That is a considerable post!
I know lets all hate Fiat
- Thread starter Bob in disguise
- Start date
Currently reading:
I know lets all hate Fiat
Firstly, I would say to anyone who slags Hybrids to drive one first. I'm currently driving a Prius and find better fuel economy than any other car I've ever driven. 0-60 on 10.5 seconds and bucketloads of torque isn't exactly sluggish. The automaric transmission is easily the smoothest and most logically designed i've ever experienced,
in reply to the question"I don't know why the japanese are making diesels if the hybrids are so good".
That's like asking "Why are Fiat putting an 8 valve petrol engine in the punto if the multjet Diesel is so good?" if you are building cars to a cater for a specific market and price bracket, it isn't always necessary - or possible to put the newest technology in every car. Toyota have been offering hybrid systems since 1997, and are now starting to include the now proven and improved technology on a wider range of cars. the Lexus RX300, for example will soon have a hybrid option giving the 3.0 6cylinder engine the power of a 4.0 V8. with better fuel economy than the now dismal 21mpg for the 3 litre.
The Avensis and the Yaris replacement will be available with a hybrid option.
I work for a dealership that sells Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai and Saab. Of all the Toyotas we've sold this year, a Landcruiser was the only one to come back on a truck. the owner had put in petrol instead of Diesel. Hundreds of Saabs and a small number of Hyundais have broken down, mainly due to the keys dropping the immobiliser code on the Hyundais. and engine problems with the Saabs.
Where i come from we don't have black cabs as taxis. just Toyota Avensis and various other japanese Saloons.
If Fiats are so reliable. why do taxi drivers (who cover massive mileages) favour japanese cars? I can't remember the last time i saw a taxi driver driving a Fiat, apart from the odd Fiat Scudo wheelchair conversion.
Why do the Police (here anyway) all drive a huge amount of Japanese cars?
in reply to the question"I don't know why the japanese are making diesels if the hybrids are so good".
That's like asking "Why are Fiat putting an 8 valve petrol engine in the punto if the multjet Diesel is so good?" if you are building cars to a cater for a specific market and price bracket, it isn't always necessary - or possible to put the newest technology in every car. Toyota have been offering hybrid systems since 1997, and are now starting to include the now proven and improved technology on a wider range of cars. the Lexus RX300, for example will soon have a hybrid option giving the 3.0 6cylinder engine the power of a 4.0 V8. with better fuel economy than the now dismal 21mpg for the 3 litre.
The Avensis and the Yaris replacement will be available with a hybrid option.
I work for a dealership that sells Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai and Saab. Of all the Toyotas we've sold this year, a Landcruiser was the only one to come back on a truck. the owner had put in petrol instead of Diesel. Hundreds of Saabs and a small number of Hyundais have broken down, mainly due to the keys dropping the immobiliser code on the Hyundais. and engine problems with the Saabs.
Where i come from we don't have black cabs as taxis. just Toyota Avensis and various other japanese Saloons.
If Fiats are so reliable. why do taxi drivers (who cover massive mileages) favour japanese cars? I can't remember the last time i saw a taxi driver driving a Fiat, apart from the odd Fiat Scudo wheelchair conversion.
Why do the Police (here anyway) all drive a huge amount of Japanese cars?
Last edited:
OP
OP
all the police round here drive vaxhualls and bmw's and the ambulance cars are saab 95's
Taxi firms, the police etc look at the price of parts, ease of servicing, and most importantly how much discounts They can attain if they buy in bulk. Hence Vauxhall is used often by the old bill as they offer massive discounts, cheap servicing etc.
Mikekay1976
New member
Bob in disguise said:
hmmm, after some initial teething troubles i had 65000 trouble free miles in my old 1.4 306, & i thrashed the life out of it as well.
Having said that, Fiat are still carrying the can for the cr@p they produced 20 years ago.
Look on the bright side, its pants for new buyers, but makes great bargains for those in the 2nd hand market.
I like your sig, Mikekay. Can definetely relate to that 
I like your sig, pinin prestatyn. Can definetely relate to that
Steve C said:I like your sig, pinin prestatyn. Can definetely relate to that
Was a choice statment from my mate, Just after I had purchased The coop. Knew I had to use it !!
lalli
New member
if someone had the choice to buy a hybrid car for about £15k-16k (correct me if i'm wrong) and a faster more powerful and proper diesel car for the same if not lower price I think they would know the anwser.
