Why Fiat Is Struggling In The United States

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Fiat first left the United States in 1983 amid poor sales and a reputation for unreliability. The iconic Italian automaker returned in 2010 and nearly a decade later it’s facing new issues as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says it has no plans on giving up in the United States.

Internationally, Fiat is known for cars like the Fiat 500, Fiat Uno, Fiat Palio, Fiat Punto, and the Fiat Strada. The company’s automobile business dates back to 1899. According to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ website, “Fiat is rooted in a more than century-long tradition of designing and making small cars, many of which have become icons for entire generations and accompanied Italy’s major economic and social transformations.”

Founded in Turin in 1899, Fiat’s small hatchbacks and roadsters are well known in its home country of Italy and other parts of Europe. Fiat’s history in the United States dates back to the early 1900s. The company even built some of its earlier cars in a factory in Poughkeepsie, New York.

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Why Fiat Is Struggling In The United States

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47 COMMENTS

  1. Fiat in the US are an answer to a question nobody asked. The first time they were too delicate for US use and QC was even bad by US standards. Meanwhile VW and Toyota put out RELIABLE vehicles. Low sales are a very good reason to avoid a vehicle because that mitigates against long term support. I haven't had to parallel park since 1981 and I own full sized trucks. The US has ROOM and lots of it.

  3. WHAT. Every. ONE. IS. TALKING. ABOUT. IS. ABOUT. “. ??? E ,V. CAR. AND. BATTERY , BUT. HARDLY. ABOUT. BATTERY. CHARING “. STATION. “, IT. TAKE. TWO. HOUR. OR. MORE. “. TO. CHARGE. ONE. E, V , CAR. OR. TRUCK “”””“. IS. ANY. ONE. THINKING ,?????????? I. DON’T. THINK. SO. “. “IN. THE. GOVERNMENT ,”??????

  6. A fiat fracassaram nos EUA porque quiseram. A formula é simples: um sedam econômico, vom tração na roda dianteira, com manutenção barta e peça a pronta entrega; Um SUV pra superar a neve; Uma picape fortee um HÍBRIDO pra pegar uma fatia do mercado da Ford e do Prius. É fácil?

  17. No one has talent to drive a fun car, number two no one can drive a manual transmission. Americans need to go to driving school. Fiat is awesome handling fun car to drive. Gets great fuel mpg. But Americans want big SUV's, huge 4 wheel drive trucks that get 3 miles to the gallon. They need Huge vehicles to feel superior to others and look down on tiny cars. Essentially running over them or run em off the road. I'm American and this is the attitude from all my friends, coworkers. With a Fiat I find a parking space anywhere I go.😊

  18. I love the look of fiat 500 and also the MSRP was lower than a Mini Cooper. Those were the reasons I got it immediately when it first launched in the Canadian market. However, the nightmare began in the first year that I had to take to the dealership for major fixes and to a point that I had to go through the court to settle the problems. Fast forward to 11 years today, I m still driving it and fingers crossed, it didn’t have anymore serious issues. So, the question is: will I consider to own a fiat again? To be fair, it is truly a fun drive but NO! A hard NO!

  19. I hate the fact he says "five hundred" instead of the real name "Cinquecento" why Americans do that? I don't see anyone on Latin America calling the Mustang "Potro"

  23. I work on mostly early generation Fiats , but many of the newer generation ones too, not seeing very many problems with them, they are far more reliable than Minis, I will buy one at some point.

  24. I don't understand everyone's craze with SUVs. They are big don't handle that well. Not super easy to park. I personally don't think most of them look good. I like a car low, nimble and easy to work on like the mustang.

  27. When I went to a Detroit FIAT dealership in 1980 to test drive a Strada (For a Free Fiat Windbreaker) I realized the car was such a Do-Do bird in the US market. Tiny car, Flat large Bus size steering wheel, Awkward placement of cup holders, door pockets, etc. Just wasn't impressed, no WoW factor or charm. Just big time different. THEY COULD HAVE AT LEAST CHANGED THE INTERIOR.

  28. Fiat tried the 500, 500L, 500X & sporty Fiat Abrath to hit the US target.
    Sergio Marchionne (Italian: [ˈsɛrdʒo marˈkjɔnne]; 17 June 1952 – 25 July 2018) was an Italian-Canadian businessman, widely known for his turnarounds of the automakers Fiat and Chrysler, his business acumen. But poor guy worked himself to death on those two companies. RIP.

  29. I HONESTLY Do Not Think MOST US buyers want their product to exude "Euro-Trash" marketing, flair & panache. LOOK AT VOLKSWAGEN & Audi. Understated clean lines with hi-tech styling & performance.

  33. As a Brazilian, I say that here Fiat, like any other brand, has managed to do well, here the best-selling models are: Palio, Toro, Argo, Strada, Cronos, among others, but the best-selling automotive brand continues to be Chevrolet

  35. As once noted by Greg Giraldo: "Americans are not gonna conserve. We're not gonna shift to smaller cars. We can't – we have big, fat kids." He was right… the son of a gun- was right.

  38. A friend gave me a fast ride in his Fiat X1/9 almost 50 years ago & to this day it was the most fun car I ever rode in. Pedal to the metal every corner & controlled drift all the way through. No fast but zero lean in corners. VERY low center of gravity & your eyes are about 3 feet off the ground. They should have sold millions of these but they tended to fall apart quickly.

  44. Yeah fiat in America doesn't make any sense because Americans rather buy big gas guzzling transmission blowing suvs instead of a small efficient reliable car. Work and give all your money away and never have anything is American way of life. Basically Americans are stupid.

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