Hiya, i'm new to this thing! Just bought a Fiat punto last monday, But had no receipts to say it had the camblet changed, it's only 6 years old but done 97k, Bought the car, came with 3 months warranty, and 12 months MOT, so I thought this car would be a safe buy, how wrong I was, had no problems really, but my Dads best mate is a mechanic and changed the timing belt and did a Pre-MOT to make sure the car is safe, and guess what, he said it should have failed, He said the car has problems besides this, he would of failed it for the windscreen wipers failing to do their job (not major tbh) but then he said a major fault is that a coil is broken, he said 6 inches of it is missing, he said the car shouldn't have passed it's MOT, I'm not sure what to do, can anyone help? Also the other problems beside this is that a slump is leaking? petrol door is broken, not a major issue, and that the gear box is leaking oil which needs to be looked at, when you buy a car with 12 months MOT I was expecting a roadworthy car, but the warranty only covers the gearbox and engine, so I'm not sure what to do, my Dad has told me to ring Trading Standards to report the people who did the MOT, but I cannot afford to get these things fixed, the car as a whole is fine, I love it, but my dad's friend said that the Coil is an expensive job. Any ideas?
And, other thing, the car was sold with the airbag light on, how do i fix this problem? I have rang Fiat but they wanted to charge £58 just to diagnose the problem, but I have been told that there are some wires under the seat and if you take them out and put them back in that should solve it, but i cannot find any of these wires. Any help?

it says on the mot certificate- WARNING- a test certificae is not evidence that the vehicle is in a satisfactory condition.

many mot garages would not notice a broken suspension coil spring unless really obvious and wipers could have gotten worse, it doesnt really sound bad at all.

a scrapyard spring will be £5-10, fitting by your mechaninc friend wont be much at all. alternatively you can buy a complete strut, which includes the spring and damper as a whole unit. it is very easy to remove from a scrap car (5 bolts) and then fit to your car. the strut will cost no more than £20.

the leaks should be covered under warranty.

i think the MOT is dodgy and it has only been passed by the tester so it can be sold, without a proper inspection taking place. a snapped spring is impossible to miss because it is on the MOT list. a dodgy MOT isnt unusual, actually it is a common problem when buying a used car from a garage, especially if they have their own MOT testing facilities on site.

all your probems should be cheap and easy to fix so i wouldnt be concerned. next time you buy a car have it inspected. to be honest leaks and snapped springs and wiper faults are the kind of things even a novice can check for, and should check for.

Unlucky - One of the cars I tried before i bought my punto was like that, I drove all the cars i tested though (well dad did)
When i got my punto we knew the timing was out, and the interior heater fans didnt work, so we were prepaired to fix it. the engine fan then went - and the breakers i found is the best and cheapest place to find stuff. I range fiat and they wanted to charge a bomb - got my fan for £20 in the end.
and i have the same thing with the cambelt - i was told it was changed at 50,000 miles (68 now) but no proof.
I'd just say anything you can try the scrappies.
My bf has the same prob with the aibag light and has ignored it for several months now - (he also has punto) so I dont think its too serious. His only came on after his battery went flat after leaving his cd player on...
hope that helps a little
x

Amigo-Me said:

His only came on after his battery went flat after leaving his cd player on...

Click to expand...

common problem. he can have the airbag module reset at a fiat dealer. it will get the airbag light out (and the airbag working again). they do it while you wait, only takes 45mins usually, and costs approx £65.