1996 Fiat Punto 55 SX from UK and Ireland - Comments

My head gasket blew and took the cylinder head with it at 55,000 miles. A very expensive repair!

The head gasket went again at 57,000 miles, Got quite annoyed at this point!

Suspension was repaired within the last 18 months and needs repairing again now.

Little plastic bits are falling off the interior!

Passenger seat belt keeps jamming.

The stereo won't play tapes anymore.

Rust is appearing around the broken boot lock.

Despite the string of problems listed above, I love this car. It is very stylish to look at and the interior beats any other car in it's class.

The pedals are spaced out nicely and there are so many adjustments around the driving area it is almost impossible not to find a comfortable driving position.

The brakes are typically 'Fiat'. This being my third Fiat I am now getting used to the 'spongy' brakes and know that despite initial fears on braking, that you will stop!

Although it is a small car it's interior size is quite deceptive and with some thought a fair amount of luggage can be fitted in to it! With the arrival of child number two and a long drive to France in the offing, we have recently demoted the Punto to our second car and purchased a bigger car, but we are not getting rid of it!

The car is very nippy round town and can cruise quite comfortably at the speed limit on the motorway. Although is quite laboured at higher speeds.

With my driving I can get almost 400 miles out of a completely full tank of fuel which isn't bad considering I do very little motorway driving.

I find the actual body of the Punto a bit 'tinny' if you can understand that. There doesn't seem to be much substance to it. I feel that if I lent too hard on it that it might dent. I feel quite vulnerable driving it especially with the children in it and especially on the motorway.

The car has been well maintained. It is serviced regularly, annual mileage is relatively low and it is driven sensibly, for this reason I am very disappointed with the problems we have experienced with the Head Gasket and the suspension. I don't know why we have had such a bad run of it, but it has made me lose a little confidence in driving it any great distance. I think the problems we have experienced are more the exception than the rule.

I also have had a bad run of things with my fiat Punto 1995. Rocker cover gasket, head cover gasket,problems with engine cutting off at lights, one of the ignition coils and the Lambda sensor on the exhaust. Even diagnostics didn't pick up any of the faults.

I can't believe I've just read this. I have a Punto 55SX 1997. The head gasket has gone at 55,550 miles, haven't had the work done yet. But the heater has stopped working and lets out fumes, no doubt from combustion entering the cooling system.

Rear Suspension struts done in the last 18 months.

Passenger seat belt keeps jamming also!

Rust is appearing around the front of the boot, even though there is no damage there.

The boot lock has been replaced once and is broken again.

Every-time I use the volume buttons on the steering wheel it changes channel - dixons have been unable to locate and fix.

thanx,

copey.

My Punto (M reg) has blown it's head gasket and was fixed last fortnight and today my radiator poured lots of water everywhere and my head gasket may been gone again - find out tomorrow. My steering wheel radio controls do all sorts of strange things too! AND I have rust around my undamaged boot lock - hmm, a strange pattern is appearing!

I bought my punto 4 months ago for £800 as my first car. The garage refused to give me a warranty which I thought was because of its age (96 N-reg) but a week later I realized that I had been sold a dodger. The cylinder head gasket had already blown. I tried to live with this for a month, but it was pot luck weather it would start or pump out steam. It is now fixed and proved to be a fantastic car.

The roof has rusted around the windscreen and the area around the broken, but fixable boot-lock has corroded.

The doors dent too easily though. The Cam cover Gasket has also gone, but that is nothing serious.

My 1999 Fiat Punto 60S has had a leaking head gasket diagnosed this week, at just over 60,000 miles.

Got a Punto 75SX (1997). Bought it at 43,000 miles with a blown head gasket. Just blown it again at 61,000 miles. According to the garage, Puntos are prone to head gasket problems so I will be looking for another make car inside the warranty period of this repair.

I am absolutley gutted!!! My head gasket has gone at 32,000 miles. only bought the punto 3 months ago from a garage- Now they are telling me it was underwritten by Rover and my warranty may not cover it! GUTTED! Never will I buy a fiat again. :0 (

I have a punto 55s 1996 (n) and the head gasket has gone at 60300 miles gutted! I will also never buy anoter fiat... vag for me next time I think!!

Just stopped driving my car, think my head gasket has blown!!! what sort of price will I be looking at to get it repaired??? the engines started shaking more than usual and is making funny noises such a whistling and blowing!!!my car is a 1.2 16v sporting abarth. its done 66000 miles and I love the car!!!hope someone can help will my question.

I have a fiat punto 55 sx and it is verry good. I have already 11800 km and I don't have any problems yet.

I have a MK2 punto 1.2 and my bottom end blew up, quite literally taking the majority of my engine with it. A donner engine from an xreg sorted that out, but after 200 miles I noticed the rocker cover leaking, quite badly too when idle for periods. After 3 days of being idle there is enough oil to smoke when the engine is hot, not good obviously, but visited my local fiat dealer and bought some rocker cover sealant for £4. Took about an hour to do, but worth it. The MOT was due a week ago and passed no bother. The lacquer appears to be rubbing of around the boot lock on mine and the boot has never been opened since I bought the car in 2005, think it's a punto problem in general.

Peter.

Funny to see all of your comments. I have a 96 55sx Punto which is now sitting in the garden with a blown head gasket at 53,000 miles.

I have had a bit of a nightmare with the car for the last year, but blamed myself because I left it idle for over a year due to lack of funds to pay my insurance. So reading this has made me feel less guilty.

But to make you all feel better here is what I have replaced on the car in the last two years: Battery, Clutch, Timing belt, Spark Plugs, Timing belt again, Exhaust, Exhaust pump, Brakes, Brake lining - at around the 2/3 of the original cost of the car. I didn't want to get rid of it because my dad who recently passed away bought it for me and I like the car. But I think at this stage it's time to bite the bullet. Wouldn't mind, but I've just waxed it :-)

Christian.

I am a apprentice mechanic; I drive a 1996 55sx Punto, and to be quite truthful I don't know why. I got given it by my Gran. All of the problems that people have listed are very common with this first model of the Punto, but they get worse in the 2nd newest model (Y-06). I have seen as cylinder head go at 35,000 miles. Being honest, if these cars aren't cared for, they rust all over. I have had to weld new plates near the jacking points underneath back passenger side and driverside sill. I wouldn't recommend this car as a first car; they can cost an arm and a leg. Thankfully I can do most of the work myself.

Hi, I'vev got a Punto mk1 55s (my first car) which has been fully modified; full exhaust system, rims, lowered, air filter, interior styling, etc etc.

And now it's at nearly 135,000 miles, I've had it about a year and a half and not once have I had any problems with it, looks amazing, sounds amazing, drives amazing (obviously not fast at all, but is VERY nippy for only a 1.1), and to top it all off I only bought it for 650 quid, which is an absolute bargain if you ask me, care free motoring!

I am actually looking to sell soon for something a bit faster, but this car will certainly be a good memory for me!