I've already had a passenger seat airbag fail/replaced on a 3 month old Stilo. The onboard computer is again intermitently reporting "Airbag Failure - Stop Engine"...anyone out there experiencing the same problems?
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Hello!
I have bought a second hand stilo last friday and guess what..... airbag failure, stop engine! And you know what is so bad about it: the day before I took the car for a testspin.... it drove fantastic but from the start the dash said: airbagfailure, stop engine.
When I came back to the garage, the salesperson said to me that when I got the car on friday, the problem would be solved because the only thing they had to do was reset the computer of the stilo. That did not work! Now they have looked at the car and the sensor for the passenger seat has been ordered. Hope this will solve my problem. On the internet though... I have found more reports of Stilo's with the "Airbag failure, stop enige" error!
Do you still have the problem with your car?
Furthermore I have also discovered other problems: (1)my windshield wipers sometimes come up 1 cm before starting doing the complete whipe, (2) sometimes they just keep whiping no mather what I do and sometimes they just stop and keep staying in that position, (3)the small light that flickers when the car is locked (in the drivers door) sometimes stays that way when I have unlocked the car and I (4) have a very disturbing ratlle inside my dashboard... the salesperson says that they have to tighten some screws that connect the dash to the frame of the car. But fair is fair: this cars rides even better then my good old bravo.
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Hello & thanks for the reply. As you've guessed, resetting the computer won't get rid of the fault & the management system will have "logged" a fault on it's memory. I use a very good Fiat/Alfa service guy...but the info on the management system is only as good as the techie looking at it. At the main dealer, their service manager asked me to "take a photo of the dashboard next time the warning sign comes up again!" Next to useless really. You say that you have found more airbag failure reports on the net, would you mind telling me the website please. The reason for asking is that these faults are a safety issue. Did you know that in the event of an accident the faulty airbag won't work? All Fiat service centres have had an email instructing them not to release a car showing "airbag faulty etc" back to the owner until it is fixed. I guess they are afraid of litigation claims!
Thanks again & I look forward to your reply.
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This sounds similar to the problem that Pug 306 and Astra's suffer from, disturbed/fault wiring around seat & seat belt wiring, usually caused after stuffing things/feet under seats. This causes the air bag light to flash as faulty!!
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Well.... I have had contact with Fiat Holland and they said that in Holland there have allready been more complaints about this airbag failure. I have made a complaint against the garage that sold me this car.
I also have had contact with the salesperson again and he confirmed that the problem only has to do with a fault in the wiring. He said that one single wire is used for multi electric pulses that travel over the wire. In my case for some reason the failty airbag notice shows up, but is could well be a completely different message. If that was really the case, why do all those Stilo's come up with the same error message? I find this explenation a bit strange. But the salesperson also said that it concerns only a message... and that the airbag WILL work!
I am starting to feel that the huge amount of electrics put in the Stilo is starting to work against it!
Here is a site that also briefly tells about airbag failure messeges.... it concerns a company in Italy that lends out Stilo's:
www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/02_19/b37820...m
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I have also had an "Airbag Failure/Stop Engnine" problem. The first time it happened the car was taken in and the whole passenger airbag unit was replaced.
That was about 5 weeks ago - Stilo was only 3 months old. This weekend the problem resurfaced so again the car is again in the garage.
Has anyone had any complete resolution to the problem - or is it just a case of the car has to keep going back in for repair. Anyone had the car replaced or refunded??
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My Abarth has thankfully not exhibited the fault you describe, but I think it's had every other one!
I have never known such an unreliable vehicle. Mine has spent a total of 6 weeks in the dealers over the 10 months I have owned it. Dealers are totally ignorant of how to diagnose and fix problems on these cars and are using customers vehicles as a training / proving ground.
If you are reading this before buying one of these cars, buy a Golf/Focus/Astra or anything else instead, unless you like seeing the inside of a Fiat dealership on a monthly if not weekly basis! Oh and don't expect to get any sense from Fiat UK either, they seem to think that a customer is something that other people have (actually from their finances it looks as though they're right!)
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To be honest, I think you will find most Manufacturers have the same problem with new models/vehicles. Speaking from the inside, you'll find alot of recalls are done before you get your new model from your dealer, from a vast stock wherever your manufactured model is stored in the UK or Europe even as far as Japan.
Anyway things are not as bad you think with Fiat.
