Fiat 500 Recalled for Transmission Issue
Recently, FCA has issued a recall of 72,700
Fiat 500 cars because their automatic transmissions may have issues when shifting
into P gear, so the car could start moving independently and even provoke
crashes. Possibly, this problem can also lead to problems with shifting to
other gears.
The issue stems from a defective part inside the transmission, which Fiat will fix absolutely free-of-charge. The carmaker knows about 3 crashes and no injuries related to this issue. The 2012-2013 Fiat 500 shifter cable bushings may wear out and disengage from the gearbox unit and prevent drivers from changing gears properly, even if the lever moves normally. The automaker says that the control system does not notify the driver in any way, when this problem occurs.
2013 Fiat 500
FCA US has started an investigation that established high temperatures and moisture could cause the bushings to disrupt and lead to the shift cable separating from the gearbox linkage. Previously, FCA faced the same issue that led to a recall of Dodge Darts, and that recall was of a great help in the Fiat 500 investigation. Early in November, Chrysler received more than 990 warranty claims, but no crash or injury reports.
Shifter cable bushing
It should be noted that the majority of cars (more than 50,000) are recalled from the US territory, while the remaining part of Fiat 500 vehicles with the mentioned technical issue will come from Canada, Mexico, and countries from outside the continent. To solve the issues, dealerships will replace the defective cable bushing with a more robust component. The automaker plans to start notifying owners of cars included in the recall list early next year.
