[Tripod]

As an update to the official 2014 500L Recall titled "P42 - Inflatable Knee Bolster Airbag Module", I received word today that the BAN on selling the affected model is OFFICIALLY lifted as of 25-SEP-2014.


Starting 26-SEP-2014, Fiat will begin sending the recall notices, asking owners to contact their local studio and arrange the repair which, according to my local studio, should take NO MORE THAN 25 minutes to install.

Yes; while one waits.

 

[evbruno]

I received by official notification in the mail today to contact the dealer and schedule the replacement.

 

[Maproot]

HMMM I knew about the recall and drove a 500l easy tonight ( my 2nd drive) and I asked the dealer whether the one I'd driven had the airbag replaced, and he said " yes, otherwise he wouldn't be able to sell them!" But now, seeing your notice, am wondering whether once e the 500l is mine whether ill be doing the recall notice wait

 

[evbruno]

My understanding is they have to corrected the ones on the lots before they sell them. TRW makes the airbags. The issue was with TRW manufacturing which FIAT discovered from what I have read. I would expect there to be more it is new vehicle. Goes with the territory. I had six recalls on my 1998 Mercury Mystique and 1999 Mercury Cougar. The base model for those cars and been in production for several years when I purchased them. As long as the company is proactive I really do not think recalls in general are big issue unless there was willful negligence on the part of the manufacturer. Computer simulation can only do so much. It takes real people driving the cars for several years to shake out all the issues.

I am very happy with mine. The only time I have been to the studio service department was for the transmission recall and an oil change.
When they get airbags in I will go in for that.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[jabird101]

HMMM I knew about the recall and drove a 500l easy tonight ( my 2nd drive) and I asked the dealer whether the one I'd driven had the airbag replaced, and he said " yes, otherwise he wouldn't be able to sell them!" But now, seeing your notice, am wondering whether once e the 500l is mine whether ill be doing the recall notice wait

If the notices are going out for the public to bring vehicles in, the dealers have the parts. They would also first take care of most, if not all of their inventory so they could start selling again.

 

[Tweak]

I think I read they recently lifted the stop on sales of the L.

 

[evbruno]

Stop sale was lifted on 26 Sept

 

[grosa_2002]

The title of this post is a little misleading, the recall has nothing to do with "software". The module is considered the airbag assembly itself.

 

[jabird101]

The title of this post is a little misleading, the recall has nothing to do with "software". The module is considered the airbag assembly itself.

You are correct. However when I created the initial post, the day the recall hit the auto news, everything I read indicated that FCA would issue a software fix. That is how most things like this get fixed. Change the timing within the software. Who knew it was a hardware issue?

I'm glad to see how fast they issued the recall, and how fast the parts hit the shops.

 

[evbruno]

TRW has to produce 60,000 replacement airbags from what I read. I think Fiat needed 20 or 30 thousand in hand to start the recall.

 

[islander42]

Received my recall notice yesterday. Phoned the studio today to schedule a time for the repair. Initially they were unaware of the recall. They then checked and found they don't have the part yet. They'll call me when they do. I guess this means that the half dozen or more new 500Ls that have been sitting unsold on their lot for some weeks are also waiting for these airbags.

 

[jabird101]

Received my recall notice yesterday. Phoned the studio today to schedule a time for the repair. Initially they were unaware of the recall. They then checked and found they don't have the part yet. They'll call me when they do. I guess this means that the half dozen or more new 500Ls that have been sitting unsold on their lot for some weeks are also waiting for these airbags.

This just goes to show how some dealers know what is going on and care and some just don't. I have never seen this much variance in any of the 6 other brands I have owned.

 

[7FIAT's Later]

This just goes to show how some dealers know what is going on and care and some just don't. I have never seen this much variance in any of the 6 other brands I have owned.

It is pretty unbelievable that any dealer could not know about that recall, the one recall the L has had seems to have generated as much press as the big GM recall. Fiat is definitely making the same mistakes as last time and no one is more sorry to see it than me.

 

[evbruno]

It is pretty unbelievable that any dealer could not know about that recall, the one recall the L has had seems to have generated as much press as the big GM recall. Fiat is definitely making the same mistakes as last time and no one is more sorry to see it than me.

I do not see were Fiat is making a "mistake" vs the studio/employee being clueless.
You can argue that Fiat should done more "out of specification testing", no seat belt used by the driver. The air bag does function "in specification" when a seat belt is used by the driver. Normally it would have taken several accidents for this to have been discovered, so Fiat is being proactive in correcting the issue. All companies run a manufacturing backlog to keep production steady since orders vary. What I don't know if this was just a batch problem or a basic manufacturing problem that TRW had. Did TRW have change the line, or just pull X number of current ones off the line for Fiat?

I think the one below is worse.

Compared to the Honda and Takata air bag recall.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/business/air-bag-flaw-long-known-led-to-recalls.html?_r=0

 

[7FIAT's Later]

I do not see were Fiat is making a "mistake" vs the studio/employee being clueless.
You can argue that Fiat should done more "out of specification testing", no seat belt used by the driver. The air bag does function "in specification" when a seat belt is used by the driver. Normally it would have taken several accidents for this to have been discovered, so Fiat is being proactive in correcting the issue. All companies run a manufacturing backlog to keep production steady since orders vary. What I don't know if this was just a batch problem or a basic manufacturing problem that TRW had. Did TRW have change the line, or just pull X number of current ones off the line for Fiat?

I think the one below is worse.

