PE Owners

[SeaDawg]

You know, I REALLY sympathize with you guys/gals!  Not a snarky comment.  Most/All of the problems or if you prefer the newer term 'issues' that you have experienced I can not duplicate on my regular Sport 5 Spd that I received on 11 May.  I have no chipped or bare spots on the body where the hood edges are located.  I cruised over to Sarasota FL today at 75 MPH which equates to around 3100-3200 rpm with NO resonance in the body or the dash.  Etc, etc..

Thanks for helping get rid of the warts.  I appreciate the trouble free Fiat 500 Sport that you made possible.  How, because apparently Fiat discovered these warts during the manufacture of your cars and made changes to correct most/all of these problems before they started producing cars for the masses.

No sarcasm intended.

[5*(10)^2]

oh boy...that hurts.

[Fiat500USA]

SeaDawg wrote

You know, I REALLY sympathize with you guys/gals!  Not a snarky comment.  Most/All of the problems or if you prefer the newer term 'issues' that you have experienced I can not duplicate on my regular Sport 5 Spd that I received on 11 May.  I have no chipped or bare spots on the body where the hood edges are located.  I cruised over to Sarasota FL today at 75 MPH which equates to around 3100-3200 rpm with NO resonance in the body or the dash.  Etc, etc..

Thanks for helping get rid of the warts.  I appreciate the trouble free Fiat 500 Sport that you made possible.  How, because apparently Fiat discovered these warts during the manufacture of your cars and made changes to correct most/all of these problems before they started producing cars for the masses.

No sarcasm intended.

As some may already know, Fiat/Chrysler takes ALL this information very seriously. The engineers and development people are very serious, very smart, and very committed to being the best.

Procedures have been put in place that, once an issue has been identified, a solution can immediately
be formulated and implemented much quicker than previously done at Chrysler before Fiat management. The results are cars made in March benefited from previous months production.

[sjmst]

So I take it your clock keeps time?

[Prima148]

I havent owned a car in  awhile, but I thought that clocks never working right in dashboards were a feature.

[SeaDawg]

sjmst wrote

So I take it your clock keeps time?

Yes but I think it is rhythmically challenged.

[SeaDawg]

Prima148 wrote

I havent owned a car in  awhile, but I thought that clocks never working right in dashboards were a feature.

In analog clocks a feature that goes back decades.

However, finding a digital clock that does that is indeed a unique feature.

[Fiat #183]

I bought the PE knowing full well that it could have issues.  I was willing to accept that as the price for being an early adopter.  Usually a car company, or any company, makes it worth one's while will little perks or thank yous.  Not so with Fiat.  The treatment I have received as a PE owner has somewhere between apathy and rude.

I like my little car.  It suits me and probably will for a couple of years.  I am not making any effort on Fiat's behalf to help introduce the mark back to the US.  It is doubtful that I will ever own another Fiat.  Whatever opportunity Fiat had to build up goodwill with the PE's has passed me by.

Note: My car is flawless.  
Note 2:  I have been an early adopter before and made to feel like a rock star.

[5*(10)^2]

Fiat #183 wrote

I bought the PE knowing full well that it could have issues.  I was willing to accept that as the price for being an early adopter.  Usually a car company, or any company, makes it worth one's while will little perks or thank yous.  Not so with Fiat.  The treatment I have received as a PE owner has somewhere between apathy and rude.

I like my little car.  It suits me and probably will for a couple of years.  I am not making any effort on Fiat's behalf to help introduce the mark back to the US.  It is doubtful that I will ever own another Fiat.  Whatever opportunity Fiat had to build up goodwill with the PE's has passed me by.

Note: My car is flawless.  
Note 2:  I have been an early adopter before and made to feel like a rock star.

+1 on everything in bold.

I am glad you can still tolerate driving the 500. I can't. I'm done. I am stressed out thinking something else will fail. Not like it is my only car. Did you read my other thread? My AC died and I can't even be bothered to drop by the dealership. Because I can't stand dealing with pple there.

Truthfully, I am a little less forgiving on Fiat's QC issues. This is their second attempt to enter the US market. The customer service manager at Chrysler HQ has been very attentive. He's the one who helped me through the bumper blemishes issue. I recommended him to another forum member and he helped resolved that person's issues.

