Made in USA?

[Alvon Elrod]

Any idea what the made-in-USA content of the Fiat 500 is?

[CaliberSRT4]

Window sticker will have that information. But I'm guessing it will be a while yet before anybody sees that information. The dealer demos don't have window stickers since they are not for sale.

My car is a healthy 68% US/Canada parts content, lol.

[Fiat500USA]

CaliberSRT4 wrote

Window sticker will have that information. But I'm guessing it will be a while yet before anybody sees that information. The dealer demos don't have window stickers since they are not for sale.

My car is a healthy 68% US/Canada parts content, lol.

Hi CaliberSRT4,

I'm thinking the 500 will be around the same. There where a lot of new suppliers from North America brought in for the car.

[prima 109]

the current issue of Car and Driver has an article on the 500 page 70,  iI it also has an article abuot whats made in USA and not.  Alist of cars, trucks, SUVs and such in a chart with US/Canadian content and foreign content, where they're built and such.  I believe it said the Fiat has 11% US?Canadian content.  I was skocked myself.

craig

[sjmst]

Alvon Elrod wrote

Any idea what the made-in-USA content of the Fiat 500 is?

Well, I'll be driving it, and I am 100% made in the USA. That's the main content that concerns me.

 

[CaliberSRT4]

11% does seem a bit low. My car is 68% and it has a chrysler/hyundai/mitsubishi engine, a German transmission, a mitsubishi turbo, etc. But then again I just looked up the VW Jetta and that is 8%. Mini Cooper is 5%.

If it is 11% then the engine is likely considered Italian. The automatic transmission is Japanese of course. I'm guessing the seats are from NA since they are a new design. Anyways, it seems like 11% is about right compared to similar cars, actually a little higher.

[MrJones]

Given the halting/slow down of goods from Japan now and in the foreseeable future, how much of an impact will this have on the Fiats yet to be produced? How much of the 500 depends on Japanese parts? I am guessing there will be no significant problems in the short-term, but I'm a total novice regarding the auto industry.
e.g., does Fiat stockpile all the parts they need for a certain production run? Just wondering.

[cogtooth]

I thought the engine is US made, which wouldn't that be more than 11% of the Fiat?

[Fiat #183]

My sticker says; US Canada= 11%
                        Mexico= 59%

That only equals 70% which may explain why it is so light

Sticker once again says Engine; United States; Transmission: Italy

[CaliberSRT4]

MrJones wrote

Given the halting/slow down of goods from Japan now and in the foreseeable future, how much of an impact will this have on the Fiats yet to be produced? How much of the 500 depends on Japanese parts? I am guessing there will be no significant problems in the short-term, but I'm a total novice regarding the auto industry.
e.g., does Fiat stockpile all the parts they need for a certain production run? Just wondering.

The automatic transmission is Japanese, but I doubt they supply any significant parts besides that for the 500.

cogtooth wrote

I thought the engine is US made, which wouldn't that be more than 11% of the Fiat?

The engine is US built but is considered an Italian part.

[Jim McKenzie]

Another Japanese tsunami issue. I went to my local dealer yesterday to look at buying two 500's, one for me and one for my daughter. I want a giallo Lounge, maybe the cabrio, with a brown and white leather interior...marrone i think it is called. I want the beige cabrio top as well. This particular car doesnt exist in florida and so would have to be ordered custom. however there is a problem: it cant be ordered. I originally thought that like Fiats website you just cannot order this particular color combo...but... The dealer told me that they cannot get any new giallo, rosso briliante, black, or pearl white, or mochas because of the japanese tsunami. Apparently these paints are made with Kyoto oyster shells, and because of the tsunami there are just none a,vailable to make these paint shades. Has anyone else heard this from their dealer? Or is this just the color combo issue after all?

[Mike S]

Who is your dealer?

I will buy my next 500 (a cabrio) out of State Because the Florida dealers charge at least $500 for a dealer extra profit fee.

Paul L is with a Chicago area dealership with only a $155 extra profit fee.

It would be nice if this site could have a sticky area listing the fees charges in each state by dealers. I would rather spend the money for a short vacation picking up my car elsewhere using the money for oneway airfare, gas and maybe hotel.

[cogtooth]

I posted this back in March:

http://www.phharval.com/home/news-and-media/motor-news/956-chrysler-canada-restricts-order-scheduling-due-to-potential-paint-shortage

[Jim McKenzie]

Fiat of clearwater, seems to be a good dealer. They are open one week now, have sold 27 in that time.  They had plenty of cars in giallo, just not the combo i want.

[SeaDawg]

Jim McKenzie wrote

The dealer told me that they cannot get any new giallo, rosso briliante, black, or pearl white, or mochas because of the japanese tsunami.

Apparently these paints are made with Kyoto oyster shells, and because of the tsunami there are just none a,vailable to make these paint shades.

Has anyone else heard this from their dealer?   Or is this just the color combo issue after all?

The Giallo and the Mocha Latte are NOT metallic paints.  Not only that but one of the 3 Cabrios Sunset Fiat of Sarasota received last Wednesday WAS a Mocha Latte.  I don't remember if it was a Pop or a Lounge.  I think the other two were Funk White (which is the Pearl White or Blanca Pearla) and a regular Red one.

In fact the only colors in the HARDtop 500's that I didn't see on Sunset's lot were Black and a Mocha Latte.

[SeaDawg]

Mike S wrote

Who is your dealer?

I will buy my next 500 (a cabrio) out of State Because the Florida dealers charge at least $500 for a dealer extra profit fee.

Paul L is with a Chicago area dealership with only a $155 extra profit fee.

It would be nice if this site could have a sticky area listing the fees charges in each state by dealers. I would rather spend the money for a short vacation picking up my car elsewhere using the money for oneway airfare, gas and maybe hotel.

Welllll, not all of them.  Fields Fiat in Orlando charges $389.

And while I agree Paul from Fields up in Illinois has been extremely helpful, by the time you add in the $$ to get to Illinois and the gas $$ to get home you probably would exceed the $389.

But I understand your principle.  Free advice is always worth what you pay for it.

[Jim McKenzie]

Well, never said they were metallic :). What i said was that these colors could not be custom ordered at this time as they were listed as restricted. fiat of clearwater had at least 3 or 4 giallos, and mochas. In fact they had at least one of every color available on the lot. But what i was told was that i could not custom order the color combo i wanted going forward because of the tsunami. They did not have an eta on when the restrcitions would be lifted.

[SeaDawg]

Jim McKenzie wrote

Well, never said they were metallic :).  What i said was that these colors could not be custom ordered at this time as they were listed as restricted.  fiat of clearwater had at least 3 or 4 giallos, and mochas.  In fact they had at least one of every color available on the lot.

But what i was told was that i could not custom order the color combo i wanted going forward because of the tsunami.  They did not have an eta on when the restrcitions would be lifted.

No, but the reason paint colors are restricted is because the specific ingredients in this case the PEARL (stuff that makes the sparkle) in the Blanca Pearla, Rosso Brillante and Rame to name three were in short supply due to only one supplier which happened to be in the quake zone in Japan.  I have NO idea WHY you couldn't order those two colors as they are NORMAL colors.  You are at the mercy or your dealer so I guess you have to wait.

As I told Mike S. FREE advice is ALWAYS worth the price!