Laura, do your ears burn....?

[giorgio]

f92vmAll i want is a spare tire.

[giorgio]

Is this the same fiat family of 27 years go.

[Bimmertim]

Ive had PE 374 for almost 3 weeks now.  Have just over 2K miles - no mechanical issues whatsoever.  Blue and Me works fine with iPhone4.  

Lack of spare surprised me too but our MINI is spareless too...I lost the runflats years ago and got the BMW mobility kit (virtually the same as in the PE which at least has a decent storage place for it).

 My only beef is that the vinyl interior panels (esp near door armrest) seem to scratch easily.  Also have to be careful entering car as sills will scratch.  Anyone tried the Fiat sill protectors?  

[Welshy]

OK Laura,
Quick update on my car:
-Bought on March 19th (Bought 14 days ago)
-Days actually driven on the road = 6
-Days in Workshop (with estimated return Tuesday April 5th earliest) being repaired = 12 days (includes upcoming days in shop)

Received a call from Chrysler (Marvin), stating they have no idea why the Blue and Me is not working and that they need to investigate further. The parts are in for the hood and have gone out to the spray shop and due to be fitted and hood realigned on possibly Monday/Tuesday. Regarding the difference in color of the panels (Chrysler, Marvin that is, says that's just the way it is, nothing can or will be done). The odometer is still flashing (Chrysler do not why), the USB doesn't work and I'm having to drive a crappy rental car instead of the car I spent $23,000 on.

Sort your act out FIAT and inspect your vehicles better !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a not very happy PE owner
#408

[5*(10)^2]

Welshy, thanks for your update. Haven't heard back mine for a week now. I hope the ball is still rolling...

There seems to be a consensus it's ok for a ~ $20k car to have imperfections. This is kind of sad. I got this from the dealer and from some owners as well.  Spoke to another PE owner over the weekend and he has an interior  trim falling off. But he's ok with it because he said " it's a ~$20k car" !

Whatever you buy and no matter how much it costs, it has to meet some quality standards.

[Welshy]

So went to get the car today (Tuesday). They had completed the hood alignment but had forgot the secure the plastic trim that is visible between the windscreen and the hood. Next, there were scuffs in the plastic door sill where the paint had been chipped off and you could see the black plastic below. The odometer was still flashing and the Blue and Me inoperable.

So after 7 days at the garage its like 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. Chrysler say they are looking into the problem and say most of the cars have a Blue & Me problem (not what I've heard on this forum). So now I'm lost for words......I left the car with them, told them I wanted all the damage/ill-fitting parts put right and then they could have their rental car back. What to do.....thus is really leaving a bad taste in my mouth and I'm in the process of considering using every social networking site to blast Chrysler and FIAT.
On the point of a $20k car, it shouldn't make any difference. I don't see Mazda, Nissan, or even KIA owners having the problems we have with a cars that much cheaper than an FIAT 500.

 

[prima 109]

Funny you should mention this guy (Marvin).  I dealt with him myself the other day, April 4th.  My PE #109 came without the tire repair kit and I had an issue with the instrument cluster back light on the speedo/tach coming on and off while headlights were on during daylight hours.  Yes, I know the car has DRL's, anywho, he's trying to tell me that the light i'm seeing is the ETC light and I should stop the car, put it in PARK, (I have a PE, no automatic trans) and restart the car.  He also said that I must have taken it out of the car or the dealer took it out and has it on a shelf.  Inferring that I'm a liar and/or a thief and the dealer took it out for some reason..  WHAT AN ASS!!!!  just puting in my two cents.

BTW, the the intsrument light thing is what I thought, there's a light sensor in the dash that monitors outside light and turns off and on that light around the speedo and tach.

[5*(10)^2]

prima 109 wrote

He also said that I must have taken it out of the car or the dealer took it out and has it on a shelf.  Inferring that I'm a liar and/or a thief and the dealer took it out for some reason..  WHAT AN ASS!!!!  just puting in my two cents.

See that's exactly what I hate, reporting blemishes/missing parts and they say we are the culprits.

[Welshy]

Good news...car is back and on our drive
The bluetooth fully functioning, no flashing odometer, and the hood aligned and nice. Still have a few little cosmetic things that need addressing, but the good news too is that because the Dealer had the car for so long they spoke with FIAT and I'm going to be getting a check for $325 to cover my first loan payment from them.
Well done FIAT, a good move and we have our car back and have fallen in love with it all over again. Thanks to everyone (esp 5*(10)^2).  Bravo

[Gavin]

Congrats Welshy...have tons of fun driving...

Gavin

[sjmst]

Good move on the part of Fiat! Congrats on getting your car back.

[prima 109]

that's great news!  Kia did the same thing for my niece & her husband when their 2010 Kia soul (2k on the clock), and the oil pump crapped out.  They R & Red the engine and sent them a check equeal to their payment.  Vehicle was in shop for 3 weeks.  congrats and hope you get the other issues taken care as well.

