicle will not shift into forward or reverse. Shift lever moves but vehicle does not respond. Intermittent problem. 2.) Excessive acceleration is required before vehicle will move, then lurches forward or backwards.

- Laughlin, NV, USA

problem #104

Mar 182023

500L

  • miles
CAR INTERMITTENTLY SHIFTS OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL WHEN faced with an uphill grade forcing car backwards. We have had over 5 nrear accidents involving rolling off hillsides ar onto property or into traffic behind. Car will not engage we have been desperately against a steep hill many times. Also front ABS brakes intermittently grab 1 wheel forcing car sideways at 40 mph. Also car emits rattle sound coming from lower gearbox or engine area noticeable through cab, both before and after a complete $4300 transmission rebuild. Service completed by FIAT and Alfa Romeo od Van Nuys California. This car is going to kill us. Fiat is dragging their feet. I will list the first incident below at March 18, 2023 but then many more occurred after, even after trans rebuild. This design is life-threatening. Who rebuilds a trans at under 50,000 miles??

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #103

Mar 162024

500L

  • 139,724 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500L. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that while in reverse(R), a gear shifter message was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V192000 (Power Train) which was associated with the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 139,724.

- Van Etten, NY, USA

problem #102

Oct 042023

500L

  • miles

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

My car is experiencing the same issue as a previous recall T19. Does not go when foot is pressed completely on gas. Will start & only go 25mph & sound like it is stuck & will not shift. Then randomly will jerk & accelerate. Tool to local mechanic Oct 2023. went for oil change, just befor appointment started running weird and check engine light had came on, asked him to check it out. Local mechanic said reader said knock sensor. paid for part, and went for pick up. Check engine light was off, ran good for about 5 mins on way home had to turn around. Took it back now local mechanic says theres mice damage to wiring harness. estimated 3,000-5,000 total. after already paying 800 for knock sensor and oil change. Told to try & see if insurance will cover rodent damages. Insurance has towed car to Fiat dealership, now being told there is zero mice damage to my wiring harness. Replaced knock sensor now for a second time, still not the fix. Was told the Issue is unrelated to the mice & has to do with my PCM. Repair cost is more than my car is even worth at this point. Sounds just like past PCM recall issue. Mine was apparently fixed 03/23/17. Is there a way there could be another recall? I have under 70,000 miles & do not understand how this has happened.

- Stowe, PA, USA

problem #101

Jan 052024

500L

  • miles
It only has 42,000 miles and the transmission light came on and it didn't want to go into park. The dealership won't tow it and keeps trying to day the are going to charge me for it when it still has both recalls on it. I had to play with the shifter to get it out of reverse it wanted to stay in reverse. And I was afraid it was going to run someone over because I. Couldn't park

- Chino Valley, AZ, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #100

Jan 162024

500L

  • miles
While driving in bumper to bumper traffic. Started to have trouble with accelerating rhe vehicle. Noticed the car had a recall with that cause the issues thatbi was having. I took the car to the fiat dealership to have the recall fixed. But after working on the cat, it has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall. Still has the same problem.

- Fort Hancock, TX, USA

problem #99

Nov 272023

500L

  • miles

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

While driving in traffic the check transmission light came on and car would no longer accelerate coming to a stop in traffic. Gears were not recognized per dash lights. Towed to shop for transmission repair which failed again within a six month time frame when once again while driving check engine light, check transmission light, check temp light all alternately started flashing, car quit accelerating and coasted to stop.

- Glendale, AZ, USA

problem #98

Jul 292023

500L

  • 121,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500L. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop and attempting to resume driving, the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Transmission Failure" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to unknown recalls. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #97

May 102023

500L

  • miles
I am having severe transmission issues. Gears are 'unavailable' and will switch me into D1, D2, and so on, all the way up to D8. I can feel the gears shifting (not in a good way), and if the brake is applied too suddenly it will fall out of gear and the service engine light is on, the car will not move. This has happened several times to me, while driving (on the freeway!) VEry dangerous. I see there are 3 recalls for Fiat 500L. I wonder if I am one of the affected.

- Toluca Lake , CA, USA

problem #96

May 032023

500L

  • 143,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500L. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and transmission warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who was unable to confirm the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 143,000.

- Norcross, GA, USA

problem #95

Jul 032023

500L

  • miles

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

Was driving car on highway and car stopped no excelleration nothing just stopped. Pulled over with no visible signs of anything wrong. Car would not start. After a few moments car started drove down highway about 10 miles to my home car stopped again but this time would not start at all. Gave code for power train.

- Fountain, FL, USA

problem #94

Jul 032023

500L

  • 105,249 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500L. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle in extremely hot weather, the transmission malfunctioned and would not properly shift while attempting to accelerate from a stop. During the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Manual Drive Not Available" was displayed. After the vehicle was shut off and allowed to cool down, the vehicle operated normally after being restarted. The vehicle was recently repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V192000 (Power Train) however, after retrieving the vehicle, the failure persisted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,249.

