We own a 1998 Fiesta 1.25 & a 1996 Punto in the family & they're chalk & cheese to drive.
The Fiesta is a driver's car & the Punto gets you from A to B ...that's all, no joy in driving it at all (it was cheap to buy though).
It's suspension feels all over the place, it wanders round corners & rolls twice as much as the Ford.
The Fiesta convinced me to buy a Puma, the Punto convinced NOT to buy a Fiat again.
I'll leave the reliability alone for now, but you can probably guess the answer!!
|
Hi Northender.
Aren't Fiats very reliable, then?
What has gone wrong, please?
|
In nearly 3 years ownership:-
Exhaust replaced, battery replaced, it eats front tyres, front offside suspension leg replaced, rear offside radius arm replaced, lambda sensor replaced, rear brake lights work intermittently, cambelt tensioner pulley wheel disintegrated dislodging cambelt (luckily no valve/piston damage), blown head gasket, oil leaks from various areas of the engine, rusty sump (rust bubbled!), brake pipes treated under Fiat recall as they were prone to corrosion, boot opens when it feels like it, offside door lock fell apart, interior door trim falls off, currently sounds like a wheel bearing is on it's way out...
|
This is for our Mark, RLBS and DD.
Was I wrong, then?
Devious, certainly?
But wrong?
|
This is for our Mark, RLBS and DD.
Sean, don't milk it.
Was I wrong, then?
No one was implying your views on Fiat were wrong. Mark & I were implying that you change the record as the tune was getting boring.
Any more negative views on Fiat posted by you; or any further devious attempts into getting someone else to do it for you will simply be deleted.
Move on and stop spatting the dummy.
|
Sorry, Dave.
You're right, as always.
You should be pleased. I noticed how helpful you are, when I posted something earlier.
Thanks mate, really.
|
|
|
BTW Dave,
I have never known this poster before.
His comments had nothing at all to do with me.
I used to work for VAG, and will return this Oct, but that has nothing to do with the fact that I buy their cars.
|
|
|
|
|
In nearly 3 years ownership:- Exhaust replaced, battery replaced, it eats front tyres, front offside suspension leg replaced, rear offside radius arm replaced, lambda sensor replaced, rear brake lights work intermittently, cambelt tensioner pulley wheel disintegrated dislodging cambelt (luckily no valve/piston damage), blown head gasket, oil leaks from various areas of the engine, rusty sump (rust bubbled!), brake pipes treated under Fiat recall as they were prone to corrosion, boot opens when it feels like it, offside door lock fell apart, interior door trim falls off, currently sounds like a wheel bearing is on it\'s way out...
You obviously got a \"Venerdi\" (Friday) car. In nearly three years/31,000 miles the only problem with mine was an early failure of one of the two brake circuits (without any safety problem). Admittedly, the car is not chuckable and the ride is a bit harsh on rough roads, but it is a smooth, relaxing runner on reasonable surfaces. Tyre wear is not a problem: I have only fitted two new ones and that very recently.
|
Can agree on this one. Though I do find the ride to be atrocious on anything other than motorways, I have not had any of the problems mentioned and tyre wear has never been an issue. I find it to be a perfectly serviceable (if uninspiring) vehicle, spoiled only by the stiff suspension and lack of visability to the rear due to the high rear screen level.
Rgds, Pete.
|
I suppose everyone has good & bad stories with cars, so the last two replies balance out my view, though it won't change my opinion.
Looks like I've been duped into supporting an ongoing battle regarding Fiats though, it wasn't my intention to inflame the argument, so I;ll offer the follwoing link to the original poster as one of his questions hasn't been answered.
See the following link for the JD Power reliability survey which might help him with his decision:-
www.autoexpress.co.uk/build.php?p=ae_data/special_...l
Be aware it's a 3.1Mb download from the linked page.
|
Yes, I'm sorry for that, Northender.
I wasn't clever and regret doing it.
|
A friend of mine has just come back from his hols in Italy (and he is a Fiat lover) and says that all of the roads in Italy that he used whilst driving his hire car were like billiard tables, hence his point was, Fiats don't need to develop "French type suspension" for their home market, and they obviously export them in "Italian mode."
Incidently, I have just bought a Punto for my son (on his insistance), and although it is not like my French cars on the bumpys, is nevertheless a very pleasant car to drive with a very nippy free-revving engine considering it's a 1.1 litre.
I will wait to coment on the reliability as he has only had it for two weeks, but I have my spanners on standby.
Reggie
|
Sean, at least give me an idea of the story behind the post above.
Are you a Fiat hater & a VW lover?
|
Where did you get that notion from, my friend?
Have a look back through the discussion topics over the past week or two. Something there about advising someone who's tempted by a Fiat Stilo. Quite a bit more as well but that will give you an inkling.
Again, sorry.
|
|
Sean, thankyou for being diplomatic with your answer.
|
|
|
|