Compared to the Honda and Takata air bag recall.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/business/air-bag-flaw-long-known-led-to-recalls.html?_r=0

Easy now, I was not talking about the airbag recall, but the sketchy dealer network which as a long time Fiat owner I unfortunately know plenty about. I love the cars, but I also experienced the horror of the piggy back Fiat Dealerships. I am hoping as time goes by and more cars go out of warranty we will start seeing indy shops specializing in our cars. My Bertone is a real stepchild, Fiat stopped production on the X in 83-84, in 85 licensed Bertone to build them, then my car was imported by the infamous Malcom Bricklin and sold through a Buick dealership, not that I regret buying it with basically no real warranty or dealer network, but I was really hoping this time would be different and reading this forum, there seems to be some really good studios and some really terrible ones, I am praying mine is a good one. I am still super happy with my L and after 29 years my X is still my favorite shiny toy. The mistake is Fiat not having some sort of quality control on the studios and the service they provide.

 

[evbruno]

Since Fiat cannot open it's own studio's depending on the area they end having to accept who wants to sell their products. Dealer Groups are like cartels the heads of the dealer groups can have lunch and freeze out an automaker.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20140317/DATACENTER/140319881/

Some samples.
AutoNation 228 dealerships, Penske 243, Lithia Motors 94 (actually based in Medford, figured it was based in Portland, Eugene or Salem), Del Grande Dealer Group 12

Depending on the state, once the relationship is established it can be very expensive for Auto Manufacturer to end it.
The solution is to have multiple dealers in the same area if possible.
Also getting good help is always a issue. The Fiat service manager was telling the last time I was in for my 10K oil change that they had just hired Level 3 Fiat Tech (not sure what that means) he was real happy about it.

 

[jabird101]

Since Fiat cannot open it's own studio's depending on the area they end having to accept who wants to sell their products. Dealer Groups are like cartels the heads of the dealer groups can have lunch and freeze out an automaker.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20140317/DATACENTER/140319881/

Some samples.
AutoNation 228 dealerships, Penske 243, Lithia Motors 94 (actually based in Medford, figured it was based in Portland, Eugene or Salem), Del Grande Dealer Group 12

Depending on the state, once the relationship is established it can be very expensive for Auto Manufacturer to end it.
The solution is to have multiple dealers in the same area if possible.
Also getting good help is always a issue. The Fiat service manager was telling the last time I was in for my 10K oil change that they had just hired Level 3 Fiat Tech (not sure what that means) he was real happy about it.

Just look at what Tesla is going through. They want to own the dealerships themselves, but the NADA is fighting it in every state. This is ridiculous. Here is aconpany who wants to deliver the best experience possible and they are having to fight to be allowed to sell their cars.

 

[islander42]

<…> I was not talking about the airbag recall, but the sketchy dealer network which as a long time Fiat owner I unfortunately know plenty about. I love the cars, but I also experienced the horror of the piggy back Fiat Dealerships. <…>I was really hoping this time would be different and reading this forum, there seems to be some really good studios and some really terrible ones, I am praying mine is a good one. I am still super happy with my L and after 29 years my X is still my favorite shiny toy. The mistake is Fiat not having some sort of quality control on the studios and the service they provide.

Yep, my comment above was not to object to the recall or take issue with it at all. Teething problems are to be expected with a new car model and Fiat is apparently handling this one well. My issue was the utter cluelessness of the Fiat studio I have to be deal with. Sadly this recall is just the latest and far from the most serious example of their lack of competence, knowledge or even much interest in Fiats—other than selling more of them, that is.

Since Fiat cannot open it's own studio's depending on the area they end having to accept who wants to sell their products. Dealer Groups are like cartels the heads of the dealer groups can have lunch and freeze out an automaker. <…>

Depending on the state, once the relationship is established it can be very expensive for Auto Manufacturer to end it.
The solution is to have multiple dealers in the same area if possible.
Also getting good help is always a issue. The Fiat service manager was telling the last time I was in for my 10K oil change that they had just hired Level 3 Fiat Tech (not sure what that means) he was real happy about it.

You mention 'Level 3 Fiat Tech (not sure what that means)'. Me either. I don't even know what 'Fiat service manager' means since any necessary service for my Trekking is carried at the Chrysler dealership which is the 'parent' of this Fiat studio. (The Fiat building is actually little more than a Potemkin Village physically separate from the main Chrysler dealership's buildings. It serves primarily as a showroom for their Fiat offerings.)

I assume the Chrysler dealership's service people are reasonably competent dealing with what they have traditionally serviced (Chryslers, Dodges and Ram trucks) but they have so far seemed to be out of their depth with the Fiat (my 500L anyway). Hopefully this will improve. I do like my Trekking, both its design and how it drives (with the GoPedal doing its thing) but as of now I wouldn't buy another car from this dealer. I'll just have to see how they ultimately handle this recall.

 

[Tripod]

Called my local studio today, to set an appointment for this recall. I was told that "All studios in the state of Florida are way behind in receiving the recalled items - for customer consumption - as the first priority is to the vehicles on the lot / sales floor. Call back in a month."

In other words, SALES take priority over CUSTOMER SAFETY.

Thanks, Fiat ... that's good to know.

 

[woodyracing]

Called my local studio today, to set an appointment for this recall. I was told that "All studios in the state of Florida are way behind in receiving the recalled items - for customer consumption - as the first priority is to the vehicles on the lot / sales floor. Call back in a month."

In other words, SALES take priority over CUSTOMER SAFETY.

Thanks, Fiat ... that's good to know.

First of all, that's your dealer making that decision NOT Fiat. Second, it's not really a safety issue for anyone. The airbag might twist when it deploys if you're in a 5% group of women NOT WEARING YOUR SEATBELT. If safety is something you're worried about, wear your seatbelt and it's not an issue....

Fiat doesn't designate what the dealers do with the airbags, our studio is pretty much splitting them between customers and inventory but we only get about 7 in a week and I don't think we got any last week. Either way, CHILL OUT. This is not a safety issue that anyone needs to be freaking out about!