- Lake Hughes, CA, USA

problem #93

Apr 142023

500L

  • 108,672 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500L. The contact stated while his wife was accelerating from a standing stop at a traffic signal, the vehicle hesitated and then jerk and lunged forward once the transmission was shifted into drive(D). The contact stated that the check engine warning light and a message "Transmission Fault" warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that his wife stopped the vehicle and had difficulty shifting into park(P). The contact had to turn the vehicle off and on several times for the transmission to function normally. The contact stated that the hesitation and lunging forward nearly caused several crashes. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where the contact was advised that the check engine warning light was no longer illuminated, and that the vehicle could not be diagnosed if the warning light was not illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure was intermittent. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and referred the contact to a dealer because the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V192000 (Power Train). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,672.

- Piedmont, SC, USA

problem #92

Mar 052023

500L

  • 89,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500L. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V192000 (Power Train) which was associated with the VIN; however, the contact had not yet received notification of the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

- East Meadow, NY, USA

problem #91

Jan 212023

500L

  • 84,864 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500L. The contact stated upon shifting into drive(D) or reverse(R), the gear shifter would move to the intended gear; however, the instrument panel would indicate that the vehicle was in neutral(N). There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would jerk and would hesitate to respond while driving from a complete stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys where it was diagnosed that the power train had failed. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V103000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. Additionally, the contact became aware that the vehicle had a salvaged title. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,864.

- Cleburne, TX, USA

problem #90

Oct 182022

500L

  • miles
Won't shift out of park or reverse, it's a known issue that hasn't been addressed. There were two recalls, one in 2014 and one in 2017 - the two options were to reprogram or replace part. My car apparently only had the reprogramming done and still experiences the issue but the recall is considered closed at that. Many other drivers have experienced the same issue.

- Lakeville, CT, USA

problem #89

Oct 032018

500L 4-cyl

  • miles
The contact owns a 2014 Fiat 500L. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was making an abnormal clunking sound. The contact smelled a burning odor and saw black smoke inside the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that a gear was damaged. The part was replaced; however, while driving at 70 MPH, the transmission warning light illuminated and a message indicating to shift into neutral(N), then drive(D) was displayed. The vehicle started decelerating independently. The contact stated that as she shifted into neutral(N) and then into drive(D), the vehicle responded as needed. However, the failure had been reoccurring while driving and coming to a stop. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys where it was diagnosed that the oil temperature sensors had failed. The vehicle was then taken to the Chrysler dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure and they could not service the vehicle as they did not have equipment for Fiat vehicles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Beavercreek, OH, USA

problem #88

May 232022

500L

  • miles
Manual transmission refused to shift while vehicle was moving. Car was stuck in neutral, so I was able to coast to curb. Had it been in gear, it would probably have been stuck in that one gear. Thinking it was just a broken cable, I took it to Telle Tire in Maplewood. They discovered the broken bushing and called a FIAT dealer for a replacement. The dealer informed them that this was a common problem, but that the part was not available separately; we'd have to buy the whole transmission ($6,000!), which they had in stock. Telle was able to locate an aftermarket bushing and I authorized the repair, which will run a little over $600. This has not been completed yet. There were no warning signs of the failure.

- St Louis, MO, USA

problem #87

Apr 292022

500L

  • miles
So the dealer fixed the transmission / power train recall in 2020, my car is now doing exactly what the recall states, getting stuck in park, asking me to put engine in neutral and then drive without the car moving, so on and so forth. Fiat, as well as the repair dealer northside imports, is refusing to fix this issue as they state the car is out of warranty, and they feel they fixed the recall. This car only has 73k miles on it. The other issue of complaint is that the wire melted on the blower fan for the ac unit. Smelled burning wires in the car, and both fiat and dealer state that is normal wear and tear. That is not, as it could have caused a fire inside the car, luckily i was able to pull over and put out the smoldering wire. I need this fixed, and fiat is refusing to cover. They stated i need a new power train module and transmission which cost 12k which is 4k higher than the actual value of the car. During this whole time, fiat and the dealership was recommending that i purchase a new car. I want to know how i can get this fixed or the manufacturer to acknowledge they have a safety issue. I also got charged 326 dollars just for them to diagnose the issue. nothing fixed. 326 dollars to plug in a machine for 15 minutes. This is very wrong.

- Conroe, TX, USA

problem #86

Mar 122022

500L

  • 75,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 FIAT 500L. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power but did not stall. The contact stated that after depressing the accelerator pedal the regained motive power. The contact stated that after the vehicle accelerated to 60 MPH the vehicle started to decelerate independently. The contact stated that the service transmission and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the failure was due to a software update that needed to be performed by the dealer. The dealer was contacted and notified of the failure. The contact was informed that there was a software update previously available which had since been closed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was 75,000.

- Seattle, WA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?