(G) hub cap issue

Hi
My hubby and I picked our new Panda eco on Friday, on Sunday we decided to go to the coast as the weather is great at the moment, as I was driving along the A14 there was a noise I looked in the wing mirror and I saw the hub cap flying off in to the verge (big deal some of you might think). So I came off the A14 at the next slip exit and went back to the dealer. When I parked up and had a look we discovered that it was a bit of the hub cap had torn off, weird eh!

There was no debris on the road, or pot holes. I am just grateful I was not over taking at the time as it might of hit someone's windshield and might of caused an accident at worse or given someone a shock.

The dealer said he had never seen anything like this as did the service and parts department, photos were taken as evidence I presume this is to forwarded on to Fiat as a fault. At the moment I am waiting for them to get hold of another cap.

Has anyone experienced this problem?

But apart from that, I love my Panda

Judging by the number of hubcaps I see on the road it seems like a fairly common problem.

Get some cable ties and loop them through the hubcap to attach to the wheel. That should stop the same thing happening again.

No need to fix Panda wheelcovers on as Fiat are the only manufacturer I know of who have arranged it so that the wheelbolts hold the wheelcover in place.
It's a bit of a pain when refitting wheels, especially if you trap the valve behind the cover but it keeps them in place.
For the above to have happened the wheelcover must have been faulty, damaged at some time or wrongly fitted.

Never seen a Fiat wheel trim at the road side. The wheel bolts go right through it, you have to almost remove the wheel to take the trim off?

Maybe the wheel trim was already damaged on delivery.

So it was you that blocked the A14 today !

Fiat are the only manufacturer I know.....

Just to add to your education, my TR7 has the same set up!

Very. Any chance of a photograph?

Thanks everyone,

just to let you know service and parts department are hoping that the warranty covers this fault. I will hear next week, if it's not then service and parts will pay for a replacement and hopefully that will be the end of that issue.

I will try and post a photo maybe over the weekend when i have more time.

I got four good standard wheels with tyres along with hub caps going free to anyone that cares to pick them up..

Email contact only please..