General A Cautionary Tale - the front of the new Fiat 500s unbolts and can be stolen

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General A Cautionary Tale - the front of the new Fiat 500s unbolts and can be stolen

ronmanager

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Mine was stolen overnight from the street outside my house in full view of about 20 houses - screwdriver forced into door lock (to open the bonnet I guess), whole front bumper, grill, lights and bonnet gone.


A neighbour over the road who's a mechanic showed me where it is all bolted on with two big bolts.


Nightmare
 
Condolences.

I don't have any words strong enough to describe my feelings for the scumbags who perpetrate these kind of acts - at least not ones I can use without having to ban myself from the forum.

I guess all you can do now is let the insurers sort it out.
 
Yep. Police not interested. Bolts left behind. Wiring cut. Obviously going onto a crashed one. Xenon lights so if there's a repaired black write off with xenons on Ebay in the next few weeks, say hello to my front 1/3rd.
 
Yep. Police not interested. Bolts left behind. Wiring cut. Obviously going onto a crashed one. Xenon lights so if there's a repaired black write off with xenons on Ebay in the next few weeks, say hello to my front 1/3rd.

I can see where this might be headed.

Insurance company writes the car off; the parts to repair this will cost a fortune, and they'll get good money for the salvage as there's no structural damage. Gets passed through the food chain to a shady bodyshop; a new front end is 'ordered', which magically appears after a long, dark night... ...followed by another post from someone who's just had their front end nicked :rolleyes::bang:.

Just the job for 'Des' (for those old enough remember the early 'Minder' episodes).
 
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Catford. Right outside house under a streetlight. I saw it at 1am out the window. Wife went to drive it at 6.10. Only 18 months old with 5k on. It's been jinxed from day one.
 
Now worried someone's going to lift the battery, radiator etc
 
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Here's the bits nicked off my wife's 500s. I do feel for you. Ok ours isn't as bad as what has happened to you but it's still frustrating that people will go to any lengths.
 
What can you do? Anyone recommend a reliable alarm? Do Fiat retrofit one?
 
That's awful, the poor car. At least it wasent stolen and wrecked, your insurance should sort it and it ought to be a straightforward parts replacement job unless there's some collateral damage. Best get it under cover somewhere safe asap and yes fit an alarm, they might come back for the doors!
 
That's awful, the poor car. At least it wasent stolen and wrecked, your insurance should sort it and it ought to be a straightforward parts replacement job unless there's some collateral damage. Best get it under cover somewhere safe asap and yes fit an alarm, they might come back for the doors!

It has been towed already. Only actual damage was the door and a couple of wiring looms cut. It still started and drove (onto the recovery truck.)


Recovery bloke had never seen anything like it before.
 
Let's hope they repair it,,,
The parts list will have quite a few parts on it, the lights being my main concern re cost?


I have a back to invoice Gap policy so a write off won't matter so much. Just the whole thing is hassle. More worried at the moment that the repairer will price it up with standard headlights. Hopefully not.
 
I have a back to invoice Gap policy so a write off won't matter so much. Just the whole thing is hassle. More worried at the moment that the repairer will price it up with standard headlights. Hopefully not.

In that case, it might work out better for you if they do write it off.

Perhaps a fresh start would be better after all that has happened?

Fingers crossed you get the result you are hoping for, whatever that may be.
 
This happens quite a bit I think. The first one I sold to someone which wasn't a write off got done a few months ago. The bodyshop I used told me about it and the penny dropped that it was the one I sold.

They had the whole front, and the steering airbag, right outside her house.

The good news is, it's an easy fix. I could do it in a couple of hours.

Scour ebay for a bumper and bits in the right colour and you're half way there.

There's actually a set of Xenon headlights for sale in Downham, just up the road from you for £100. Don't worry, they're not off your car, I know the bloke and he gets his cars from insurance companies.

If you saw my video of changing a lock recently, you will see how easy it is to pop a hole in the door and operate the rod to open and unlock the door.

It's not just 2 bolts though, you have two underneath, 4 on top, 2 in each wheel arch so it would take a few minutes to do it. I've done loads of them and it still takes me a good 20 minutes to get one off.

Here's the link for the lights. He is actually breaking a new shape 500 at the moment. Not sure what colour it is, but you never know, he may have a bumper.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-Fiat-500-Xenon-Headlights/253147177342
 
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This happens quite a bit I think. The first one I sold to someone which wasn't a write off got done a few months ago. The bodyshop I used told me about it and the penny dropped that it was the one I sold.

They had the whole front, and the steering airbag, right outside her house.

The good news is, it's an easy fix. I could do it in a couple of hours.

Scour ebay for a bumper and bits in the right colour and you're half way there.

There's actually a set of Xenon headlights for sale in Downham, just up the road from you for £100. Don't worry, they're not off your car, I know the bloke and he gets his cars from insurance companies.

If you saw my video of changing a lock recently, you will see how easy it is to pop a hole in the door and operate the rod to open and unlock the door.

It's not just 2 bolts though, you have two underneath, 4 on top, 2 in each wheel arch so it would take a few minutes to do it. I've done loads of them and it still takes me a good 20 minutes to get one off.

Here's the link for the lights. He is actually breaking a new shape 500 at the moment. Not sure what colour it is, but you never know, he may have a bumper.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-Fiat-500-Xenon-Headlights/253147177342


Thanks for all that research but it's in the hands of Mr Aviva and his Erith repairer now - my days of repairing motors ended 25 odd years ago.


Good find though on the lights - are the 2013 ones the same as the new shape from 2016?
 
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Just spoke to my Fiat dealer about getting an alarm fitted and they also have had TWO fronts of Fiat 500s stolen from their lot recently. Plus cutting of the wires to the lights means a new wiring loom which is a lot of labour charge on top of all the parts.


Beware.
 
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