General new her and potential suspension problems

[rachfiat500]

Agreed. Yes there are some problems with the quality of the standard parts, but that's easily sorted. I think it's sad that people lose confidence in the 500 so easily because of the suspension.

ive lost confidence in fiat ... Not the 500 ... I feel like doing the right thing .. I want a reliable commuting car.. I have the ford probe to fox up .. I don't want to be doing the same with a.commuting car...the brakes etc don't bother me but the fact wishbones have already been replaced and now suspension needs sorting is a shocker....i love the car but i love my bank balance more.

 

[rachfiat500]

I wouldn't be so sure, but figured that you might be looking to convince yourself of a reason for an 'out' from the 500. Good luck with the new car.

(Interestingly, whilst this is quite a lively sub forum, the 500 section doesn't really contain a great deal of 'what has gone wrong here' kind of stuff, which says a reasonable amount about the intrinsic reliability of the car. It's certainly not below average, and if properly maintained, I'd say is probably above average.)

all i see on the roads is new fiat 500's - i rarely see older ones .. So maybe that's the reason for a.lack of.info ? Plus they tend to be city cars.. I do approx 12k a year and i just don't think the car can cope with it .. Not if its buggered even though it had its.mot half a.year ago with.no advisories. Just want something that can cope with the sheer amount of driving it do.

and yes to the person who said i should hopefully be trouble free - its what i want hence reason I bought a 4 year old car thinking general maintenance would be service, brakes, drop links - that kinda stuff ..

 

[bgunn]

Its the quality of the overall car...i try to look long term rather than short term - if i have to replace things that shouldn't go on a car so early - what else will i be fixing ..

Not a lot, take the collective experience of the forum - everyone IS giving you good advice. As has been said in this thread repeatedly, the consumable parts are pretty poor in quality, and springs and dampers ARE consumable parts, they're just not replaced as often as discs, pads, tyres and wipers.

I'm not over estimating the cost ...i just know its not gonna rest giving me problems. ive already had to super glue the washer nipples so they spray the windscreen .. Ive never encountered this in any car ive owned...

And that's the reason for changing a car? Yeah, it's a bit silly that the washers lose their innards, amusingly it's happened on many other FIATs because they are a common part across many models.

and it was a straight swap ..im not taking out any finance etc etc etc in just swapping th fiat for the Peugeot ...

I'm not trying to get out of the 500 I'm just trying to get out of fixing it every year .. COs i know i will...everyone told me not to buy into a fiat but with my punto being amazing i thought the 500 would be the same....

Sounds to me like you're trying to justify to yourself NOT to keep the 500.

the car also lets out a huge bang once in a while .. Its happened twice so far and the first time I nearly had an accident out of shock....ive checked the car over and there is nothing obvious ... I got pretty much what i paid for the car so I'm happy enough ..still gutted but its quite simply not a good quality product ...i even get trouble with the blue and me usb and the mileage flashes on the dash every so often..

I actually think you bought a bad car - i.e. one that's probably been badly worked upon by dealership mechanics (which on the whole, are shockingly bad at their jobs). The car is most certainly NOT a poor quality product - the 'statistics' from this place bears that out.

I guess i just don't expect this much problems in a 4 year old car...the bf has a 207 and that sailed through its first mot... No advisories.... That's what a car should be like.

Should, but won't always be. I dearly hope the 107 is good for you, but a car from a manufacturer that's months away from going bust, built by a despondent workforce that's not known to build a quality product these days, and serviced in dealerships that have always known to be terrible - I wouldn't be so sure..

don't despair i love the fiat .. But what i will do is in the future i will.buy new.. I just cant afford that right now

Rach

What you need to do is buy a car that's in better condition. Good luck with the Pug!

 

[jrkitching]

What you need to do is buy a car that's in better condition.

:yeahthat:

For me, this highlights some of the key points in the perennial 'buy new vs used' debate.

The franchised dealer network is geared up to meet the needs of those folks who buy a car new & trade it in after 3yrs. In the particular case of the 500, FIAT's discounting policy means it's also geared up towards those buying on finance.

Using this franchised network to buy & maintain a used car will almost always end up costing you more. You'll likely pay over the odds for the car, you'll certainly pay over the odds for the servicing, and they won't want to know when it comes to taking a 6yr old car back in part exchange.

OTOH, if you shop carefully in the private market for a good 3yr old car (they do exist - there was a recent thread about a cross on the Panda forum) and service it yourself, you'll probably save a packet. None of the issues with Rachel's car would cost much if done DIY as all the bits needed can be bought cheaply on the aftermarket; the same work done by a main dealer using OEM parts could run up a bill for thousands.