However, AC failing at 1k miles and that whole debate on solid black or metallic black paint on PE mirror housing/roof is laughable. Utterly laughable. I am laughing right now as I type. I know you can't see me but I am laughing hysterically. And I will stop laughing now....right about.....n...o............w. ha!

[FiATL]

Wow, sorry to hear that guys.  I cancelled my PE and just got my Olive Sport yesterday.  Noticing some minor things that really don't bug me too much.  But the overall treatment I received while waiting for my PE, (disclaimer: with the exception of a certain FIAT rockstar in Auburn Hills) was laughable.

Appears the QC on my car, VIN 114XXX is way better than some of the original non-PE Sports I looked at.  It should only get better as time goes on.  Abarth or Diesel and I'm probably back in line!

[Giallo Edizione]

5*(10)^2 wrote

Fiat #183 wrote

I bought the PE knowing full well that it could have issues.  I was willing to accept that as the price for being an early adopter.  Usually a car company, or any company, makes it worth one's while will little perks or thank yous.  Not so with Fiat.  The treatment I have received as a PE owner has somewhere between apathy and rude.

I like my little car.  It suits me and probably will for a couple of years.  I am not making any effort on Fiat's behalf to help introduce the mark back to the US.  It is doubtful that I will ever own another Fiat.  Whatever opportunity Fiat had to build up goodwill with the PE's has passed me by.

Note: My car is flawless.  
Note 2:  I have been an early adopter before and made to feel like a rock star.

+1 on everything in bold.

I am glad you can still tolerate driving the 500. I can't. I'm done. I am stressed out thinking something else will fail. Not like it is my only car. Did you read my other thread? My AC died and I can't even be bothered to drop by the dealership. Because I can't stand dealing with pple there.

Truthfully, I am a little less forgiving on Fiat's QC issues. This is their second attempt to enter the US market. The customer service manager at Chrysler HQ has been very attentive. He's the one who helped me through the bumper blemishes issue. I recommended him to another forum member and he helped resolved that person's issues.

However, AC failing at 1k miles and that whole debate on solid black or metallic black paint on PE mirror housing/roof is laughable. Utterly laughable. I am laughing right now as I type. I know you can't see me but I am laughing hysterically. And I will stop laughing now....right about.....n...o............w. ha!

I continue to believe, as I said way back when, that rather than pay extra special attention to the PE's in production knowing who the buying group was, they panicked under the pressure of being behind schedule and in the face of the howling depostors and rushed them out instead. There seems, in my estimation, to be a lot more issues with PE's than with the standard models, many of which point to rush job ( like misfit panels, chipping paint, unmatched blacks, incorrect color dash "bezels"). The assembly line has been making cars since 1968 and I understand it has a good quality reputation among Chrysler plants. JMHO.

And you should lemon law that car and get a replacement.

[sjmst]

Fiat #183 wrote

I bought the PE knowing full well that it could have issues.  I was willing to accept that as the price for being an early adopter.  Usually a car company, or any company, makes it worth one's while will little perks or thank yous.  Not so with Fiat.  The treatment I have received as a PE owner has somewhere between apathy and rude.

I like my little car.  It suits me and probably will for a couple of years.  I am not making any effort on Fiat's behalf to help introduce the mark back to the US.  It is doubtful that I will ever own another Fiat.  Whatever opportunity Fiat had to build up goodwill with the PE's has passed me by.

Note: My car is flawless.  
Note 2:  I have been an early adopter before and made to feel like a rock star.

I didn't read this. I would just like to compliment you on your avatar.

[Fiat500USA]

Fiat #183 wrote

I bought the PE knowing full well that it could have issues.  I was willing to accept that as the price for being an early adopter.  Usually a car company, or any company, makes it worth one's while will little perks or thank yous.  Not so with Fiat.  The treatment I have received as a PE owner has somewhere between apathy and rude.

I like my little car.  It suits me and probably will for a couple of years.  I am not making any effort on Fiat's behalf to help introduce the mark back to the US.  It is doubtful that I will ever own another Fiat.  Whatever opportunity Fiat had to build up goodwill with the PE's has passed me by.

Note: My car is flawless.  
Note 2:  I have been an early adopter before and made to feel like a rock star.

I like your avatar also!  You point about the perks and thank yous is interesting. I'll pass it on.  As this thing is still pretty new (the dealer channels are still being worked on, etc), we may still see some communication coming to us, which would be a great thing in my eyes.

