My car is brand-new and I've only driven it only once. The car I test drove wasn't the one I ended up leasing so I didn't have a chance to notice the problem. Upon the first drive to work, I heard a crunching sound whenever the rear driver's side suspension was compressed, say going over a speedbump at 20 or going over a small bump of the freeway. That day of my first drive to work was raining and cold.

The dealer attempted a fix by removing the suspension, applying lubrication, and re-installing the parts. The noise is less pronounced after their initial attempt, but it's definitely still there. Unfortunately, now the techs at the service department now claim that the issue is fixed and are not applying for the remaining issue. They said the problem was sand inside of the suspension which is not covered by warranty. This also means they did not want to pay for a loaner car.

Is anyone else encountering this issue? How can I escalate the problem to Fiat as the current service department doesn't want to acknowledge the defective unit?

Scott Farwell

Service department:
FIAT Auto Gallery Van Nuys
5711 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91401