2003 Fiat Stilo Dynamic 1.8 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

High performance bargain indeed!

Faults:

Nothing. None.

General Comments:

Powerful engine, very comfortable drive, excellent stereo.

Sky window is a masterpiece of technology.

Cheap insurance, low consumption for a 1.8.

Very high standard of safety features.

The design is the best around for a 3dr of this class.

I am extremely happy with this car and happy people normally do not bother to write here. Bye.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th August, 2004

2003 Fiat Stilo dynamic 1.8 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

These two cars, poor quality and let the company down for good. Will never buy another Fiat.

Faults:

First one - bad paint - runs and drips.

Bad ICE and sat-nav. - kept locking up.

Been repaired before we picked it up, had new bumpers, wings, paint and windscreen.

Skyroof kept locking open.

Second one (after first was rejected -

Used 8 litres of oil in 14K miles.

Burning oil.

Chewing front tyres because the tracking keeps changing.

Poor miles/gallon less than 31mpg average.

General Comments:

Fiat seem unable to supply a car that is durable, drivable, and sound and fit for its purpose.

Despite numerous calls, the first one was only replaced following an independent inspection, then they gave us another one that 'got broke' less than a year from getting out of the box.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st July, 2004

2003 Fiat Stilo Dynamic 1.6 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A let down!

Faults:

Engine management lights.

Loss of steering.

Engine cuts out.

Steers to the left.

General Comments:

This car looks great, but hasn't got the power.

It has serious problems in 1st gear sometimes it just revs and doesn't actually go anywhere!

Engine management lights are coming on on an almost weekly basis.

On one occasion I lost all power, including steering when going down the M4!

My particular car has been in the garage possibly 5 time since I brought it in April!

On the plus side it's quite comfy and roomy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 19th July, 2004

26th Jan 2005, 10:55

The Stilo 16v Dynamic, in our opinion is complete rubbish. It's been in the garage numerous times with the air-bag failure light on one minute, off the next! It steers to the left all the time and the most annoying thing (especially living in chilly Germany) the doors freeze in cold temperatures and you can't get into the car. I have to climb through the hatchback door. Our neighbour has exactly the same problems and has to climb through the back of his. Can't wait to get rid of it.

2003 Fiat Stilo Active 1.6 16v petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Italian Trash!! give me back my Focus!!

Faults:

Sun roof worked on the test drive- didn't work when we collected the car.

No radio for first week- dealer never did mention what they did to fix it temporarily as it went again three days later.

Power steering constantly on light mode and would not turn off- faulty switch.

Brakes very spongy after a few months use, told rear callipers sticking.

Does the alarm even work? what do you have to do to trigger it. my husband was trying for a bit of fun and couldn't trigger it by opening doors or anything stopped just short of smashing a window.

The dealers hopeless. they don't know how to fix their own cars.

General Comments:

I hate this car.

I can't believe me and my husband traded a perfectly good X-reg Focus for this piece of junk. it makes me feel sick seeing it on our driveway every morning and night. It is the worst eight and a half thousand pounds we have ever spent and to we are lumbered with it until we can settle the finance next year.

We bought it on a whim in September 2003, the test drive went alright, but we should have smelt a rat; a car with 4000 on the clock; less than a year old, looking for it's second owner after the first one 'gave up driving'. talk about stupid, who would lay out over ten grand for a car if your about to give up driving. me and my husband still kick ourselves for falling for the dealers hard sell. but as they say you live and learn.

A Fiat. Never Again.

The car is slow compared to my 1.6 Focus before it, it has no go in it at all.

Boot space is shocking, my sisters Fiesta has more luggage space than mine! the weekly shopping usually ends up spilling over on to the back seat as well. (admittedly we should have checked this when we looked at the car, but when you see the size of the car you just take it for granted it will have a big boot don't you?)

I think ours is a 'Monday' car that we have managed to lumber ourselves with, in less than a year it's lost almost half it's value on what we paid for it so we can't trade it in for anything newer. Fiat dealers are all smiles till they get your money then they run, aftersales is a non sequitor to them, at least Ford give you a half-decent car in the first place so that you'll come back and buy another (the Focus is the best I've ever had and I'm green with envy whenever I see one now).

If I sound very angry about this car it is because I am. if a builder built a house as bad as a Fiat he'd be forced to pull it down and start again.

I can't believe cars as bad as this are still built in the 21st century.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 1st June, 2004

29th Apr 2007, 13:51

So you replaced your Stilo with a tall Focus, erm I mean C-max. No disrespect, but you have just paid thousands extra for a couple of inches extra head room. Sorry, but this sounds like a bigger waste of money than the Fiat.

2nd May 2007, 12:31

Judging by the reviews on this site about the C-Max I wouldn't say you have much to be smug about. Looks like it could be a case of out of the frying pan to me.

16th Apr 2008, 10:22

I love the Stilo, if you loved the Focus so much you should have stuck, like if Irish people over here love Ireland so much etc etc...

I have now had 6 Fiat's from Unos to Stilos and the only downside is they try and cram in too many gadgets sometimes.. and the wiring can be dodgy.

Walk into any Fiat showroom and you'll be pleasantly suprised. And as for after sales service... that's the reason I neVer buy from a main dealer.. they don't know the meaning of it!!

29th Nov 2008, 06:50

I bought a Fiat Stilo estate as a second car to my reliable Ford Fiesta. It has lost about 60% in depreciation.

After 150 miles, it broke down and needed a replacement alternator! A dash fault showing a light not working would appear from time to time, but the light worked! Over the year + since I first purchased it, I've HATED it, I've owned about 30 cars in the 45 years of driving and never before, ever hated a car!

Right now it's again IN for repairs, only the 2 or 3 local Fiat dealers have gone or changed to another maker, the nearest FIAT dealership is now around 30 miles away. I might as well scrap it, for what they charge is more than it's worth. Never again will I buy a Fiat.