General maybe getting a stilo

[SM801]

hi

i might be getting a stilo soon if i like them but wanted to know

what problems do these cars suffer ?

engine
bodywork
inside
etc

thanks

 

[SM801]

also whats head gasket like on these things

bad as rover is

 

[JFL]

firstly it depends on...

what engine are you looking at? trim? mileage? year?

 

[muppet42]

Engine...standard stuff really, most are pretty bullet proof as long as you service them and check the oil regularily. I know the 1.8 and 2.4s can suffer issues with variators and such, but again, if they've been looked after, they'll be fine. Head gasket's related to this of course. If you drive like a loon and don't check the oil...bye bye head gasket.

Bodywork...main issue is with paint or laquer peel I've found. It's started happening to mine in places, though only millimetre square sections and it's a 6 year old car. Stilo bodys are galvanised, so if there's any rust, ask the seller why...could be down to accident damage for example.

Inside...you'll perhaps see electrical warnings on the dash...airbag warning or check engine warning. Many of these are phantom warnings caused by a duff battery or dodgy connection, but again, if it occurs, ask the seller why or what they've done to rectify it.

All in all, the Stilo's a perfectly good car and doesn't deserve the reputation for unreliability it gets. In fact, they can put many a German car to shame on this point

Basically, just use your common sense...check EVERYTHING...mechanical, electrical, service history, etc. If it looks/drives in a way that's not right or there's issues with it the seller can't explain or rectify, then there's no sense in buying a car that could be a potential liabilty.

 

[SM801]

will be between 02-54 miles 40.000-60.000 and the 1.6 and 1.4

so are hg a problem ?

 

[Bulletproof Saint]

Hi
Welcome to the forum,
most of the stilo niggles lie with the electrics which many would have been picked up under warranty.
The main culprit is "airbag failure engine stop" is simply a dry connection between the circuitry, the guide section has the remedy for this, & it's really easy fix.
The other main area/issue was a recall on the front spring assembly basically a catcher is fitted to the front suspension, so if one of the front springs snap the catcher in theory stops it from going into the tyre.
Springs aren't prone to snapping but its a safety feature for areas where there may be high use of road salt corroding & weakening the spring.

I have owned my stilo for nearly a year now and these are the two issues I have had with it, although no spring snapped on my car I just had the work done through the dealer when my cambelt was done.
All other areas of the car I'm delighted with.
Look through the history of the car mines a 52 plate check for info of the work being done like muppet says it's mostly common sense like buying any car.

Regards

 

[muppet42]

will be between 02-54 miles 40.000-60.000 and the 1.6 and 1.4

so are hg a problem ?

Sounds average miles for the car you'd be getting. Would check if the cambelt's been replaced, most need doing every 5 years/50,000 miles.

As I said, shouldn't be any major problems if you're wise to the cars on offer. If you see one online that catches your eye for example, pop the link on here and we may be able to offer advice on whether it looks sound or not.

 

[SM801]

so the hg are solid on these cars then ?

i saw one for sale for £1500 which was a 52 plate stilo with 55000 miles and was clean and looks ok

is that the going rate for a car of this spec

its a 1.6

not sure im getting it atm but thought id join

 

[SM801]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


any help greatful

 

[adamcot]

so the hg are solid on these cars then ?

i saw one for sale for £1500 which was a 52 plate stilo with 55000 miles and was clean and looks ok

is that the going rate for a car of this spec

its a 1.6

not sure im getting it atm but thought id join

Yes, the 1.6 is a fairly strong and well proven engine. The head gaskets are fine as long as you don't boil it.

£1500 is about right at the moment, dependant on the spec? I got that on part ex for mine 8 months ago.

If you do buy, make sure it has had a cam belt change, and has been serviced well as they can suffer if not.

 

[JTD_Liam]

will be between 02-54 miles 40.000-60.000 and the 1.6 and 1.4

so are hg a problem ?

Head gaskets are not a real problem on the Stilo. The only engine ive seen reported with head gasket failure is the 1.2 16v. I think that's possibly because it has to work pretty hard to shift the Stilo along rather than any weakness in the design like on some of the older Fiat 1.2 8v engines used on Puntos.

Never seen any problems reported on the 1.4 engine, but it joined the range later in the model run (around 2004) so there may not be as many around as there are other engines.

