2002 Fiat Stilo Active from UK and Ireland - Comments

Clutch pedal is very loose indeed. When releasing the clutch the pedal makes a annoying clicking noise and the pedal wobbles from side to side.

When first starting the car on a morning the radiator fan would automatically come on and would never switch itself off.

Car veers to the left when going in a straight line and the steering wheel is off centre.

This car is generally quite good apart from the problems listed above. However fuel economy is very poor. Driving the car normally you get about 34 to the gallon.

Car has very slow acceleration, but once up to speed it will sit nicely at 110mph.

The driving position is very good and the driver's seat is fully adjustable.

I do question the build quality though, there are plenty of rattles and bangs from the dash and doors.

The car has plenty of room for a 3dr both in the front and in the back.

I experienced the same clicking noise in a Stilo 1.25 I test drove one month ago. Similarly, the clutch pedal felt "loose". Rattles and bangs were litterally absent from that car, though. Other comments: Nice "solid feel", strong brakes, over-light lifeless steering, backache inducing driver's seat. More comments on Stilo's reliability would be welcome.

My stilo 1.6 active 5dr has been a problem since day one back in November 2002.It has had all the problems you mention and most of the others listed on this web site.

The dealers just don't know what to do they have been overwhelmed with the problems with the stilo.

No wonder Fiat is in serious financial difficulty.

The current warranty bill to Fiat for my problems stand at £4000 and rising it would have been cheaper to replace it.

My advice is keep pestering the dealers and bombard fiat with letters they will get the message one day, but by then they will have gone bust.

Hi, I too have had all sorts of problems with my Fiat Stilo Active. I purchased it in 2002 when they came out and have tried talking to both Fiat and the dealer about the vehicle, did anyone get anywhere by pursuing this course of action?. I liked the size of the vehicle and the internal space it offered, good enough to drive, but I feel the build quality is suspect. any follow on comments from all you other Stilo owners out there?

I have been running a Stilo for the last 14 months. I find it a pleasant car to drive albeit a little underpowered. I have had my share of problems:

New clutch at 8000 miles, front tires worn at 5000 miles, new rear suspension, new front shocks, new wiper motor, central locking problems. Very frightening when you can't get out of the car never mind getting into it. Of course I've had most warning lights flash at me sometime or other. But for all that, I like the shape, fuel consumption for me runs at43 mpg if the computer is to be believed. Would I buy another one? If Fiat had responded to my problems, perhaps, but as it stands, NO!

My Stilo is 2.5 years old and I have had no problems with the car until February of 2005 when pulling out from a junction, my engine management light came on resulting in me having to fork out 170 British Pounds for a number 1 Ignition Coil, 4 weeks later the same thing happens and number 2 Ignition Coil needs replaced, unfortunately my car was involved in an accident (not my fault, I hastened to add), after 2 weeks in a garage being fixed, The symptoms of dieing revs and a burning smell are back. Is this common, for a car of this age? I have not had the car serviced through a Fiat Approved Garage so my Warranty is Void, is the Ignition Coil a serviceable part? Please anybody HELP!!!

The Stilo has been one of the best cars I have owned. (Over the years I have owned at least 12 cars of various makes mostly Fiats) I now have in excess of 50,000 miles on the clock and it has not had any repairs done to it. In town I get 38 miles to the gallon and on runs of about 400 miles it gets 49.9 to the gallon. The car gets servicing at the required intervals by a small local agent.

I have just bought a 54 plate 1.4 active with 8000 miles on the clock. My only grumble is road noise (starts at 30 MPH) and the obligatory engine failure message and engine icon permanenty on the screen)

Any views on these two problems would be greatly received.

I purchased my Stilo 1.6 Dynamic in March 2005, since then I have had some real problems with the car as follows: Petrol cap snapped off when fuelling the car. Air bag warning light consistently on supposedly repaired under warranty prior to purchasing the car. Lock mechanism snapped when trying to open the door after overnight frost. Front drivers side spring sheared off while driving the car, this is a real safety concern beware, Fiat willing to repair even although car is out of warranty. The car has only covered 46,000 miles since new, after a recent main dealer service I have been informed the car needs new front discs, a new gearbox and a new radiator. This is car has had more faults than all the cars I have owned over the last twenty years 15 in total.

1.4 54 plate Active Stilo. terrible road noise which starts at 20 MPH. epecially if road is imperfect. (Most roads) Pealescent paint is faded already (9000 miles).

I also test drove another car of the same model as a comparison and this is the same in both regarrds. are these known problem??. Fiat garage was unhelpful..

Plse email me at iain.tanner@btconnect.com.

I run a 03 plate 1.6 Active Air-con and am experiencing "Engine Fault" warning lights every 2 weeks or so. Electronic diagnosis equipment have failed to identify the problem. There is no loss of performance - just these lights and warning "beeps". A quick hit of the reset button at my local auto electrics garage deletes the warning message

I have just discovered that Fiat actually give a 3 year warranty and am waiting till the lights appear again so I can take it to them rather than pay £40 each time I want the message deleting - Then I'm going to sell it and go Japanese.

Purchased a 54 Fiat Stilo Active 3 years ago. Took it back under warranty in September 2007 because there was a knocking noise coming from the underside. The garage said that the anti roll bars needed a screw fitting as they were loose. This year February 2008 the noise came back and after investigation it was found that the passenger front coil spring had sheared off and part of it was lying in the bottom of the coil, this was causing the metal rubbing noise. At the moment I have not contacted the dealer, the car is not under warranty any longer and has only done 21,000 miles, very concerned that this should have happened. Also had problems with tyres wearing incorrectly and not doing a lot of mileage.

I bought a 52 1.6 stilo active in October and I have had nothing but trouble with it.

Various things have gone wrong, a fog and break light constantly appear saying they need replacing when they don't.

My petrol cover snapped off when I was filling up with petrol, when I took it back I got told I got told I must of pulled it off!!

The brake capiller went at the beginning of the year the garage said they'd never seen anything like for the age of the car.

The coils went causing my car to only go 20 mph, just when I got that fixed went to pick it up and found that the battery had also died. which then needed replacing.

And only yesterday the gear box went, and won't go into gear!

Not happy with the service I got from the garage which I bought it from and definitely not happy with the car!!

Has anyone else had similar problems if so please let me know. didz_887@hotmail.com.

I bought an 04 plate, 1.4 stilo in March, been running fine until tonight - the car stalled then engine failure appears and the clock/date/computer all reset!!! Went out later on and the car stalled again and reset its self, making the steering very stiff, tried to do a turn in the road and the steering would lock, then make a thudding noise and I could see the headlights dimming down and coming back on again. Very scary ride home when the steering feels wrong. Does anyone know what this could be?

Bought a 1.4 Stilo Active Sport 54 plate in 2005. Got it home, then took it straight back to get the radiator leak fixed.

Took it back a month later to get fuel injector number one fixed, was told the sensor needed cleaning.

Went back again a week later and had the faulty fuel injector replaced.

Took it back a couple of weeks later and had fuel injector number 2 replaced, same problem.

The car was recalled to have a metal plate welded over the suspension springs, so that when they snap they won't ruin the tires, and I can drive it to a garage to pay to get them fixed. Fiat claim it is due to salt erosion that causes the springs to go, but my sisters spring snapped after 2 years, that's some strong salt!

Now makes a knocking noise when going over bumps due to "slight play in the suspension", but it will cost about £1000 to fix.

Cheers Fiat, never again.

I've had nothing but trouble with my Fiat Stilo too. It's a 02 model and I keep getting that little 'beep beep beep' airbag failure, engine fault, stop engine!!!

We all know what FIAT stands for!