Also found some people complaning about prius:
I bought a new Toyota Prius March 15. I was shocked and alarmed to read on page 8: "If you do not use the vehicle for a long time (2 weeks or more), the hybrid vehicle battery and auxiliary battery will discharge and their condition is liable to decline. Therefore, in order to make up for discharging, charge them once in every two weeks for about 30 minutes by starting the hybrid system with all electrical components turned off."
I called Toyota. "Joel" informed me that if we did not charge the battery as per the owner's manual every two weeks as required by the manual and any problem developed, that would be deemed negligence on our part and the warranty would be voided. Frankly, I consider this to be fraud. We were never given a single item to read, there is nothing in the advertising and no salesman disclosed, etc., any information at all relating to the necessity to have the battery on the car charged for at least 1/2 hour every two weeks or the warranty would be voided.
We are about to retire and, hopefully, take many long trips with the intention of leaving this car locked in our garage. One of the things that made us even angrier was that "Joel" told us it was "our fault" for not reading the manual before buying the car. Toyota didn't give us a manual in advance; and the requirement to charge the battery every two weeks is in none of the brochures or other materials available before purchase.
As strongly as we feel about protecting the environment, we would NOT have purchased a Prius had we known about this problem. I get stopped all the time in parking lots, etc., by people who never saw a hybrid asking how we like it. When I mention not being able to take a two-week vacation without hiring a car sitter, they thank me for letting them know and state they would not buy the car under those circumstances. Not a single person, not one out of at least 15 such encounters.
My complaints about my 2001 Toyota Prius are numerous!
1. front end alignment--cause unknown, several more alignments, still doesn't track well.
2. gas tank problems -- went from 45 mpg to 29 mpg. Took several trips to get the problem "solved" -- not sure that it is totally solved, the consumption screen is screwy and so is the gas gauge. Also told car loses gas mileage as they get older -- car was only a year or so old and a Prius doesn't use gas at stops.
3. rack and pinion steering -- several trips to service before they said there's a problem. Finally fixed
4. 3rd set of tires - 18,000, 36,000 and about 45,000 miles
5. accelerator assembly quit in rush hour traffic. Finaly fixed, took two trips. There's still a noticeable drop in power, almost daily.
Most problems "fixed" but I don't trust this car nor do I trust Toyota of Richardson to fix my car.
I have a Toyota Prius 2001. I have been stuck with it twice in less than a month. Went out to my car after work and had no power. My car was dead. Toyota wants me to take the car back (which is still under warranty) and then a technician will be out some time in May. They will not give me another car...want me to wait and if it breaks down again, have it towed in again!
How can a car manufacturer get away with telling you that "Oh well, we can't find a problem, so take it back until it breaks down again." I'm still paying on the lease and it's under warranty. I was told that I can only speak to customer service reps and no one else at Toyota will speak with me.
Prius is one of the most troublesome cars I've ever owned. Over the year I own it I had to take it to the dealership over 10 times for major repairs. The service was dreadful. The same problem needed to be repaired over, and over and over...
The latest outrage: I can not determine how much fuel the car has. The fuel gauge gets stuck somewhere in the middle. I can drive for hours with no apparent change in the fuel level. Then, within 15 to 30 minutes the level drops sharply, to "Needs immediate fill-up" level. The Toyota states that this is a normal behavior of this car. They claim that in order for the fuel gauge to operate correctly, the car needs to be completely filled-up all time. What kind of ridiculous car have they produced?
Toyota perfectly knows that there is a problem with the fuel tank. As a matter of fact, when I first brought the car for repair they instantly stated that the fuel tank is bad and needs to be replaced. Once they realized that it is costly, the story has changed.
The service in general has been horrible. For the last repair request Toyota Santa Cruz service department has kept my car for over 3 weeks. I called many times to find the status of my car, but got no calls back. Finally, today I was able to reach their Customer Relations specialist who told me in a very rude way that she just learned that there is nothing wrong with my car. To my question of why she and the service managers have not responded to my previous calls, she said that they are too busy to call the customers.
I have to conclude that Toyota has a death wish. I now understand at least one of the sources of the horrible state of Japanese economy.
I think I on a roll!!!!!
Also found some people complaning about prius:
I bought a new Toyota Prius March 15. I was shocked and alarmed to read on page 8: "If you do not use the vehicle for a long time (2 weeks or more), the hybrid vehicle battery and auxiliary battery will discharge and their condition is liable to decline. Therefore, in order to make up for discharging, charge them once in every two weeks for about 30 minutes by starting the hybrid system with all electrical components turned off."