 As far as perks or getting things, I personally didn't expect any. I got a special edition car that not many have, people give me the thumbs up wherever I go and my car, like yours, is fine.  Speaking for myself, I'm satisfied. I got what I was promised.

[Fiat #183]

Since no one takes me seriously with that avatar I have had to change it.  The lady in the picture came with the car.  Didn't all PE owners get one?  It's just as well.  She can't cook.  Fiat messed up again.

[kzod]

I agree.  It's not reasonable to expect any extra perks beyond those already included in the Prima package.  But, that doesn't diminish the fact that they were clearly rushing, and some poor (Mexican?) decisions were made (i.e. who will notice the different black paints?).  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my soon to be built 500c won't have too many early edition issues.

As far as the lack of rock star treatment, that goes back to what I originally identified as the biggest risk factor for Fiat, the Chrysler sales team.   It's crazy to expect that the same guys who have given dealerships a bad name for their conduct and lack of ethics can turn around and learn to be professional overnight.   I've posted this before, but I have been shocked by the lack of consistency in the dealer experience at least here in Canada, where they are being allowed to sell Fiats side by side with the Chrysler products.  If I wasn't so interested in the car I would've been a lost client from my first interaction.   I'm so disgusted that I will happilly name them again (hope Google alerts some would be customers before buying a car there).  

The people at Downsview Fiat in Toronto are the lowest of the low.  They had the gall to put out huge advertistements boasting of a Special Introductory Price, and when I went there to first see and drive the car, I was given the old school around the block, no highway allowed test drive and told the special price was the MSRP!  But, it's a special price since they may raise the price in the future!  Due to my lack of smarts and the fact that it's a very convenient location, I actually returned a second time and took the car out again for a better drive.  I was concerned by the low gas light, but was told that the car still had plenty of gas good for 40 km's worth of driving.  Again due to being a moron, I accepted that and drove the car only to run out of gas.  To add insult to injury as we sat there waiting 30 minutes for the dealer to rescue us with a little gas, the salesman refused to discuss their prices or how much they charge for Admin fees, since it's against their policy to discuss these things away from their desk.  I was F'n trapped there due to their incompetence and they were still intent on playing dealer negotiations games. &^#&^#%.  Grrrr.  As you can guess, I'm still bitter.

That's the type of BS that will destroy Fiat's second coming.  The guys running Fiat all seem brilliant, and have tried their best to deliver a great product that they seriously improved for the American market, but at the end of the day it's the low priced help that can squash all of that hard work.

To be fair, I must say that after that I ventured out to see Maranello Fiat where the cars are sold side by side with Maseratti's and Ferrari's and had a much better experience.  As well, I made the trek out to Peel Fiat in Mississauga to one of the smallest dealerships I've seen in recent memory (maybe half a dozen cars could fit in there), but the staff were the most professional guys I've ever dealt with.  Josh West, their Fiat specialist knows as much about the cars as anyone, is happy to give you as much time as you need to drive the cars, and frankly offered me a great deal, and an earlier delivery date (keeping fingers crossed on that part).    So, I ended up giving him the business.

Hmmmm, this rant got a little off topic, but my point stands that it's the little things and people that will make the biggest impression on the end consumer.  

[kzod]

Fiat #183 wrote

Since no one takes me seriously with that avatar I have had to change it.  The lady in the picture came with the car.  Didn't all PE owners get one?  It's just as well.  She can't cook.  Fiat messed up again.

When are you going to make Calendars for us to buy already?  

[Mike S]

Yes, I got one too but it won't inflate.

I guess that's what the tire repair kit is for.

[Fiat #183]

"Yes, I got one too but it won't inflate."

Is her name Lea King?

[PiZ]

I am really sad to hear and feel this unsatisfaction...

It can happen that one car is ill-fated and just seem to have all the defects of this world. Definitively not a good thing, but happens to all the manufacturers....

To me it's more worrying to hear that dealers are normally "low profile" and don't use the right enthusiasm they should, in order to launch something "new" and delete an unfair bad reputation.
And it's also worrying that in the factory they haven't applied the QC they MUST apply (for the same reasons I said before).

PiZ

[Prima148]

Do I really need one included?  I thought the 500 was supposed to be a chick magnet.