Apologies if this is very old news, the forum search feature didn't show anything.

My friend's daughter has had some b****d drill a hole in the tank of her 2009 Fiat 500 (1.2 Lounge) for the fuel. The Fiat dealers want over £560 for a new one.

Apart from repairing it, which I believe will be possible once it's out, it seems that the Panda and the 500 share tanks. This doesn't surprise me but the dealers seem oblivious to the fact. When I asked, they said they were different:

http://www.fiatdily.cz/dil/8664

OK, it's in Czech but it came up on a search and is self-explanatory. Got a second-hand one from a 1.4 500 (£100) but feel we could have done better by getting a cheaper one off an old Panda. Collecting tank tomorrow so I hope it is the same!

It may well be the same, but equally could be different with different intake locations on the tank for filler pipe, or location of pump etc.

The tank swap went OK. The one that went in had the part number 51818384. The one that came out was 51706595.

http://www.fiatdily.cz/dil/8664

I have a Panda multijet myself and it seems the diesel tanks are different because they don't have breathers. This may be because of the smaller amount of vapour but without them, how do you fill the tank to the brim?

Anyway, fella charged £50 to change the tank, it worked out in total less that the excess on a claim. Well worth the effort.

Cheers for the update. Glad it went well, and good to know for future reference that they are compatable.

Just hope the same doesnt happen again.

Did the swines get much out of the origional tank or was it fairly empty when they tried to drain it

The car was nearly full. Unfortunately, they did about 3 cars the same night. It was quiet where it was parked and the amateurs spilled loads all over the tarmac. Probably using plastic bowls or something low enough, they don't hold 30 litres.