Hi All,

I passed my driving test the other week and am currently car shopping. I went to a used car place at the wekend and sat in loads of different cars to see how it felt - I have short legs and find it hard to get comfy so that is my first criteria when looking at cars!! Anyway, I got into a 1.2 Punto EXL (2000 v-reg) and fell in love. It felt so right! I decided to go away and do some research, and everywhere I go, I'm told that Puntos are notoriously unreliable and will spend more time being repaired than being driven.

I'm hoping that people who actually own and drive Puntos on a regular basis will be able to give me some decent info about what the car is like to own. Any advice?

hi mate.

well just to give you an idea. i bought mu punto for 850. (quite cheap) and nothing has majorly gone wrong with it. just knocking suspension which is an easy fix.

i dont really know what the other major problems are on a punto but its worth the research on this forum - will help you alot!

how many miles has this car done and whats the price tag on it?

Newdriver said:

Hi All,

I passed my driving test the other week and am currently car shopping. I went to a used car place at the wekend and sat in loads of different cars to see how it felt - I have short legs and find it hard to get comfy so that is my first criteria when looking at cars!! Anyway, I got into a 1.2 Punto EXL (2000 v-reg) and fell in love. It felt so right! I decided to go away and do some research, and everywhere I go, I'm told that Puntos are notoriously unreliable and will spend more time being repaired than being driven.

I'm hoping that people who actually own and drive Puntos on a regular basis will be able to give me some decent info about what the car is like to own. Any advice?

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thats all i heard when i was deciding on cars allways "dont buy a fiat unless you want to fix it again tommrow"

my personal experiance its a load of rubbish, yes there are gonna be somethings go wrong but its the same with any other car.

worst thing iv had with mine is the wiper linkage comeing loose and falling off and that can be fixed temporaily with cable ties and a proper fix is avaliable for 20 pounds theres a thread on the forum for it.

aslong as its been serviced regualry and taken care of and you continue to do that then it should serve you just aswell as any other car will

good luck with finding a car

Everything went wrong with my mk1 but my mk2 hasnt been as bad, only exhaust. Some people are just unlucky (or treat the car badly) and have to spend loads on repairs.

Known problems from my experience - electrics, exhaust, clutch and everything rattles not stop.
Alot of people have problems with head gaskets and coil packes etc. If you read through the forum for a bit your soon realise what are the common faults

I have a very similar aged Punto ELX as you Newdriver. Not had it that long (couple of months) but nothing too serious, new thermostat and (today) new n/s wishbone. Oh, and a couple of new tyres - but they aren't the cars fault - a previous owner had cheap (cheapest of the cheap...) remoulds on.

Actually, I've just managed to bump into a van at the tyre place (was their van, laughed it off - still feel a pillock though lol). No major damage, broken number plate light lol.

I also saw/sat in the car and thought "Yeah, I like this!!" Not bad for a guy who was adamant he wasn't going to have a Fiat (or other similar sized car) lol.

It's a 2000 V Reg FIAT Punto 1.2 ELX . I've already been advised that I could probably get a better bargain if I shop around. The blurb doesn't say the mileage, and I can't remember offhand what it was.

How much are they asking for the car/how much is your budget?

They're asking for £1300, which is over my budget of £1000. Figured if it turned out to be a good car in general, I'd shop around to see if I could get the same thing cheaper.

£1,300 doesnt sound too bad from a dealer tbh but you should be able to get the same spec car privately for less than £1k, have a look in the classifieds on here - might be some bargains to be had

make sure the steering is ok, go full lock backwards and forwards a few times fast, check if its had cambelt/clutch any time recently

thats about all that go wrong really, just usual brakes, tyres etc otherwise.

All I can tell you to do is look out on the roads for small cars greater than 10 years old. The highway will be dominated by mk1 Fiat Puntos since all the Fords, VWs and Vauxhalls have long since perished. That is testiment itself.

Including fuel, maintenance and repairs, my car cost only 33% the cost per mile that the AA claims a car should cost. And that was with me driving like a prat, using expensive tyres and making the odd expensive mistake with DIY repairs.

The reputation is both outdated and a consequence of the people that buy them. The Puntos are an inexpensive car, so they are often bought by 'cheap' people who do not spend a penny on maintenance. ANY car, unmaintained will suffer reliability issues, it's just that more expensive cars avoid these careless owners.

I enjoy to "FIX IT AGAIN TOMORROW" i know about cars and how to fix them (mechanic - in training) so its like a hobby fixing my car everyday lol

Bought my MK2 have had a couple of problems that needed fixing but nothing ever goes wrong with the engine or performance, my engine is solid still goin strong 80k. Its just little things that go wrong but repairable and its not all the time just every now and again.

