Faults:
Power steering failed at 25000km. The fault is well known by Fiat, and the local agent admitted that they had replaced the pump and column units on most of the cars that had been sold, and had a box of faulty ones.
Because my car was imported from Japan, Fiat wouldn't help out with parts costs. The cost of a replacement unit was an insane NZ$2500 plus fitting.
I ended up sending the original part (Fiat NZ wouldn't even give me one of the faulty ones to send over, so my car could at least remain on the road while I waited) to a company in England who repaired it at a much more reasonable price.
Boot catch wore out prematurely, which meant the boot light wouldn't go out. My local mechanic bodged it up for me. He couldn't believe how flimsy the failed part was.
General Comments:
It's a good looking car, but not all that glitters is gold. It is underpowered, has a crashy ride quality, and the plasticy interior rattles something shocking.
The power steering is way too light, and the city mode function makes it even lighter. This must have been developed for people with a muscle wasting disease.
The biggest issue I have with this car is reliability. The power steering failure and the subsequent "not our problem" reaction from Fiat soured the whole experience. Add to that the fact that, had I bought a new part from them to replace the part that failed prematurely, they would have been profiting from their own poor quality product. I can't help but feel that the myriad of complex electronic devices on this car would contribute to a world of long term financial hurt and emotional heartache. I sold the car.
I have to say, I'd never buy or recommend a Fiat again... and I've owned many before.
23rd Feb 2010, 12:13
If your car was a gray-market vehicle (i.e., not sold new by the official agent in your country), don't blame the agent for not supporting you. It's a risk you take for getting a car at a cheaper price than the normal cars. They are under no obligations to extend that service to products they did not import themselves. Most consumer laws make importers responsible for their own products -- not those they did not sell.