5,600 Fiat 500 EVs recalled for software glitch

Washington — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Saturday it is recalling 5,600 electric cars in the United States for a software glitch

The recall covers the 2013-2015 Fiat 500 EV cars built from March 2012 through Nov. 1, 2014.

In a filing Saturday with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automaker said "if the vehicle goes in to limp home mode, incompatible software between Electric Vehicle Control Unit and Battery Pack Control Module may cause the electric propulsion system to fully shut down."

In March 2014, the company updated software in both the EVCU and BPCM "to implement improvements in charging system robustness, diagnostic capability and range estimation over life. In addition to the primary reasons for the software update, Limp Home Mode was included as part of battery pack software continuous improvement. It was because of this software update that the software incompatibility occurred where the EVCU did not recognize the Limp Home Mode."

In May 2014, Fiat Chrysler issued a technical service bulletin to update vehicles built before March 2014 "with the latest production calibration thereby introducing the communication incompatibility issue to that vehicle population" -- that led to the glitch. The software was updated on Oct 31, 2014 for vehicles in production to correct the issue.

Dealers will update the Fiat 500 EV software for older vehicles. It is unclear if there have been any crashes or injuries. The company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

dshepardson@detroitnews.com