Technical Instrument Cluster Error

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Technical Instrument Cluster Error

Greensl687

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I have the common problem of some of my dash lights flashing when I indicate right. I have taken it into a Fiat garage & they have advised the whole unit requires replacing because it is self contained, at a cost of £450. The car is only just out of warranty, but Fiat have refused to assist in any way, despite the Fiat garage advising they would likely contribute a goodwill gesture. Despite refusing, the reasons Fiat have given are not valid and only one person out of the three I spoke to listed out of warranty as a refusal. Is there any where else I can go with this? My car is less than 4 years old and I've had it for less than 1 year, plus it is still on finance.

I'm not happy being asked to pay this amount for an issue that appears to be common in Fiat cars and having nobody take any responsibility for the fault.
 
There used to be a similar problem with the instrument cluster on mk1 Audi TT. Audi said new cluster only solution but actually you could send the unit to a firm who could repair and return it to you for not a lot of cash. I imagine that will be the case here so you might want to search on the internet before letting the dealer take your cash.
 
Autotronics will do it at £200 inc vat. May be others cheaper ? Ecutesting is another . I know Honest John the Daily Telegraph motoring writer recommends them quite often .
 
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I have the common problem of some of my dash lights flashing when I indicate right. I have taken it into a Fiat garage & they have advised the whole unit requires replacing because it is self contained, at a cost of £450. The car is only just out of warranty, but Fiat have refused to assist in any way, despite the Fiat garage advising they would likely contribute a goodwill gesture. Despite refusing, the reasons Fiat have given are not valid and only one person out of the three I spoke to listed out of warranty as a refusal. Is there any where else I can go with this? My car is less than 4 years old and I've had it for less than 1 year, plus it is still on finance.

I'm not happy being asked to pay this amount for an issue that appears to be common in Fiat cars and having nobody take any responsibility for the fault.

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear about your problem.

Folks here have reported a great deal of variation in the attitude of Fiat Customer Services in situations like yours.

I believe Fiat's formal policy is that, in order to be considered for a goodwill contibution to an out-of-warranty repair, the car must always have been serviced by a franchised dealer, and the owner must be the first registered keeper of the car. That said, some people have still managed to negotiate a contibution on secondhand cars.

From a legal perspective, you have no claim against Fiat as the car is out of warranty. Any claim you may have would be against the supplying dealer. If it came to Court, then you would have to prove (1) that the fault was present at the time of your original purchase and (2) was sufficient to render the car substantially unfit for purpose. In practice, this burden of proof would make a claim difficult if not impossible, so if you can't negotiate a contribution from either Fiat or the supplying dealer, then I'm afraid you're unlikely to be able to get any redress anywhere else. My suggestion is that you put your energy into finding a more cost effective repair route than taking it to a franchised dealer.

You might be able to get it fixed considerably cheaper using secondhand parts; @typecastboy has bought secondhand clusters on the 'bay for much less than you've been quoted. If you do buy a secondhand cluster, make sure it has recorded fewer miles than yours; they can be adjusted forward, but not back.

Also check the car for the all-too-common hatch wiring fault, as this can cause similar symptoms; repairing it is a much easier fix.
 
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Thanks for the responses. Fiat gave me a few reasons why my claim was rejected but then continued to give me different information depending on who I was speaking to.

I think I'll get my car back form Fiat and try one of the more affordable options as suggested. £450 is a bit extreme for an issue that Fiat are apparently already aware of, especially as I haven't even owned the car long enough to tax or MOT it yet!
 
It might be worth contacting the Finance company - it has been known for them to take it up with the supplier and they may have more influence than you...
 
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