2008 Fiat Grande Punto GP 2 review from UK and Ireland

The paint when I collected the car had marks on it.

Underpowered for the way I drive and the miles I cover.

Rear brakes.

And one really big thing.

It caught fire.

3rd March 2009.

Woke up one morning and decided after 4 months of having my new car, that I would give it its first wash (I had been pulled over by the police and told to do it as they were unable to see the number plates). So I clean and polish it, and it looks like it did when I collected it on the 1st September 2008. Lovely.

I then go and fill up with petrol, and drive to my local town to do some shopping. I park in the multistory like I do every week, and go and do my shopping.

13:45, I walk back to the car park, get my ticket out of the bag, put it in the machine and it won't work, so I press the button on the machine and a woman's voice said what is your reg. I gave her the reg and she said please can you return to you car. I go running up the stairs with all my shopping bags to see my car with 8 firemen and 2 police officers trying to put out the flames coming from the windows. 20 minutes passed and the fire was put out. My lovely car was a shell; no seats, no door cards, no windows, nothing.

I lost over 5k worth of computer equipment that day, and a program I had been working for 2 years. All gone because the fire was caused by a faulty airbag in the passenger seat.

What can I say, I never though it would happen to me, let alone when the car was 6 months and 2 days old.

All I can say is how disappointed with what Fiat's response was when I called them, they were not interested and that was that.

My last car was a Fiat Panda 100hp, what a great car.