Autumnboy
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Someone further up this thread suggested that if the airbag light is on then the faulty airbag will not work. I think you will find that if the SRS light is on, then NONE of the airbags will work
Do ask that salesman what 'multi electric pulses' are please. I have a mate at *a big supplier of oem ecu's* (he's an engineering manager) who I'm sure would be able to interpret his reply. So don't worry about it being technical.
Also ask him to confirm in writing that the airbags will still work with the message displayed. Bet he won't.
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My patrner and i know how you feel we have officially rejected our stilo as we have had it 11 months and have had problems for 10 of those months (airbag 9 months), however, they wouldn't accept our rejection because it wasn't a mechanical failure. Have you any official record that the service centres recieved the e-mail about the airbags because i have spoken to fiat UK customer services and Wilson Purves and niether have any recolection of any information regarding this issue.
We have had over 20 problems with our stilo and we had it inspected by the AA yesterday and they still found things we hadn't noticed. We now have 2 problems with our car which are deeming it unsafe to drive 1 of them is the airbag and the other is the unuaual wear to the tyres.
Look forward to a reply
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Hi Sammy,
I puchased brand new Stilo in July 2002, and have same problems as you. I bought the car from deleted.
I have complained several time & written to their head office and awaiting their reply.
Look forward to Your reply.
Kish
{Where you bought the car from is irrelevant. You could have purchased the car from anywhere and had the same problems. Besides that, no naming/shaming please. DD}
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KIsh,
I think you'll be waiting a long time for Sammy's response. They haven't visited the Forum in over a year.
Sorry
Adam
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Can't say too much, but I'd advise you to take it to your nearest Fiat dealer and have them check the fuse carrier assembly under the bonnet for corrosion.
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I would advise that you take your money elseware when you next buy a car.
Fiat have been suffering poor electrics for over 30 years now, they may now not be as bad as the older models that I have owned but they are not upto the standards of other manufacturers yet.
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Had this on my 1.6 Active 3d the day I picked it up (used, 52-reg, 8,500 miles, very pleased with it). Thought "Oh no.....", having read this thread previously. Service manager at supplying dealer, who is a good friend, dived under the driver's seat, pressed some connector or other home more firmly - problem solved.
What's more, the problem didn't recur even when, nine hours later, a guy in a Daihatsu, who was doing 45 mph, suffered brake failure and ran into the back of the Stilo when I was doing 18 mph, coming up to a roundabout!
(Subsidiary point re. FIAT build quality - it must be reasonably OK since the Stilo merely needed a new rear bumper after this almighty wallop; the other car was a write-off.)
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Hi got 52 Plate Fiat Stilo Actice 1.6.(19000 miles) just had Airbag failure stop engine appear last night. I rang Fiat Assistance, (AA) who passed me through to technical Advisor. Adam at AA advised me that they have a had a technical bulletin from Fiat saying any stilo with an Airbag Failure, message displayed should be immediately recovered to the nearest Fiat Dealer.
AA Say car should not be driven, and should be recovered by wagon.AA advise is common on Stilos, and all dealers should have been issued with same technical bulletin.
It can either be resolved by restting ECU, OR Resetting, Airbag. If this does not work it will need either new Airbag wiring or new sensor.(or worst case new Airbag)
Car was recovered to my local Fiat Dealer Last Night. just took me 2 hours to get through to them this morning, to be told that car cannot be looked at untill possibly tommorrow, and I am unable to have a Loan vehicle, as i need to give them 2 weeks notice!!!
Great car, just let down by niggles and unhelpfull dealers.
Dan
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Please, no company names as your username.
Thank you.
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Hi Mobile,
I may be wrong but if you are under the fiat AA scheme (Full cover) then if they have towed your car to the dealer and its of the road I think you can claim a hire car from the AA (be it only for 24hr or somthing)
May be worth giving the AA a ring again.
Cheers
Jlo
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Hey had the same problem matey under the driver seat take all the connectors out and spray some electrical contact cleaner on all the terminals re attach them and turn the ignition on 2 times and this should get rid of the problem "it did for me" the cleaners is £3.99 at HALFORDS buddy
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Holy thread revival Batman, 8 years has to be a record here.
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The original post was over 8 years ago and the car was under warranty, your answer is one of many solutions to many different problems that may occur so pretty useless really.
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