If your technical knowledge of cars can be written on the back of a postage stamp, and you can't bear the thought of haggling with independent garages, there's a lot to be said for buying new, and you'll have more certainty about what your monthly outgoings will be. OTOH, if you have the knowledge and somewhere to do the work (increasingly rare these days), a good secondhand car bought privately & self maintained should end up costing you less overall.

To better illustrate the point, consider a front disc & pad change. To me, the cost will be about the price of a tank of fuel; the time & hassle is roughly comparable to washing & hoovering the car. But to someone else in admittedly a worst-case scenario, that same job might be the price of a week's holiday in Tenerife & the best part of a day wasted driving 50 miles to a FIAT dealership & hanging around waiting for it to be fixed.

What I still can't get my head round is how the OP is seemingly happy to settle for a new 107, yet ridiculed the idea of a new 1.2 Panda - much the same money after discounting & IMO a far better car, particularly when it comes to driving it.

 

[bgunn]

What I still can't get my head round is how the OP is seemingly happy to settle for a new 107, yet ridiculed the idea of a new 1.2 Panda - much the same money after discounting & IMO a far better car, particularly when it comes to driving it.

:yeahthat:

 

[RobinPJ]

I have mixed feelings about this thread. I agree that the OP's problems are not so bad, and there is a lot to be said for the expression "better the devil you know".

Against that, the quality of the parts used to build the 500 would make me think twice about buying one again(but for the fact my wife loves them like no other car). Breather pipes, rear hatch loom, washer jets, door handles, exhausts and suspension are things that just should not fail with the regularity that they do with the 500. What is more worrying is that (i) the warranty appears often not to be honoured the way it should in year three and (ii) Fiat seems to act with all the alacrity of continental drift to improve things.

However, touch wood, I have only had one problem in nearly three years that the dealer sorted quickly and effectively. I'm sure the car will be fine. However, I do always tell the kids not to grab the door handles too roughly....

 

[The Littlest Hobo]

Can I ask what model 107

 

[arorat]

It doesn't really matter what 107 was purchased, one could guess if it was a swap for £7k.

 

[Super Uwe]

:yeahthat:

What I still can't get my head round is how the OP is seemingly happy to settle for a new 107, yet ridiculed the idea of a new 1.2 Panda - much the same money after discounting & IMO a far better car, particularly when it comes to driving it.

Also agree with what you are saying here (of course I would as we've got a new Panda!).

But I guess if the OP has lost trust in the brand and also the quality of the components, I don't think there's anything to suggest that the new Panda will provide major comfort for her either.

I'm kind of hoping that the parts we know to be vulnerable to early wear in the 500 are of a slightly better quality in the new Panda, but no-one is likely to know for another few years until more of them are on the roads.

 

[Ulpian]

Same parts probably.

But we all know all makes are the same; they buy in bits from suppliers and demand the lowest prices, so cuts are made.

NO manufactiuter is immune from this. At least with Fiat we don't expect Mercedes quality. If we did we'd be incandescent when the bit failed, as it will, even in a Merc. :devil:

 

[jrkitching]

Against that, the quality of the parts used to build the 500 would make me think twice about buying one again

Given current residuals, the 500 is probably a car best bought new & traded in before the niggly problems start. IMO a secondhand 500 is just possibly the worst value-for money small car you can buy used; without DIY skills, I think they will be more expensive to maintain than most others in their class once the warranty period has expired.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I think they will be more expensive to maintain than most others in their class once the warranty period has expired.

Whys that out of interest? Surly the large number about will mean easier to source pattern replacement parts?

 

[jrkitching]

Whys that out of interest? Surly the large number about will mean easier to source pattern replacement parts?

Availability of aftermarket parts will certainly help, but the sheer number of minor faults that are likely to need rectification (suspension, battery, exhaust, hatch wiring, door mirrors, etc) in that period could add up to a sizeable bill. My previous small hatchback made it to 10yrs/100k without needing any of those items replacing. A friend had a 13yr old Honda Civic that had needed nothing beyond routine servicing.

For used Panda money (around £4k for a 3yr old Dynamic Eco), these are probably acceptable costs (and the Panda seems to have fewer systemic weak points), but if you're paying upwards of £7k for a 3yr old 500, you don't want to be shelling out to replace all this lot as well.

A 3yr old 500 Lounge is damn near twice the price of a 3yr old Eleganza - and I'd say the Eleganza will likely be the more reliable of the two.

So without even leaving the FIAT stable, for little more than half the price, you could buy a better equipped car that's likely to cost less in maintenance once the warranty's ended. I rest my case.

 

[arorat]

some valid points, some parts would last longer if the is looked after.

I am definitely looking at 208Gti before or at end of 3 yrs (May 2014) and if the new Pug 2008 drives well on the 208 chassis then that could be a contender for the Rav4. Peugeot may have our business after the very long gap (205GTi and 405 SRi), let the good times roll... maybe.