Glad you found it so funny Maxi! there is no proof that there was a previous repair. Though I would have gladly submitted it for an independent inspection if given the opportunity. You are clearly a Fiat Champion and like them are dismissive of any criticism - I am sure you'd also fit in well at Stoneacre if you're ever looking for job. Good luck for the future and I hope someone is more understanding if ever you're sold a dud car

Have you had someone go over that rear 1/4 with a paint thickness gauge? be a very quick test / check to see if it has had any repair work done.....


Its far from unusual for a car been delivered to be damaged in transit and repaired before it even makes the show room........ There used to be a centre just round the corner from us whos soul purpose was to body shop new cars



Oh and Stoneacre do put out repaired cars on their forecourt i nearly bought one....


https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-evo/271482-wr10-hgp-1-4-8v-active-evo-caveat-emptor.html

(and to be fair my mate spotted the repair not me i had my new car blinkers on)


Did you pay over £100 deposit on credit card? (card co will then be jointly liable for the car not been fit for purpose)

You a member of the AA / RAC they do reduced cost independent inspections and free legal advice to members on all motoring issues

krossi said:

Glad you found it so funny Maxi! there is no proof that there was a previous repair. Though I would have gladly submitted it for an independent inspection if given the opportunity. You are clearly a Fiat Champion and like them are dismissive of any criticism - I am sure you'd also fit in well at Stoneacre if you're ever looking for job. Good luck for the future and I hope someone is more understanding if ever you're sold a dud car

Click to expand...

I'm not laughing at your misfortune, I'm laughing at the fact that you're talking about rust haunting fiat when we're only talking about one car

One of my cars we got from Stoneace back in 2003, no rust, never let us down and still runs like new nearly 100k miles later!

I don't see how the garage or Fiat UK can be blamed, the term of the warranty are clearly displayed.

T14086 said:

One of my cars we got from Stoneace back in 2003, no rust, never let us down and still runs like new nearly 100k miles later!

I don't see how the garage or Fiat UK can be blamed, the term of the warranty are clearly displayed.

Click to expand...

But it's an Italian car and it's rusting. It must be Fiat's fault

T14086 said:

One of my cars we got from Stoneace back in 2003, no rust, never let us down and still runs like new nearly 100k miles later!

I don't see how the garage or Fiat UK can be blamed, the term of the warranty are clearly displayed.

Click to expand...

Do the garage, who serviced & inspected the car recently including a visual inspection employ blind people (as in visually impaired not venetian / roller type) then

Also, where the hell is the galvanisation

Squadrone Rosso said:

Do the garage, who serviced & inspected the car recently including a visual inspection employ blind people (as in visually impaired not venetian / roller type) then

Click to expand...

Only those who are as blind as the vehicle owner.

If the owner of the car didn't spot an issue, then how perhaps do you expect a garage to with a visual inspection?

They look at the car, just like any other person, they don't get their CSI gloves out, knee pads, and get up and personal with each panel and crevice!

Squadrone Rosso said:

Do the garage, who serviced & inspected the car recently including a visual inspection employ blind people (as in visually impaired not venetian / roller type) then

Also, where the hell is the galvanisation

Click to expand...

it's pretty bloody obvious that a rather sheet repair has been done, possibly by the previous owner. Hence the lack of galvanisation.

Squadrone Rosso said:

Do the garage, who serviced & inspected the car recently including a visual inspection employ blind people (as in visually impaired not venetian / roller type) then

Click to expand...

If they have only had one (possible) complaint out of how many Fiat 500's on the road, and how many sold by Stoneacre then that's damn good going on anyone's CSI chart!

It's very unusual for any manufacturer (except ford & VW) to of had any rust issues in the last 10 years, repair/mis-use/stone chips can explain most instances of rust appearing.

God yes, Fords are terrible for rust yet if it happens to a Fiat it's because Italian cars all rust!

Just to shed a bit of light on this myth.I have worked for Ford, VW & Mercedes on the commercial side. At each manufacturer the anti perforation warranty hasnt been worth the paper it is written on. At mercedes i asked last week if a customer had EVER gotten a anti perforation claim through and the answer was no. 99.999999% of the time it can be claimed that the rust is down to an outside influence such as a stone chip.The situation regarding the inspections suprises me. Everywhere i work has charged extra for the visual inspection so if you have a recipt for the extra inspection then i would say you have a point. I suspect a visual inspection in this case is to find warranty work or chargeable work. Not to find paintwork imperfections but i stand corrected if wrong.Anyhow, in my opinion that looks to be the work of stone chips. Its in the right place and unless there is good evidence of repair (Which tbh makes no difference unless someone owns up to repairing it)its what will be assumed to have happened.You did the right thing by moving on. I get the feeling a little bit of patience would have reaped a bit more resale value but it sounds like you just wanted to move on.Shame but i dont think you should hold this against fiat.

