....only had it less than 6 months....!

looking at the log book, which I am about to post off (no signature from registered keeper) shows she acquired vehicle 18/8/2011.

I dont know why, but I suspect she /they had some of the typical issues I have read about-sky roof, speakers etc and some issues at the MOT in February. I think they gave up at that point and decided this car wasnt for them - after fixing of course as everything is great. I suspect abou tthe skyroof, because the lining that goes around the edges inside was in the boot (now refitted and fixed in place hurray!).

The passenger tweater plastic trim was loose too, and the two retaining clips at the bottom snapped (now Gorilla Glued back on) so I suspect they tried to see why there was vibrating and got pished off.

despite all that, despite such short ownership, I feel its more of a two owner car, than a 3. I think the last owner simply didnt have the patience or interest in maintaining an older car, so all these niggles were too much, perhaps coupled with the Fiat Electronics issues everyone knows about...!

**in fact, the owner prior to the last bought the car on26/02/2010, so also didnt have the car that long!

I have checked the MOT history, and it all seems fine to me - drop links failures and "excessive" emissions a couple of times, but seriously, the cars clean as a whistle out the back...!

what do you all think of that? such short ownership is either bad in terms of the car, or just simply the car wasnt for them? both lady owners...

I once owned an Austin Maestro who's previous owner was called 'Mr. Piddle'. Thankfully he never had piddled in it.

A lot less than 6 months lol. It was only 2 weeks ago you were posting about looking for one.

Several owners in quick succession is never good. You tend to find either lack of servicing or lack of repair. Hopefully though you'll have a good one. Cars In general are made better these days so it doesn't take much to get a miss treated one back in tip top condition.

My old mini had 5 owners in 8 years, safe to say it had been well lemoned by at least one of those. Block changed for an older metro unit, later cylinder head. Suggesting one exploded engine. Wirig loom was 50% household flex, bodged rust repairs. Needless to say its still on the road, and in 12 years I've put a lot right.

Love your Stilo, lavish some cash on it (and I don't mean big stereo and road scraping springs) and your Stilo should reward you with a fairly cheap to run/maintain car that you can be proud of.

Think you are being a tad unfair to stilo's in general,

My old one didnt suffer from many problems, Skyroof still works to this day just leaks if you dont keep the drains clear.
Electric's, I dont recall a problem with the electrics on mine or the speakers which are still great. Dash died though.
Just the usual supects ie drop links, front spring, egr valve and the overboost valve.
Trim can be/is rubbish though.

But pound for pound i dont think you can get a better specified car for the money.

It took me a year of silly little faults, like drop links, wishbones, brakes etc before the car started running reliably. Touch wood no problems for the last 6 months. They are cheap cars to maintain though.

im not unduely worried, but i do wish i had more history for the previous two owners. Clearly work has been done, and clearly the car has been maintained well. Everything is squeeky clean, but not so squeeky that a jet wash or steam clean has been at it, im talking well maintained clean. Fuel and oil filters look new etc. I just wish I had some history to reveal any major issues that have been fixed.

the DVLA MOT history is good, but it only shows drop links, excessive emissions and thats about it, which i of course have been fixed.

by the looks of all your other threads it seems that there is alot of minor problems floating around. mabee all connected togeather and the last owner didnt have the time or money to fix it?. either way, think of all the new things that will be on your car when there all fixed!

I bought my Stilo off a previous family who had bought for their daughter, used it a couple of months, then when she moved away for uni it just lay in their drive, from August till March when I bought it lol

They were completely honest though, and had proof of a timing belt change, but the winter that year was brutal and it eventualy started to show a couple months of owning it :/

I've fixed a fair amount on mine, and once the brakes are done I don't think there is anything else that can go wrong fora long time I hope lol

Hmm, if it's had 3 owners & the last 2 have been since 2010 then the first owner might not have been Fiat afterall. Maybe it was actually bought from a dealer in the Bristol area rather than being registered at the docks - if it was a press or employee car as i originally thought then it would've probably been sold by Fiat after a year & then the 2 subsequent owners had it from then.

In this instance it seems someone's owned it nearly 5 years & then 2 other owners have kept it only a short time, which i'd imagine means you've little to worry about in terms of reliability - it might just've had a sudden list of things wearing out which gave the owner abit of a fright.

Mine went through this phase between Sept 2010 & Sept 2011 when it needed front springs & rear pads, then the cambelt was due, then passenger side top strut mount, then the crank sensor died, then it failed the MOT on front discs & both front suspension arms, then the top strut bearing started rattling - this was all in the space of 12 months. I was seriously contemplating getting shot of mine at this point but the fact it needed nothing at all between Sept 2008 & Sept 2010 made me more lenient towards it, and since Sept 2011 all it's needed is a service and a side light bulb, so i'm glad i hung onto her. Just been provisionally offered a new job so abit tempted to move to a Bravo or Alfa MiTo before the end of the year, but (apart from on rutted roads) i love driving the Stilo so much i'm very reluctant to part with her, especially with only 81,000 on the clock. She's recently given me over 600 miles to a tank on two occasions, so i think she's trying to win me over

To be honest, springs, drop links, brakes etc are all just the norm for things to replace these days. So seeing them on a repair list is neither bad nor good, just the norm.

If your car is/was due a timing belt I'd be expecting to find documentation thats it been done.

I've actually had very few real problems on my car, clutch is the only biggie. drop links I've had a few, going to do the next set myself, pads I've changed, front springs done too.

All in i've probably spent more on tyres than anything else lol. But then I have done 80+k since new.

yes, I suppose the three owners, regardless of how long the last two had the car, is better than 5, 6, 7 owners etc!! I do suspect that as mentioned above, a few things went wrong and the two lady owners just simply didnt want the hassel or cost.

I dont have any history unfortunately, like the remote fob, its all lost. Looking at the car though, its been serviced correctly, the service indicator hadnt been reset and it shows service due in about 4k miles. There no way the cambelt hasn tbeen done, not at 96k miles. No way. and thats my only concern where history is...concerned....the rest I am capable of dealing with. HPI is clear and all that, and the engine bay etc is like new, i suppose only time will tell if its had a good life thus far.

well mine is a 02 and had 8 owners hahaha. that said i know the last 4 and two are dealers.

so just under 1 a year for its entire life. i bought it on 91k at christmas. now on 109k and been serviced twice (on purchase and on light)