Everything repaired myself:

*Bonnet cable snapped - Opened bonnet and replaced £20
*Oil leak - Replaced Camshaft cover gasket
*Wipers linkage came off - Put 5p washer under linkage arms
*Wing mirrors got scratched - Sanded and Painted better than when i got them £30
*Airbag light on all time - Daigonsitic computer reset never come back on £FREE!
*Brakes stuck on - New pads and discs replaced £50 ish
*Starter motor wouldnt turn engine over - £15 from breakers replaced
*Alternator Belt ripped - Replaced £5

But thats it for now lol

I thought the exact same thing about FIAT but i got one cheap off a friends dad when my saxo was written off. I've since bought a 2nd punto and would again. Just make sure you service regular. Most importantly i'd say is to flush the coolant every 6 months, best way to try and prevent head gasket failure which is one of worst case senarios. Keep your oil fresh aswel. Replace every 6000 miles I would. Teach yourself to do each of these and you should be fine. They are really nice cars to drive and very spacious for a small car!
BTW just remember all cars have problems that need fixing, especially aproaching 10 yrs. Try and get one with low milage and service history.
If not best check is the oil if its black it hasnt been serviced for a while if its thin and brown thats good Just shows the owner is more likely to have cared for it

They are definitely the best for space in the class.
My son regularly carries a 50x4 Marshall Cabinet + Head Unit.
Practice Amp.
Synth
2x Guitars in hard cases
2 x Mic stands
and a slightly overweight vocalist
And it all fits in perfectly.
Tried the same thing in a Corsa, Clio, 206 ...no chance!

bredsticz has a good point. What usually does go wrong are things you can fix yourself, which is great for inspiring confidence as a DIY mechanic. DIY maintenance is a useful skill to have, not just for saving money, but for fixing things when it would not be convenient to go to a garage. Imagine the trouble I would have been in relying on a garage when my coil spring got snapped by a huge pothole on Christmas day.

As for engine quality, I'm on 136,000 miles on my engine and still running sweetly.

any car is unreliable if you dont look after it. personally ive had a few little problems but you do on any car, luckily it seems to be cheap and simple things to fix.

put it this way i had a clio and it was rusty, problem after problem and cost me a bomb in repairs.

punto = no rust, very few problems, good MPG and theres just something about owning one, they are a true drivers car, excellent

mahol said:

any car is unreliable if you dont look after it. personally ive had a few little problems but you do on any car, luckily it seems to be cheap and simple things to fix.

put it this way i had a clio and it was rusty, problem after problem and cost me a bomb in repairs.

punto = no rust, very few problems, good MPG and theres just something about owning one, they are a true drivers car, excellent

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nicley said

couldnt agree more

Erm i've had a 2004 panda (3 years) and currently a 2000 punto (7 months), i've had the power steering go on both of them (yes I am cursed).

On the punto overall i've had:

• Power steering replaced
• Exhaust re-sealed (came loose)
• Headlight beam adjusted (think I hit a speedbump too hard)

Its the same with any car on what can go wrong. I've always had a fiat since i've passed and really wouldnt go anywhere else to be honest, I am hooked and love them to bits

All cars need to to be properly serviced or they will go wrong and sometimes in very costly ways.

The 16V must have its cam belt changed either on time or miles. If it breaks you will need a cylinder head repair. Coolant goes off and/or people top up with plain water. This corrodes the waterways and effects the water pump. Blown head gaskets are common when servicing has not been done.

It's worth paying extra for a car that's got bills for cam belt and proper servicing. If that's not available, assume these things have not been done and knock down the price accordingly. If the seller wont come down to a fair price walk away.

When servicing is doubtful, dont use the car until at least the cam belt has been done**. I bought an HGT at the right price and ordered the parts but new toy syndrome took hold and I used the car. The cam belt stripped its teeth and bent 6 valves. 2 days motoring cost me at least £500.

It wasn't a bad car but it had not been properly serviced and I should have known better and parked it for a few days.

** You really should get the full service done too. It not worth putting it off till later.

EmmaM88 said:

• Exhaust re-sealed (came loose)
• Headlight beam adjusted (think I hit a speedbump too hard)

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they are cheap things to fix really, but the power steering on the puntos and fiats with electric power steering is know problem but some people have problems with them some don't.
Unfortuantely this is a problem no one can predict but no car is faultless and from your list it's not that bad at all really especially if your cursed as you say you are

think the thing is in answer to the first opening post if you feel the car feels right it is, strong believer in gut feeling. chose the car you feel you really want, forget the reviews just check what the common faults are and make sure your future car has no signs of any of them