Some messages on social media are warning all drivers and Fiat customers. There have been sudden and numerous reports of “tires that tear and burst” on a particular model of the Italian brand. “Is it maybe the low profile of this coupe the problem?” reads an Instagram post that expresses the difficulty faced by owners of a Fiat Fastback. The car is only distributed in the South American market, and buyers who have one are comparing notes and saying they have incredibly similar issues.
Fiat Fastback: its tires tear or burst, even if new
The owner of a 2023 Fastback Audace with Pirelli Cinturato P4 205/50 R17 tires complains of extreme wear on her Fiat’s tires. “The tires get cut when driving over uneven road sections that I travel daily, with no possibility to avoid it. At the dealership, they suggested I go to a Pirelli store, but in the end, they changed them as a courtesy,” says the woman.
Proper calibration does not seem to solve the problem. This is explained by another owner of a Fastback Audace, this time from 2024, but with the same Pirelli tires (Fiat also uses Continental tires). The problems are more alarming than expected: “Just over an hour after picking up the car from the dealership, the tire pressure warning appeared,” says another woman. “After a few kilometers the warning appeared again, and I heard a bang. At the dealership, they told me that an imperfection on the road had caused the tire to burst, which was not covered by the warranty.”
The problem, however, does not seem to be limited to Pirelli tires. An owner of a 2023 Fastback Impetus with Continental Premium Contact 6 215/45 R18 tires states: “After tearing two tires using the car daily, one after only 160 kilometers, I decided to change brands (Michelin), and the problem has not occurred again.”
Although officially contacted, Fiat has decided not to comment on a case-by-case basis. They stated that they are aware of the cases through the reports and complaints received by the competent offices. All cases have been analyzed and “are not related to each other.” Therefore, for Fiat, it is a case-by-case issue and the fault of Brazilian roads, not the tires supplied as standard on Fastbacks in South America.