Hi,


i'm new on the site and just want to know if anyone else has had a similar problem and if so what was the answer...

My fiat 500 is breaking on its own! I asked my dad and my husband to also drive the car just to make sure I wasn't doing anything daft like catching the break pedal with my foot but no, it did exactly the same for them.

The car is just over 1 year old

So what is happening is as follows...I'm driving along and then the car is actually breaking on its own, the break lights come on and the break pedal is moving on its own, I know it sounds mad! I nearly had someone crash right up the back of me the first time this happened. I managed to change up a gear and the car regained power and I've driven it home.

My local "helpful" fiat dealership can't fit me in for 3 weeks, that's if the battery isn't completely flat!

Does this problem sound like it might be covered under warranty??? Or should I just take it to another garage?

If I was you I would do three things.

First, I would call the dealer principle of your dealership and tell him that your car is dangerous (it is) and that his staff will not look at it for three weeks, and that you want this on the record, and that you want it looked at on Monday at the latest.

Second, I would call fiat Customer Services and complain to them.

Third, if you have not got a booking my Saturday morning I would go into their sales area and shout and scream and make sure every potential buyer knows the sort of people they are.

Firstly - I agree with Robin. It's a year old car under warranty and is dangerous to drive - the dealer should make an effort to look at it quickly.

Secondly - just a quick thought, but are you alone in the car, because it is possible for a passenger sitting in the passenger seat to inadvertantly apply the brakes by stretching their legs / feet up towards the bit under the dash, where a brake slave arm actually operates the brakes in RHD cars.

stu0710 said:

Secondly - just a quick thought, but are you alone in the car, because it is possible for a passenger sitting in the passenger seat to inadvertantly apply the brakes by stretching their legs / feet up towards the bit under the dash, where a brake slave arm actually operates the brakes in RHD cars.

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I thought about that too, but since the OP can reproduce the problem when someone else is driving the car, dismissed it as improbable. I've just tried to operate the brakes from the passenger side in my car, and despite knowing exactly where the actuating bar is, I couldn't manage to do it.

I'd agree this could be dangerous and needs sorting as soon as possible. Personally I'd want to know exactly what caused the problem so that I could be reassured it has been fixed properly and is unlikely to recur.

If all they do is to quickly examine it, drive it a few miles & return it saying they couldn't reproduce the problem & everything seems OK, I wouldn't be satisfied.

Being just over 1 year old, it'll have the (more) substantial cover over the pushrod actuation mechanism for the brakes on the passenger side, so you'd have to be a bit of a muppet (as a passenger) to apply the brakes unwittingly.

Does your car have ESP? As that might be a possible cause of unwanted brake application if faulty, although I wouldn't expect the pedal to depress.

bgunn said:

Does your car have ESP? As that might be a possible cause of unwanted brake application if faulty, although I wouldn't expect the pedal to depress.

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Well, it's either mechanical or electrical. You could have a stray electrical feed as a result of broken wiring, a faulty bit of ABS electronics (though I'd expect this to be fail-safe by design), or perhaps something has come loose in the pedal box area & is operating the brakes when you depress the clutch - which would explain seeing the pedal go down.

Reminds me of the car (not a FIAT) someone once brought to me with a stiff clutch that wouldn't disengage properly - the cause was a much-damaged ladies shoe which had got wedged high up in the footwell. I thought the owner would be pleased at getting a quick free fix, but sadly they were more concerned about the state of the shoe.

Just to directly answer the OP's specific questions:

Does this problem sound like it might be covered under warranty??? Yes

Should I just take it to another garage? You should not have to, but if there is another Fiat dealer close by then you can do. Your warranty covers you at any Fiat dealer.

Thank you everyone for your replies. I tried the dealership again and no joy so logged a complaint with Fiat directly. We live in Aberdeen so unfortunately there is not another dealership with in safe driving distance, so I'm stuck with them!

I've suggested that they pick up the car from my house and provide me with a replacement car until they have time to fit it in ....surely that is not unreasonable!



Also during the call to Fiat I found out that the dealer sold me a pre-registration car as brand new, explaining away the 300 miles on the clock as it being driven up from Glasgow, but turns out that it was an ex demo in the Glasgow branch and they brought it up on the back of a truck! Wouldn't have minded if they had told me the truth and discounted for an ex demo but now really mad!

they should certainly supply you with a courtesy car - you may have to drive to dealer to swap.. , but I think it should not cost you any HIRE charges,
Charlie

JenGilmour said:

Thank you everyone for your replies. I tried the dealership again and no joy so logged a complaint with Fiat directly. We live in Aberdeen so unfortunately there is not another dealership with in safe driving distance, so I'm stuck with them!

