1996 Fiat Brava SX review from UK and Ireland

Near side front and rear shocks leaking at 50,000 miles (3 years old).

Failure of 2 fuel injectors at 65,000 miles.

Exhaust replaced at 76,000 miles.

Steering rack leaking fluid - replaced at 80,000 miles.

Offside front suspension bushes needed replacing at 90,000 miles.

Rattling dashboard.

Squeaking sunroof and sunroof blind jammed closed.

Various intermittent electrical problems with lights.

Recurrent flooding of engine on cold mornings - very difficult to re-start without running the battery flat.

The car is cheap to buy, but I was disappointed with the fuel economy which was no better than my previous car, powered by a much more powerful 2 litre engine. Parts are also expensive and slow to arrive.

The ride is average over bad roads, but without the sharp handling which I had expected (even after replacing the shock absorbers).

The driving position is poor for taller drivers despite the seats being quite adjustable because to achieve the correct distance from the steering wheel for a comfortable leg position one would need arms as long as your legs.

The car has several bad blind spots and is difficult to reverse park due to the high boot.

The indifferent Fiat dealers will have to do better is all I can say.

The boot is large, but this seems to be at the expense of the rear passenger space.