I called Toyota. "Joel" informed me that if we did not charge the battery as per the owner's manual every two weeks as required by the manual and any problem developed, that would be deemed negligence on our part and the warranty would be voided. Frankly, I consider this to be fraud. We were never given a single item to read, there is nothing in the advertising and no salesman disclosed, etc., any information at all relating to the necessity to have the battery on the car charged for at least 1/2 hour every two weeks or the warranty would be voided.
We are about to retire and, hopefully, take many long trips with the intention of leaving this car locked in our garage. One of the things that made us even angrier was that "Joel" told us it was "our fault" for not reading the manual before buying the car. Toyota didn't give us a manual in advance; and the requirement to charge the battery every two weeks is in none of the brochures or other materials available before purchase.
As strongly as we feel about protecting the environment, we would NOT have purchased a Prius had we known about this problem. I get stopped all the time in parking lots, etc., by people who never saw a hybrid asking how we like it. When I mention not being able to take a two-week vacation without hiring a car sitter, they thank me for letting them know and state they would not buy the car under those circumstances. Not a single person, not one out of at least 15 such encounters.
My complaints about my 2001 Toyota Prius are numerous!
1. front end alignment--cause unknown, several more alignments, still doesn't track well.
2. gas tank problems -- went from 45 mpg to 29 mpg. Took several trips to get the problem "solved" -- not sure that it is totally solved, the consumption screen is screwy and so is the gas gauge. Also told car loses gas mileage as they get older -- car was only a year or so old and a Prius doesn't use gas at stops.
3. rack and pinion steering -- several trips to service before they said there's a problem. Finally fixed
4. 3rd set of tires - 18,000, 36,000 and about 45,000 miles
5. accelerator assembly quit in rush hour traffic. Finaly fixed, took two trips. There's still a noticeable drop in power, almost daily.
Most problems "fixed" but I don't trust this car nor do I trust Toyota of Richardson to fix my car.
I have a Toyota Prius 2001. I have been stuck with it twice in less than a month. Went out to my car after work and had no power. My car was dead. Toyota wants me to take the car back (which is still under warranty) and then a technician will be out some time in May. They will not give me another car...want me to wait and if it breaks down again, have it towed in again!
How can a car manufacturer get away with telling you that "Oh well, we can't find a problem, so take it back until it breaks down again." I'm still paying on the lease and it's under warranty. I was told that I can only speak to customer service reps and no one else at Toyota will speak with me.
Prius is one of the most troublesome cars I've ever owned. Over the year I own it I had to take it to the dealership over 10 times for major repairs. The service was dreadful. The same problem needed to be repaired over, and over and over...
The latest outrage: I can not determine how much fuel the car has. The fuel gauge gets stuck somewhere in the middle. I can drive for hours with no apparent change in the fuel level. Then, within 15 to 30 minutes the level drops sharply, to "Needs immediate fill-up" level. The Toyota states that this is a normal behavior of this car. They claim that in order for the fuel gauge to operate correctly, the car needs to be completely filled-up all time. What kind of ridiculous car have they produced?
Toyota perfectly knows that there is a problem with the fuel tank. As a matter of fact, when I first brought the car for repair they instantly stated that the fuel tank is bad and needs to be replaced. Once they realized that it is costly, the story has changed.
The service in general has been horrible. For the last repair request Toyota Santa Cruz service department has kept my car for over 3 weeks. I called many times to find the status of my car, but got no calls back. Finally, today I was able to reach their Customer Relations specialist who told me in a very rude way that she just learned that there is nothing wrong with my car. To my question of why she and the service managers have not responded to my previous calls, she said that they are too busy to call the customers.
I have to conclude that Toyota has a death wish. I now understand at least one of the sources of the horrible state of Japanese economy.
I think I on a roll!!!!!
Mikekay1976
New member
pinin__prestatyn said:I like your sig, Mikekay. Can definetely relate to that
indeed
the RX8's are lovely cars tho. My mate picked his up last tuesday, the faster of the 2 models. Going to wait for him to run it in a little then i will be having a trip to Santa pod..... just have to make sure its a nice cool crisp winters day morning, just to make sure...... Mind you, i will be gutted if i dont beat him with ease bearing in mind have taken em before (hence the sig)
biggest down side with the coupe is unless i get some major cash from somewhere, i am not going to be moving up next car.
but this is ot for this thread so.......... see you on the fccuk forum (am bigMike on there)
I don't think the 2nd generation prius has the battery problem. must look in the manual!