I've suggested that they pick up the car from my house and provide me with a replacement car until they have time to fit it in ....surely that is not unreasonable!



Also during the call to Fiat I found out that the dealer sold me a pre-registration car as brand new, explaining away the 300 miles on the clock as it being driven up from Glasgow, but turns out that it was an ex demo in the Glasgow branch and they brought it up on the back of a truck! Wouldn't have minded if they had told me the truth and discounted for an ex demo but now really mad!

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Does the V5 (log book) show you as first or second owner?

Success ! Getting a replacement car tomorrow ! That call to fiat seemed to do the trick as now they miraculously do have a car for me until mine is fixed!

Thanks for your help and letting me know about the warranty ....getting ready for stage 2, when they tell me it's not cover!

Shoddy shoddy shoddy dealer!

If they sold you a new car but in fact it was registered to them first you have another situation to sort out too. As well as your car being worth less, the price you should have had to pay for it will be much less than you paid. Plus you got less warranty as that would have run from when it was first registered.

JenGilmour said:

Also during the call to Fiat I found out that the dealer sold me a pre-registration car as brand new, explaining away the 300 miles on the clock as it being driven up from Glasgow, but turns out that it was an ex demo in the Glasgow branch and they brought it up on the back of a truck! Wouldn't have minded if they had told me the truth and discounted for an ex demo but now really mad!

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I can't work out why you accepted this

RobinPJ said:

If they sold you a new car but in fact it was registered to them first you have another situation to sort out too. As well as your car being worth less, the price you should have had to pay for it will be much less than you paid. Plus you got less warranty as that would have run from when it was first registered.

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Indeed, iirc more than 20 miles on the clock and the car cannot be classed as new.

Glasgow to Aberdeen is under 150 miles too!

Brake pedal moving by itself?? Is someone making us scared or do we need to panic?

RobinPJ said:

Does the V5 (log book) show you as first or second owner?

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Checked my V5 last night and I am the first register owner. The car was register in January 2012 and we bought the car in March 2012. When we came to put a private plate on the car, the fitters told us that another plate had already been fitted and removed and when the dealer called me to arrange its first service they gave me a different reg number than the one on the plate it came with when I bought it.

Am I just being silly or does this seem a bit suspect ?

JenGilmour said:

Checked my V5 last night and I am the first register owner. The car was register in January 2012 and we bought the car in March 2012. When we came to put a private plate on the car, the fitters told us that another plate had already been fitted and removed and when the dealer called me to arrange its first service they gave me a different reg number than the one on the plate it came with when I bought it.

Am I just being silly or does this seem a bit suspect ?

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If it was pre-reg then you won't be the first owner, doesn't add up.

Brake pedal moving itself is probably a servo fault.
ABS or EBA will apply brakes, but would not move the pedal.

A servo valve fault may allow atmospheric pressure into the servo and with the engine vacuum on the other side it will apply the brakes. Replacement servo should sort it.


The issue of new or ex-demo should also be addressed. If you still have the original order form, the contract you signed for the purchase, this should clearly show whether new or ex-demo (may be shown as pre-registered). Pre-registered should have normal delivery miles only. If its been used as a demonstrator, or just to demonstrate to some customers, it is no longer pre-registered. It showed 300 miles, but arrived on a truck, so it is not pre-registered. If what you got was not what you signed up for they are in breach of contract. However, you've had the car a year, so replacement is unlikely, although other compensation should be made. The difference in value of what you paid and should have paid should be refunded. They may offer free servicing or similar, which gives you the value, but costs them less. Accept if it works for you. Do the negotiation after they've fixed it, avoid them keeping it unfixed as a bargaining tool. See what they offer you, but don't accept unless you are completely satisfied. You may need to seek legal advice.

Sounds like an Arnold Clark deal. Would I be right? His company is full of absolute #}%#}{\~.

JenGilmour said:

Checked my V5 last night and I am the first register owner. The car was register in January 2012 and we bought the car in March 2012. When we came to put a private plate on the car, the fitters told us that another plate had already been fitted and removed and when the dealer called me to arrange its first service they gave me a different reg number than the one on the plate it came with when I bought it.

Am I just being silly or does this seem a bit suspect ?

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Probably sold to someone else, may have been driven the 300 miles to fetch it from another dealer, prepared and plates fitted, then purchaser cancelled before car registered. When transferred to your dealer, plates had been left on, although number probably later used on another unrelated vehicle. Happens occasionally, selling dealer should have advised about mileage and given you option to accept or cancel. If they did not, perhaps they should make amends, free service?