(G) Another distisfied owner of the new 500:

Fiat U.K., what a joke. I love the new 500 but that's where the fun begins.
My friend pre ordered a 500 in August I think it was on the condition it was the first to be registered or at least sold. My friend a lawyer to trade, asked me if I'd like to accompany him to a dealer in the Leeds area to pick it up and that was on 26/01/08. We travelled by train arriving 2 hours late at the dealers due to a break down on the main Carlisle to Leeds line. We were picked up and eventually got to the dealers at 17:00hrs. After paperwork and formalities were out the way, we set off in a 1.3 multijet which lasted 4 miles before the engine warning light came on combined with a loss of power. The car had 56 miles on the clock which we thought was a little high for a new car but to fail and break down after 4 miles is shocking. We limped back to the dealers who were now just. Phoned the AA who couldn't do anything for us so we abandoned the car outside the showroom. Unable to get home that night via train, plane or hire car we spent the night at the Leeds Novotel.
Sunday morning and we caught the early train back to Glasgow which cost us £70. The hotel had cost us £60 if I'm correct. Anyway, when I got back to Glasgow I visited a local dealer to ask about the high mileage and was told a new car should have approx 7/8 miles on the clock. The local dealer knows my friend and was quite agrressive when he found out that my friend had "wasted his time" and gone further afield to order a car. Next came the knockout blow when the dealer said "he's a ***, wasting my time". I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
So, where does this leave us? I have been heavily into Italian cars for many years. I have driven on the Lingotto test track twice, I have met and been introduced to Nuccio Bertone. This hopefully lets you see that I'm an anorak when it comes to Italian cars and this is what makes me both so angry and sad that Fiat are letting their dealers destroy there name.
I have already sent an e-mail to FIAT U.K. and to FIAT.COM under complaints and will give them a phone during the week to vent my fury. All the work that has been done to launch the Fiat 500 and look at the state we're already in. FIAT U.K., you had better open your eyes because a draft is being prepared for the motoring press. I as a customer of Fiat and an enthusiast want to be respected. If your dealers aren't up to the job it's time to move them aside and look for others than can do the job.
Ewen in Scotland

It does sound like he's been getting some bad service from the dealer though. And anyway, the mileage should have been queried on collection.

Don't you get 3 years free AA cover on a new car?