The Littlest Hobo said:

Just to shed a bit of light on this myth.I have worked for Ford, VW & Mercedes on the commercial side. At each manufacturer the anti perforation warranty hasnt been worth the paper it is written on. At mercedes i asked last week if a customer had EVER gotten a anti perforation claim through and the answer was no. 99.999999% of the time it can be claimed that the rust is down to an outside influence such as a stone chip.The situation regarding the inspections suprises me. Everywhere i work has charged extra for the visual inspection so if you have a recipt for the extra inspection then i would say you have a point. I suspect a visual inspection in this case is to find warranty work or chargeable work. Not to find paintwork imperfections but i stand corrected if wrong.Anyhow, in my opinion that looks to be the work of stone chips. Its in the right place and unless there is good evidence of repair (Which tbh makes no difference unless someone owns up to repairing it)its what will be assumed to have happened.You did the right thing by moving on. I get the feeling a little bit of patience would have reaped a bit more resale value but it sounds like you just wanted to move on.Shame but i dont think you should hold this against fiat.

Click to expand...

The warranty states that if you want to claim, that it has to be inspected by the manufacturer, so logically if you're paying for a service at a Fiat dealer then if they're servicing it as per the manufacturers schedule then they're meant to do an inspection of the body.

You would have thought so maxi. But i have never worked anywhere that includes the paintwork inspection as part of the service. It also must be completely upto date from 1st service to last. Ie, miss one inspection and that is it void regardless of being up to date prior.Its a chargeable extra on top of a service. A vehicle inspection is different to a paintwork inspection from what i have seen unfortunately.

The Littlest Hobo said:

You would have thought so maxi. But i have never worked anywhere that includes the paintwork inspection as part of the service. It also must be completely upto date from 1st service to last. Ie, miss one inspection and that is it void regardless of being up to date prior.Its a chargeable extra on top of a service. A vehicle inspection is different to a paintwork inspection from what i have seen unfortunately.

Click to expand...

and I suspect Fiat and the dealer would fall down on this If the car is to be serviced as per the warranty then they've said they've serviced it as per the warranty.

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Only those who are as blind as the vehicle owner.

If the owner of the car didn't spot an issue, then how perhaps do you expect a garage to with a visual inspection?

They look at the car, just like any other person, they don't get their CSI gloves out, knee pads, and get up and personal with each panel and crevice!

Click to expand...

What a bizarre statement. If it is a corrosion inspection, then I would expect them to find it as they are specifically looking for it and reporting on it. There wouldn't be much point having a inspection if it was something every owner would pick up. Most people don't spend a lot of time looking over their cars, especially if they are dirty or they pay somebody to clean it.

In this case it must have been pretty obvious "if looking", so you wouldn't need to be a CSI examiner. What you do expect is for them to properly look over the car and report it.

Personally I think it is unlikely to be a manufacturing fault, I would suggest it's been fixed at some point. However this doesn't mean the garage which supplied it isn't responsible. As has been mentioned, in the last 10 years you barely see a rusty car.

So if it is rusty there is a reason other than stone chips, which we will all get otherwise there would be loads of cars with similar rust. If the car has been badly repaired, it is the supplying garage responsibility to make good as it should have been upto Fiat approved standards, which includes any body repairs. Having no knowledge of the repair does not mean the garage doesn't have to meet it's obligation.

The hard bit is having proof.

The Littlest Hobo said:

Just to shed a bit of light on this myth.I have worked for Ford, VW & Mercedes on the commercial side. At each manufacturer the anti perforation warranty hasnt been worth the paper it is written on.

Click to expand...

When you say commercial do you mean panel vans most of which are lucky to get to 3 years old without rot?

as per the mechanical warranty. to maintain the paintwork warranty you may need to pay for a paintwork inspection seperately. As i said, this is how i have seen it work previously, not saying this is how fiat work.

Stephen yes its on the commercials. Ones that are doing 100,000 plus miles per annum and some are even getting older than 3 years ;-)I think someone mentioned above, PAINTWORK INSPECTION. Thats different to a service as per the schedule. And in my experience is chargeable extra.

The Littlest Hobo said:

Stephen yes its on the commercials. Ones that are doing 100,000 plus miles per annum and some are even getting older than 3 years ;-)I think someone mentioned above, PAINTWORK INSPECTION. Thats different to a service as per the schedule. And in my experience is chargeable extra.

Click to expand...

I would say that 99% of rust on commercials is due to neglect, how many courier drivers touch up the stone chips on that days vehicle? They'll have a different one tomorrow. I would have thought private passenger cars have a different regime service wise, going back through my service book sometimes my car has been inspected at service other times it has not but I've never asked specifically for an inspection.

its no different steven. Just because a van is used a bit more intensly doesnt give the manaufacturer a get out of jail free card.They are painted in the same process and trust me, if my customer has paid £40k plus for his van he is going to complain if it rusts.As i said, paintwork has always been a seperate service item where i have worked so it wouldnt suprise me if its the case with fiat. Has anyone scoured a service book to see if its a seperate stamp for the paint.