Fiat Freemont
The 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir II suffered from an FCA-wide system fault with piston rings and head gasket, which led to a class action lawsuit ($8m settlement).
V6 Power in the American
Chrysler 3.6 V6 with 256 hp — powerful, characterful, American. Rare in Europe, high consumption, but real dynamics for a large SUV.
Engine Weaknesses 4
FCA used too-weak piston rings (low-tension rings) to reduce friction. Result: premature piston ring wear, oil burning and increased emissions across virtually all Tigershark engines.
Symptoms: Oil consumption over 1 l/1,000 km, blue smoke, oil level regularly low without visible leak
The 2.4L Tigershark seals the cylinder head poorly by design. Coolant loss and overheating result; repair requires specialist tools.
Symptoms: Coolant loss without visible leak, overheating gauge rising, white exhaust smoke
FCA recalled around 1 million vehicles with the 2.4L Tigershark due to excessive exhaust emissions caused by the piston ring issue. Class action settled for $8 million.
Symptoms: Elevated emissions at inspection, oil consumption as a side effect
The alternator in the Freemont is also a known wear item after 70,000–100,000 km, documented in several Freemont forum threads.
Symptoms: Battery warning light, voltage drop, electrical consumers failing
Vehicle Weaknesses 7
Fiat fitted some Freemont models with control arms using excessively soft rubber bushes. This causes severe steering wheel vibration at 90–130 km/h, which worsens at higher ambient temperatures.
The Freemont drains the battery through a faulty Bluetooth control unit or defective keyless entry door handles that prevent the CAN bus from entering sleep mode.
The AC compressor can fail and then only produces hot air. Fitting an aftermarket compressor costs around 400 Euro. The system must be flushed when replacing, as metal swarf circulates through the system.
From around 80,000 km, the power steering pump or steering rack can develop leaks and lose hydraulic fluid, causing heavy steering. Cascade failures possible.
Grinding noises when turning under load indicate worn CV joints or a failed viscous coupling. A new differential costs 1,400 Euro. As a stop-gap, vehicles are driven in two-wheel drive.
Constant opening/closing movements break the cables in the wiring loom because Fiat used unsuitable, inflexible wiring. Rear wiper, heating, tail light and release button fail.
After driving in rain and parking briefly, the Freemont's brake discs rust quickly. Pads can bond to discs so the vehicle resists moving on pull-away.