If you are someone who fell in love with the 2014 or 2015 Fiat 500 L for its good looks, you are not alone. Thousands of drivers took the plunge and purchased one of these cheap little compact cars, but after spending some time together they are ready to break up.
Indeed, this spunky little Italian car is attractive, saves money on gas and its commercials featuring Jennifer Lopez are hot. But while it may initially strike a chord with the younger generation, behind its hip, European facade lurks the ugly truth: It’s the most unreliable car of the year.
In its 2014 Reliability Survey, Consumer Reports named the Fiat 500 L the least reliable compact car and least reliable car overall. The annual survey was based on more than 1 million car owners of all brands whose complaints they reviewed and cars were ranked on the results.
The Fiat 500 L, manufactured by UK-based Fiat Chrysler America, ranked 219 percent worse than the average car on the survey. The smaller Fiat 500 faired slightly better, but also was also one of the worst on the list. Additionally, the Fiat brand came in last place overall among car manufacturers.
They say beauty is only skin deep and that may be the case for the Fiat 500 L. Fiat owners say the car’s hybrid automatic-manual “Euro Twin Clutch” transmission is rough. The transmission is basically a manual transmission that self shifts to provide faster gear changes and higher fuel efficiency, but the result is the car is sluggish and unreliable.
Owners also complained that the car rides stiff, seats are flat and it has an odd driving position. Owners were also unimpressed by Chrysler’s UConnect infotainment system in the Fiat 500 L.
Perhaps the poor quality of the Fiat 500 L has something to do with the fact that the car is manufactured in Serbia at the same plant that once produced the Yugo GV, infamously known as the worst vehicle ever sold in the United States.
Love it or hate it, owners of the Fiat 500 L should consider whether or not they are happy with their car’s performance and if not they should see if it qualifies under California Lemon Laws for replacement or reimbursement.
Some questions to ponder if you believe you have a lemon:
Have you attempted to fix the same problem at least three times?
Are you still covered under the car’s manufacturer warranty?
Has your car been in the shop for 30 days?
Does your car present a safety risk?
The best way to find out if you have a lemon is to call Johnson Attorneys Group for a free consultation at 800-235-6801. There is no obligation and we can tell you what your options are.
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