Lebowski

Well, for me that's too much (you could guess that, since I spent less than $100 for an external navigator+cam+assorted mounting materials). You said that you don't want Chinese, but keep in mind that a full replacement radio with integrated gps and including the bezel costs around $500 shipped (go to aliexpress and search "fiat freemont"), and even that it's too much in my book (considering the lack of after sale support). Anyway, it's your money and you're free to spend it as you like. Good luck with your kit!

Well, I cannot say since I don't own all the freemonts in Spain (all 10 of them , no, seriously, they sold less than a thousand here), but I suppose so, yes, unless they wrote a special version of the software to piss me off ). And it's not limited to Spain (the second video is from an Italian user, where, unsurprisingly, the freemont has been much more successful). Most newer freemonts come with the 8.4 though, and supposedly it isn't that bad.

The real problem is, they do acknowledge the problems, but they say there's no fix for it. I don't want to be obnoxious, so I just call them once or maybe twice a month, but for the last 10 months that's been the standard answer.

And that's not the most annoying problem (at least for me). It bugs me much more than with such a gorgeous screen they can only show 3 characters of the station name, ditto for the presets buttons. Oh, and here's a video I found about the mp3 skipping, not made by me but it's the same problem: [media=] [/media]

Mine is a different issue, it's just the radio that doesn't work, everything else (including the player and the climate) work (notwithstanding the problems they have). See here.

This is a video of the radio not starting. Notice also that, at 1:10, when I press the player button and it briefly plays from the CD, it shows "Unknown" instead of the artist name. The same CD showed the artist name before the first update.

While there isn't too much information on that page (and I'm not really interested to ask[*] since I have my custom made solution for less than $100, though I still didn't manage to install the backup cam), in theory you don't: if you look carefully you'll see there's a climate button, so if they reverse engineered the communication to control the AC, they could have as well deciphered the communication for the settings. Edit: in fact there's also a settings button. Edit [*] I could ask if they sell the bezel alone without the radio, so I can relocate the 4.3" screen and integrate the extra screen just above it in the remaining space (there's enough space for an additional 7" screen). I was tempted to do that but the OEM bezel is too expensive.

If you can, avoid the radio with the 4.3" display: it's a POS that doesn't work. I think the 8.4" model works better, at least I didn't hear many complaints about it.

Sure, it is possible, but it will cost you: you can replace the 4.3 for an 8.4, the upgrade kit is $1799 but it doesn't include a camera. Or you can add navigation to your existing setup with the nav tv uci-11c which should cost roughly the same. Another option is to install a Chinese radio like this one, in Italy it costs around $750. Edit: there's also the lockpick c8 (actually designed and manufactured in Mexico by Ventura Technologies) and this Chinese interface, but these are only for the 8.4.

RDS is Radio data system, a way that FM stations use to transmit information alongside the audio (i.e. station name, short information about the currently broadcasting program, a list of alternative frequency the same station can be found, a flag telling the current broadcast is a traffic bulletin, etc.). Using alternative frequency you can tune to the same station while traveling: when the signal drops, the radio will check that if any of the other frequency is better and carries the same station, in that case it switches to that frequency. Apparently this is what causes the drop outs in mp3 reproduction. BTW: the broadcast station name is 8 characters, the radio only shows 3. A cheap after market radio from the '80 could display the complete name. Nope, but I contacted FIAT customer support (with my extensive list of problems, this is just one of them), which gave me the same useless answer: "There's no fix for it yet" I'll try that but I doubt it will lead to a solution

I feel your pain. This is the standard answer that I got in the last 10 months. Luckily my problems are minor (even though I find them annoying) compared to yours.

Just like that: everything else works but the radio doesn't. Dead. If you were using the radio before, you'll see the radio screen but with no sound and none of the touch buttons working. If you were listening to another source and press the radio button, the screen doesn't change to the radio and there is no sound. The only solution is to turn off and on the engine, hoping that the radio starts. There's no voice control for music in the 4.3, only for phone calls, the mp3 drop outs are linked to radio rds function.

There's a mopar part, which is just a piece of fabric and costs about $150, though I don't know the part# and if it's available where you live (it is available in europe). Or you can go for the ghetto solution for less than $5

As I said, in my car (which has a the dreaded Uconnect 4.3, the 8.4 wasn't available at the time) even the basic functionality doesn't work. I don't ask for improvements (though they'd be welcome), I'd just like them to fix the bugs (radio not starting, mp3 skipping, search not working, etc.). I also miss a rain sensor, but I won't complain too much since I knew it wasn't there (though I expected the automatic lights to work better).

Unfortunately that isn't possible in my car (no gps). Also, there is no option to synch to the RDS time. A small drift is normal with no external synchronization, but a minute a week is too much.

I would but I have to keep it 4 more years. I complain because I think that those are problems that could be very easily fixed but I see no effort on fiat's part to fix them, and that pisses me off even more.

If you refer to the infotainment and electronic accessories, a) it's just average and b ) it doesn't work (at least in my car).

@Mcgusto, you could say I'm whining, but I'm just comparing this car with the previous ones I had: the automatic lights worked perfectly (they lit up immediately entering a tunnel but never in light shade or under a bridge). What's the use of automatic lights if I have to turn them on manually? (I can be fined if I enter a tunnel with the lights off). Also, you're right that you cannot defrost and recirculate, that's not my problem, the problem is that you cannot recirculate with the flow directed at the feet, so you'll press the button and the car, instead of recirculating, just ignores it. Never had a car that worked this stupid way. I know that with high humidity and recirculation there can be condensation on the windshield (which, btw, never happened), but let me decide. In case that my decision is wrong, there's a big defrost button to remedy it, and I accept that the defrost button (but only the defrost button) will exclude the recirculation.

In the driver's door there's a sticker with the manufacturing date.

I'm simply astonished by the level of incompetence shown by chrysler/fiat in not dealing with issues and removing the few useful features this car had.

Good for you, now if only DodgeCares cared to tell us if that update is suitable for the European models.....

I don't have the integrated gps, but I find that one minute of error a week is too much: I was used to adjust the clock only two times a year (for DST), now I have to adjust it every other week!

Most probably people complained that they couldn't close the windows with the remote, so they removed the option to open them typical...

I was bathing the other day when I realized I had the key in my pocket! Luckily it seems it's watertight: I opened it immediately to remove the battery but I found it was completely dry and it worked flawlessly afterwards. I still find outrageous the price of a replacement fob: you can buy a smartphone or a netbook or a couple of tablets for the same price. Looking at what's inside it should cost them no more than $5-$10 to manufacture.

And this is the holder painted black and kept in place with double sided tape: