2001 Fiat Punto Reviews - Page 5 of 12

My steering motor start making rattling noise after 10k km. Replaced by dealer.

Battery run out fast (at 20k km)

Else is normal wear and tear.

For NA 1.2 range, the car is consider powerful.

The Speedgear Gearbox is superb, very fast changing and the automatic shift-up is good.

I really love this car and will recommend to others.

There's a really loud banging noise coming from the front of the car over bumps (suspension I think).

Heaters make a squeaking noise.

Clutch makes a squeaking noise.

The suspension is too hard.

Had a new ECU.

I've had my Punto for about 6 months now and there's a list of problems I've had as you can see, but I bought mine for £3995 which was reasonable.

It has the most comfortable seats and driving position which can be adjusted in almost any way.

To say it's only got a 1.2 engine it is reasonably fast especially on acceleration.

It has one of the best sound systems ever (4 speakers & 100w sub-woofer in the boot)

Even with this list of problems I still love my Punto and seriously would consider buying another, although I would go for the more sporty HGT Abarth.

Squeaks from interior/sunroof.

Despite what a lot of people say about Fiats' my Punto has proved to be remarkable, I've covered 25000 in 7 months and its been super reliable and comfortable.

Wen driving over bumpy service rear suspension will make squeaking sound.

ABS light will come on now and again.

Cuts out if going over speed bumps and then comes back on!!

Car is very comfortable.

Very fast for a 1.2 and handles great.

Brakes good.

Looks great.

The lightest steering I have ever felt (city button)

I have had problems with 1st and 2nd gears since I bought the car, and very minor problems with 5th gear. The gear stick jumps when I take my foot off the clutch and seems to get worse. I had my gearbox rebuilt and my clutch replaced last week too, and I still have the problem.

I like how nippy the car is, it's pretty quick for what it is. General driving of the car is OK, apart from changing gears (1st-2nd). It's very comfortable to drive and I'd buy another if it wasn't for the horrendous reputation Fiat gearboxes tend to have.

At 20 000 km there's a problem with gearbox oil leak. The problem was never fixed at 100%. But there's no danger because there's no oil beneath the car. I changed drive shaft seal, but the little leaking don't want stop.

I thing that the gearbox is not "strong" enough for sporty use. And the lever don't go smooth like the first day when I change fast. Maybe lever-gearbox connection need to be fixed.

The seats, not so good. Nice supporting, but bad inner materials. Maybe the problem is in the drivers weight...

The clutch pedal makes at time to time squelchy plastic noise. It's annoying.

The engine. Very little oil leak at valve-roof from the first days, not dangerous, but also not nice.

At 40 000 km came the major problem. It was and still is, that at idle the rpm go little fancy, under the min. and back. And now, at 70% of stopping in traffic, the engine turn it off. Very nice. The mechanic say to me that the problem is the error in central computer and because of that the air presure sensor at intake manifold get fault, also then the lambda sensor don't work well even if is OK. I need to fit new software in the central unit (100-150) and buy new pressure sensor (120). They say at service: serial error on 16V engines. That's OK, but FIAT did not make recall, well, that's not OK.

Position bulb have a contact problem some times, but it's OK after few seconds.

The doors are to heavy so I need to adjust them at time to time. Annoying. Also, I was having a experience of tightening several of "forgotten" screws on plastic cover in wheel bay. And the window was hitting the door, the one screw was "get away" somewhere :) ) ) ) ) so I put the new one. Also typical Italian errors in manufacturing.

The suspension geometry needs to be adjust at 40000 km. There's a little negative angle at front tires. That's normal for Punto. It handles better :)

The headlights have a condensation problem, but that's a very rear case on my car.

A yeah, the wiper-blades, they are crap, and the levers (in the motor bay) also. There's a little ball where 2 levers get connected an this ball get destroyed, so if you want a smooth work of wiper-blades at 1. slow speed you need to buy a new electro-engine because it's all the one part. And it cost just 120.

Strange, but I have no problems with H7 bulbs, maybe because I don't turn the engine if the lights are working.

Many little problems, nothing serious except the central unit error.

So it's a good car, nice performance, dead before 4000 rpm, but then go and go like a hell product. It smashes any other 1.2 or 1.2 16V engine. But I think that for 900 kg it needs a minimum of 1.4 l.

The gearbox have a nice 6 ratios. Very short, so he accelerate quite fast for 80 hp. In 1 gear he really smashes for 80 hp. The lever is hard, I like that, a little long trip, but it is OK. For normal use - perfect.

The steering is electrical so is not sensitive like hydraulic servo, but have only 2,5 turns lock to lock, and the servo is not soft, it have a nice resist.

Handling is perfect, it goes like a hell, nice job FIAT. Hard, stiff, and no roll in corners. But is not so comfort.

Brakes are great. Sporting have a bigger disc at front and calipers than regular 1.2. I specially like the feeling on the brake pedal, hard and stiff.

Driving position is little to high, and the dashboard also.

The HI FI, well it's a H of HI FI. Sub woofer, yeah...:) ) ) Nothing special. Serial equipment, but waste of money in oder way. Much better is solution of upgrading with aftermarket real HI FI components.

The consumption of fuel is about 7,5l mixed city and open road. That's quite low for this performances. I have reach about 5 l on 100 km on open road, and if you go pedal to a metal it go from 10 l up. The engine also have a little oil consumption, about 0,2-0,5 l at 10 000 km.