2004 Fiat Punto Active review from UK and Ireland
"Nice car, but too many problems have been reported, and rubbish customer care"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I bought the car in April 2005, so the weather wasn't too bad. It came to September, and I had quite a big pool of water in the back passenger foot well. This is a continuous problem, and Fiat cannot fix it.
It's been 7 months now. Rain enters on the left side, and I suggested replacing both seals, and if it still continues, both doors. I was told that it is not cost effective to replace parts if they cannot prove that they are faulty, but it seems like a huge waste of money to pay men to hold a hose over my car for hours at a time, on more than one occasion, trying to find a leak. The money spent could have paid for a door and a new seal.
Constant rattling of the radio unit.
Rattling of the left hand side passenger door.
Screeching noise began a few weeks ago every time I turn left.
General comments?
Nothing mechanical has gone wrong with the car (with the exception of the new wheel noise when I turn left, which is my only complaint).
Great fun to drive, although seats are a bit uncomfortable.
I have had enough of the leak, and although my service manager has agreed to keep repairing it even though it is out of the two year warranty, there seems to be no end in sight, and I do have to travel quite a distance to get to my Fiat garage.
I emailed Fiat UK to complain and wanted to know their policy on unrepairable manufacturing problems, but they don't care and sent me back to my service manager.
I asked if they wanted to send the car away and I would pay the difference for a new car, but they don't care and can't help, even though Renault do that for ongoing manufacturer faults in their cars.
I am hoping to trade it in tomorrow, because although I love the car, I can't go on like this any more. They are wasting my time and theirs by pretending they can fix it.
They did replace a door seal eventually, but I don't think it's the one they should have replaced, and it didn't help anyway.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 2004 |
| Year of manufacture | 2004 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.2 Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 4 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 12900 miles |
| Most recent distance | 20000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 13th April, 2006 |