Does my Fiat 500 have a battery issue?

Hi,

I have a 2010 Fiat 500. The stop-start system has not been turning the engine off when I’m at a standstill. At the moment the boot will not open unless the engine is running. Would this have anything to do with faulty battery?

Thank you

Catherine Hanlon (Essex)

Apr 2023 Filed under: fault

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Expert answer

Hi Catherine,

Stop-start systems can be tempermental. We get so many queries about them that we decided to write a feature explaining the potential issues - Why won't my car's stop-start system work?

Nonetheless, issues with it are regularly caused by weak batteries. Saying that, I wouldn't expect your car to start properly in the morning if there was a big battery problem, so I don't think the boot opening problem is linked to the battery. The Fiat 500 has a known issue where the wiring near the tailgate hinge can become damaged or broken - I suspect that's where your problem lies.

A decent mechanic should be able to quickly fix that for you.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor
@Shane_O_D