[ciddyguy]

Welshy wrote

Good news...car is back and on our drive
The bluetooth fully functioning, no flashing odometer, and the hood aligned and nice. Still have a few little cosmetic things that need addressing, but the good news too is that because the Dealer had the car for so long they spoke with FIAT and I'm going to be getting a check for $325 to cover my first loan payment from them.
Well done FIAT, a good move and we have our car back and have fallen in love with it all over again. Thanks to everyone (esp 5*(10)^2).  Bravo

Indeed good news! That is customer service as its best. Sadly, it's becoming oh so rare to find that kind of service these days without working to make it happen.

[Fiat500USA]

Welshy wrote

Good news...car is back and on our drive
The bluetooth fully functioning, no flashing odometer, and the hood aligned and nice. Still have a few little cosmetic things that need addressing, but the good news too is that because the Dealer had the car for so long they spoke with FIAT and I'm going to be getting a check for $325 to cover my first loan payment from them.
Well done FIAT, a good move and we have our car back and have fallen in love with it all over again. Thanks to everyone (esp 5*(10)^2).  Bravo

That is great news!! Now you can ENJOY

[5*(10)^2]

Hey Welshy,

Glad that it works out for you! Putting our confidence in Fiat back on track again!

Welshy wrote

Good news...car is back and on our drive
The bluetooth fully functioning, no flashing odometer, and the hood aligned and nice. Still have a few little cosmetic things that need addressing, but the good news too is that because the Dealer had the car for so long they spoke with FIAT and I'm going to be getting a check for $325 to cover my first loan payment from them.
Well done FIAT, a good move and we have our car back and have fallen in love with it all over again. Thanks to everyone (esp 5*(10)^2).  Bravo

[DennisLee]

Dear Laura:

The folks on this Forum are far above "loyal". Some have had some really difficult times getting their cars and working with a few dealers. But they hang in there and are all sticking with you and Fiat.

I am told that you monitor this Forum. So, how about taking a few minutes and acknowledging the loyal fans and PE purchasers.

I don't think we have heard directly from you since February.

A little Hi and Thank you from you personally would be in order.

We are all anxiously waiting for the marketing blitz to start. When will it happen?

DennisLee.

ps: I am ordering my Sport as soon as the Portland Oregon Fiat Studio opens. I talked with them today and in two-three weeks they will be ready.

[Fiat #183]

Well let me start by saying that I am not a Fiat fan.  Sorry.  I love and support new and innovative means of transportation and that is why I bought a Fiat 500. Besides my Aptera is never going to see the light of day and the Persu is years away.

But back to Laura's ears burning:  This rollout of a new product in a new market is/was an epic fizzle.  I got my Prima after waiting some months only because a friend tracked it down for me. If I had counted on Ciao Fiat to do this I would have honestly never gotten it. Others were already driving around in production Fiats.  There was no fanfare. No neat car cover. No nothing. Except poor customer service from a Chrysler car dealer that had led them in to bankruptcy with, you guessed it, poor customer service.

While the Prima is adequate, especially with gas at $4.30 a gallon, I honestly don't see this being a big hit.  Sorry Fiat fans.  I could have gotten everything that is in this car in another make and the poor customer service would have been there also.

So Laura, good luck.  Polish your resume and move on girl.  You are not cut out for this line of work.

[sjmst]

Some of this I agree with. My dealer was nice, but no fanfare. That's OK. Yes, the rollout could be better.
As far as your feelings that, in essence, the car is nothing special, I must disagree.
People love it. They want to roll it on its roof and scratch its belly. It turns heads.
It is damn fun to drive.
Anyone feel that way about a Prius?

In my 52 years, I have driven plenty of cars and this is at the top of the list in terms of enjoyment. 36 MPG I am averaging is quite good.

It is a total package, and it is good.

But, that is not meant to say you are not entitled to your opinion, of course.
Even Laura said, the car is not for everyone.

[5*(10)^2]

I still believe Laura and her team have the right passion and attitude about bringing the brand back to the US. Sure there is the inconsistency in delivery date and then the actual delivery poorly executed by some dealers. My piss-poor PDI was a huge concern. So much I heard that very day, regional Fiat managers were told to call their respective dealers to "talk" about a proper PDI.

My gripe is that my Chrysler dealer needs to revise their approach to dealing with a Fiat customer. Selling Jeeps, Challengers and Ram doesn't mean you know about the Fiat demographics.

I was just thinking the other day. Perhaps the initial Fiat PEs should have been delivered through Maserati dealerships. Get that whole Italian experience started in a proper manner while waiting for Chrysler/Fiat dealerships to pop up. Treat the PE owners will a exquisite touch of class. Once all the PEs are delivered, sell the regular Fiats through Chrysler/Fiat dealerships. Would logistics be a nightmare? Maybe. But hey, nothing beats walking into a Maserati dealership to pick up a Fiat!

[Giallo Edizione]

My 500 is great.

My dealership is excellent.

The market rollout is the worst I've ever heard of.  I defy anyone to find an example of a worse major new car introduction- ever. Even the Tucker Torpedo and Edsel had more market buzz. Merkur? Bad, but at least they had dealerships to sell them from. Everybody even knew about the DeLorean-sooner or later. And these examples were not intended to sell 40-50,000 units a year.

Laura needs to be replaced.