The new prius also has a different fuel gauge to the older model. I'm not gonna defend the old model prius, but it seems if the dealer above had a proper customer care system, the problems with that car would have been sorted straight away
The new prius also has a different fuel gauge to the older model. I'm not gonna defend the old model prius, but it seems if the dealer above had a proper customer care system, the problems with that car would have been sorted straight away
Mikekay1976 said:indeed
biggest down side with the coupe is unless i get some major cash from somewhere, i am not going to be moving up next car.
Unless I earn more cash, I will not be able to keep my coop!!
Nah I earn enough, just about, to maintain it to an acceptable level, petrol etc. If then engine goes tho... I haven't got the grand or so you need to buy a second hand one. But we take these risks in life.....
See ya on the Coupe forum!
The things we do for cars. I really can't afford to run three cars, but I can't bring myself to sell any and I'm looking for another one!
Yes Steve...................
but all three combined would only raise about £700, so don't try to show off, buy yourself one decent motor instead of turning your drive into a scrap yard filled with Italian rubbish!
but all three combined would only raise about £700, so don't try to show off, buy yourself one decent motor instead of turning your drive into a scrap yard filled with Italian rubbish!
Re: Yes Steve...................
I'd take any one of my cars over your fat barge any day, although it's funny you should say that about my drive. That's exactly what my nieghbours say!
PS, I know you'd love my Alfa Savi...
I'd take any one of my cars over your fat barge any day, although it's funny you should say that about my drive. That's exactly what my nieghbours say!
PS, I know you'd love my Alfa Savi...
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2003
- Messages
- 391
- Points
- 67
I've had my cinq for over a year and a half now and the only prob I've had is the offside brake cylinder seizing!
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2004
- Messages
- 9,999
- Points
- 1,291
my cars only had the perishables go on it, nothing to serios (apat from that bloody noise!!!)
PS if you want to sell your Uno, id love to by one, as its exactly like the 1 my dad had!
PS if you want to sell your Uno, id love to by one, as its exactly like the 1 my dad had!
Bob in disguise said:i was just looking at an auto express magazine at work and they had a readers poll of the most unreliable cars on the market. Number one was the Fiat Punto!
my father drives Citroen ZX 1.9 Aura since 1994. And by now i can freely say the car is crap. He is the first owner and its not driving it to much couse its more like seccond car ( from start to today only around 150.000 km on the clock). Clutch changed 2 times so far (not bad) but all other is how can i say, very easy to break. Sunspension, Steering wheel, Fuel Tank (!), seats, injection pump, electrics on both windows and wing mirrors went off in 1996 and finally the turbo went as well over a year ago.
Ive had my Tipo 2 years... the only times its been in the Garage more then 10 times... but only two times were it for repairs, others were for modifications and Services.
The clutch was expected to go, cause the car had 7 previous owners and had done about the expected amount of miles for the clutch to go.
since I've changed the clutch and the fuel leak I had recently which took about 10 minutes to repair, I aint never had a problem. I turn Key, Tipo starts 1st time everytime from cold, if its already been runnin most the day some times it needs a restart. I put foot down, car boots! will def av a BMW 318is. Tipo aint pokey has still got its power at 13 years old.
You take care of your baby car n it will never leave you, will take you come after clubbin when its rainin, from your m8s house who lives 120 miles away and even in the snow. and if it does **** you off, probably someone elses fault
Ive had friends who have owend Fiat Punto Mark ones: Only reason they were sold is cause they were gettin new cars. only complaints is that they were a bit unstable through the corners.
Only complaint with the mate who owend the Fiat Coupe 2.016v Turbo is that it drank petrol like a biatch.
Mate who owend the Fiat Meara only got rid of it cause it was stolen...
Fiats are AIIGGHT "alright"
The clutch was expected to go, cause the car had 7 previous owners and had done about the expected amount of miles for the clutch to go.
since I've changed the clutch and the fuel leak I had recently which took about 10 minutes to repair, I aint never had a problem. I turn Key, Tipo starts 1st time everytime from cold, if its already been runnin most the day some times it needs a restart. I put foot down, car boots! will def av a BMW 318is. Tipo aint pokey has still got its power at 13 years old.
You take care of your baby car n it will never leave you, will take you come after clubbin when its rainin, from your m8s house who lives 120 miles away and even in the snow. and if it does **** you off, probably someone elses fault
Ive had friends who have owend Fiat Punto Mark ones: Only reason they were sold is cause they were gettin new cars. only complaints is that they were a bit unstable through the corners.
Only complaint with the mate who owend the Fiat Coupe 2.016v Turbo is that it drank petrol like a biatch.
Mate who owend the Fiat Meara only got rid of it cause it was stolen...
Fiats are AIIGGHT "alright"
