Help, I just bought new tires as the ones that came with the car needed replacing at less than 13,000 miles.I was told that the rear wheels did not meet Fiat "specs", that was the reason for the rapid tire degeneration and there is mechanism to adjust rear wheel alignment (hmm.....why would Fiat provide specs but not include a way to make the car conform to those?)

So then I took it to the dealer, had to pay for another wheel alignment (which I understand.... as why would they take the word or another wheel alignment) and was told that they would determine if there were any parts that needed replacement to remedy my concern. Here's the kicker, I was told that because I had "damaged" one of the rear wheels, the axle needed replacing for $800 or shims for $300.

How did they ascertain that I was the one who caused this damage, it seems to me it would have to be pretty severe for it to so drastically affect the alignment, I'm a pretty good driver and doubt I would have driven so recklessly.

Any suggestions as to how to get Fiat to accept responsibility for this obviously weak axle and crappy tires? I have contacted Customer Service and they don't seem to be of any help as they defer to the service people.

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Rear wheel alignment has been an issue for some 500 & Panda owners for a long time - the beams are made to quite wide tolerances in the factory and excessive rear tyre wear is common if the particular beam you have is close to the limits - it's just the luck of the draw as to whether you get a good one.

The rear wheel alignment isn't designed to be adjusted, but it may be possible to move the rear beam slightly if the mounting bolts are loosened. Also you can shim the hubs to attempt to correct any misalignment, but this is really a bit of a bodge. The factory approved way to deal with rear wheel alignment being out of limits is to replace the rear beam; some have had this done under warranty.

The design of the beam means that it can be permanently distorted if you slide one of the rear wheels into a kerb; you don't have to hit it with much force to bend the beam. Obviously if this happens, it's classed as accidental damage and Fiat won't pick up the bill, even on a car which is otherwise in warranty.

Purchasers of new 500's would do well to check for uneven tyre wear after the first couple of thousand miles or so and take the matter up immediately with the supplying dealer if this fault is found. If you leave it until the tyres are worn out, it may make it more difficult to prove the cause was faulty manufacture, rather than subsequent accidental damage.