The main issue with the 1.6 engine is coil failure, which affects alot of other cars (Renault & Citroen spring to mind), but it's a very quick job to change. Alot of guys on here carry a spare couple of coils in the glovebox & just change them at the roadside if they fail.

As mentioned, 1.8 & 2.4 engines have variator trouble, but it shouldnt happen if theyve been replaced at the time the cambelt was changed (as they should be).

The JTDs can have the odd sensor failure, but it's rarely reported from what ive seen.

All the other problems (ie ghost warnings & suspension springs) have already been covered.

Most important issue with a Stilo is decent service history & a one or two owner car. There's plenty of one or two owner examples out there so dont settle for anything other than this, or you could end up with a duff example that's spent it's life changing keepers due to problems.

On the whole Stilos are totally fine if theyre looked after.

 

[SM801]

Head gaskets are not a real problem on the Stilo. The only engine ive seen reported with head gasket failure is the 1.2 16v. I think that's possibly because it has to work pretty hard to shift the Stilo along rather than any weakness in the design like on some of the older Fiat 1.2 8v engines used on Puntos.

Never seen any problems reported on the 1.4 engine, but it joined the range later in the model run (around 2004) so there may not be as many around as there are other engines.

The main issue with the 1.6 engine is coil failure, which affects alot of other cars (Renault & Citroen spring to mind), but it's a very quick job to change. Alot of guys on here carry a spare couple of coils in the glovebox & just change them at the roadside if they fail.

As mentioned, 1.8 & 2.4 engines have variator trouble, but it shouldnt happen if theyve been replaced at the time the cambelt was changed (as they should be).

The JTDs can have the odd sensor failure, but it's rarely reported from what ive seen.

All the other problems (ie ghost warnings & suspension springs) have already been covered.

Most important issue with a Stilo is decent service history & a one or two owner car. There's plenty of one or two owner examples out there so dont settle for anything other than this, or you could end up with a duff example that's spent it's life changing keepers due to problems.

On the whole Stilos are totally fine if theyre looked after.

thanks there lots of imfo so head gasket are fine if engine is checked weekly

will use this as guides if i do go for one

thanks

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

3 or 5 door

When buying my Stilo I was told the less owners its had the better, as more owners normally means people who have wanted to get rid of the car due to it being fault ridden.

Jon.

 

[JTD_Liam]

thanks there lots of imfo so head gasket are fine if engine is checked weekly

will use this as guides if i do go for one

thanks

No worries Its always a good idea to check under the bonnet weekly (not that i do im embarrased to say ) but don't get too paranoid about the head gaskets coz i very much doubt you'll have problem with them on a Stilo.

3 or 5 door

When buying my Stilo I was told the less owners its had the better, as more owners normally means people who have wanted to get rid of the car due to it being fault ridden.

Jon.

That's the theory i use aswell Jon. The weird thing is, for a car that was supposed to be so plagued by problems, the majority of Stilos for sale seem to have no more than two keepers. And a huge amount only have one, so must be plenty of other happy owners like alot of us on here.

Just goes to prove you can't trust the motoring press half the time!

 

[SM801]

it will be a 5 door if i do get one

good on hg side of things hate the things as rovers aint to great

 

[SM801]

also if anyone knows anyting else just post as i will need all this when i buy

 

[PNL]

Loads of stuff you should be aware of when you buy the car..

Inner tyre ware on the fronts

Outer tyre ware on the rears

Both show the tracking or other problems are happening..

Warning lights on the dash

Air bags

engine management lights

Obviously check the car is good in the body dept and the clutch and gearbox are smooth when you test drive it..also see if it follows the camber in the road to the left

Check there aren't any unusual noises from the engine

And be happy with the deal if you can knock him down further..

 

[SM801]

Loads of stuff you should be aware of when you buy the car..

Inner tyre ware on the fronts

Outer tyre ware on the rears

Both show the tracking or other problems are happening..

Warning lights on the dash

Air bags

engine management lights

Obviously check the car is good in the body dept and the clutch and gearbox are smooth when you test drive it..also see if it follows the camber in the road to the left

Check there aren't any unusual noises from the engine

And be happy with the deal if you can knock him down further..

whats road noise in these things my current car is noisy and want no noise

 

[JFL]

whats your current car?

its quite a well insulated car fro the road with the right tires

 

[johnson550]

whats road noise in these things my current car is noisy and want no noise

Try a milk float theyre really quiet