(T) A Stilo Saga...

I bought my "approved used FIAT" 52-Reg Broom Yellow Stilo 1.8 Dynamic from Wentane motors in Stockton-on-Tees just over 3 weeks ago. The car looked lovely on the forecourt - all shiny and smelt really fresh (almost as if it had been over-cleaned) on the inside. "Sold and serviced by us from new" read the advertisement... well that was three and a bit weeks ago...

A week after I bought the car, the steering rack had to be replaced (on the test drive I pointed a noise out to the Sales Manager, but he dismissed it as nothing serious. Whilst the rack was being replaced (at Reg Vardy), a problem was spotted with the front suspension - resulting in both arms being replaced yesterday. There is still a slight knocking and a lot of creaking from the front end.

I asked Reg Vardy to take a look at a couple of other things - they diagnosed a gear selection cable(?) that needs replacing and also the speedo head needs replacing. This means that the mileage will be reset to zero and as a result (I presume) a lot of hassle for me in the future, especially when I come to sell the car.

This lunchtime, I've noticed a problem with the passenger seat - the hinge nearest the gearbox appears to be broken, meaning that the seat is loose.

I am under the impression from the FIAT used car website that all cars sold undergo a "multi-point inspection". Surely the fairly major things that have gone wrong with my car should have been picked up if that is the case???

I contacted Wentane a week ago by letter but have had no response. His attitude to me previously when I rang him up regarding a fault with the alarm was terrible. As a result I contacted FIAT customer services this morning saying that I would like to reject the car (as I believe I can before 30 days/1000 miles?) - they have issued me with a case number and have contacted the dealership for me. I'm not sure what response I'll get though...

Have any of you guys got any suggestions or advice... has anyone had problems like this before?

Oh...and the over-cleaning smell? Well that has gone now to be replaced with a strong smell of wet dog (I don't own a dog)!!

Ta

Mileage doesn't have to be reset to zero... You can always adjust mileage with the FIAT examiner... only forward though, not backwards (at least not after a couple of miles...)

Best,

Lars.

Hi Ian C, i have the same car as you the 1.8 dynamic but mine is a 53' plate i have not suffered the same problems as you? But i would reject your car if it has had that amount of problems already; seems like its just a bad one of the bunch! I know the pre 03 reg stilos suffered alot of teething problems; and tyre wear being an on going problem! I have the creeking noise which come from the front and rear and i was under impression this was the to do with the suspension bushes! After spraying them with some silicone spray mine have quiten down; but just creek if im cornering hard or going other speed bumps! but i havent had he knockinh like uve said!! Just qurious how many miles has your car covered!

Maybe speak to Trading Standards, and go down the road of rejecting the goods?!

The creaking does sound like a rubbery sort of creak... I'll give it a go with the spray if I decide to keep the car and see what happens.

The car's now done 18,206 miles - 6 miles under the 1,000 that I'm allowed to do before rejecting the car. May have to have it towed home though as I work 12 miles away from home!!

The dealership were sent a fax yesterday by FIAT customer services, but have not yet responded... let's see what happens today!

Well... a result, sort of!

Had no response from the dealership so I decided to write them a fax myself yesterday. I stated that I wished to reject the vehicle, and gave a list of all the issues I have had with the car since I bought it.

After sending the fax I rang the dealership and spoke to the Dealer Principal (usually quite elusive, I've heard)... after a very heated conversation in which he said that all the problems were down to 'general wear and tear' and that on a used car you can expect things to go wrong... and that anyway there was some small print that meant I couldn't reject the car... I asked him to fax a copy of the small print to me at work straight away so that I could make a more informed argument. Initially he said he couldn't find a copy, but after about 5 seconds he managed to dig one out. I had to wait a while for it to be faxed through, but when it did arrive... surprise... there was nothing written down to say the car couln't be rejected!

As I was writing him another fax confirming that I wished to reject the car after looking through the small print, I had a phone call off him. Talk about Jekyl and Hyde... he was totally different. He suggested that he arrange for a full independent AA inspection be carried out (at my convenience) and that if anything was found to be wrong with the vehicle it would be put right - free of charge.

Anyway, the outcome (after a few more phone calls) is this... I take the car to Reg Vardy in Stockport for the latest set of problems to be sorted (I have been asked to go on a road test with one of their mechanics to show him what the problems are), and whilst the car is in, the AA will carry out a full inspection of the car and anything found to be wrong will be sorted out.

This is the service I would have expected in the first place... without all the hassle and arguments. I received email confirmation from him this morning agreeing to everthing we both agreed to on the phone.

Sort of happier now...

Good result. Pleased for you. Keep us informed as to any faults found/put right.

When I picked up my Stilo it broke down on the way home (a good Hour away) - You can imagine what I thought "oh my God what have I bought".

It was diagnosed with an injecter fault within 10 mins of me Crawling back to the dealership.

Because they did not have the parts on the shelf and brand new unregistered Stilo was stripped for parts and the car was repaired there and then!

It was then sent on a 40 min road test - then put back on the diagnostic machine where it reported no faults.

About a week later I recived a letter from the dealer apologising for all the hastle and offering my next service Free of charge.

Some times Fiat dealers can get it right (in my case without the arguements).

I love the car and the longer I have it the more I seem to enjoy it, so maybe it will be a happy ending in your case too.

Good luck

Right then... my car went into Reg Vardy on Monday evening. One of their mechanics sat in the car with me whilst I went through the list of problems. He was extremely pleasant and listened to everything I said, and offered his opinion as to what was wrong there and then.

Tuesday was the day of the AA inspection. I rang up Tuesday afternoon to find out how things had gone and also to remind them about the dodgy passenger seat (something wrong with the hinge I thought)... they gave me the good news that the AA picked nothing extra up and that they would ring me on Wednesday once the gearbox selection cables and the speedo head had been replaced. They didn't ring on Wednesday.

I have just had a call off Reg Vardy and apparently the gearbox selection cables will not arrive with them until Tuesday next week. They also tell me now that the AA did find a problem and as a result the front discs and pads also need replacing (Wentane motors have authorised this to be carried out at no cost to me as they aren't covered under the warranty).

I'm feeling a little bit peed off because every time I ask for confirmation that all the other points have been sorted out (the 'knock' from the front end on a change of direction, the steering wheel pointing to the right after they fitted a new steering rack, the broken seat etc. etc.) they can't give me an answer. I can imagine picking the car up some time next week and some of the problems still being there...

The only good thing to come out of this is the courtesy car... an almost brand new 05 reg. Stilo 1.4 Active. I'm ignoring the fact that its only done 350 miles from new and quite a bit of the interior trim is already missing, and the fact that there appears to be some thick greenish fluid (could be new oil?) leaking from the top of the engine - it's really nippy and quiet on a motorway. At least I've got another week of reliable motoring ahead of me!!