Goodcoin said:

Wow... They quoted my 520 EUR (including tax) for the part. Plus the replacement costs. I don't know... You can buy a whole working car for this money in Lithuania.

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Isn't it best to try to scrape off the excess gunk and refit but with superglue or similar?

I noticed when mine came off a few weeks ago even though the electronic switch seems to be hanging down, once the cover's removed when you put it back it kinda fits back into place and operates as normal.

I'd try that first and see how it goes before forking out that extravagent sum for a replacement part.

Alanw47 said:

Challenge it. It is a known fault, many of us have had that part replaced, plus how many others. It takes less than hour to fix it. That is a horrendous price for a lock switch, a bit of trim and a badge

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I can't challenge the part price, it's out of the local dealership's control. I can only ask for the discount on the replacement job, but it shouldn't be too much anyway.

cowabunga said:

I'd try that first and see how it goes before forking out that extravagent sum for a replacement part.

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Of course. That sum is half my freaking salary! I can't just cough it up without trying other options first.

Goodcoin said:

Of course. That sum is half my freaking salary! I can't just cough it up without trying other options first.

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Check your trading standards laws in your country. Here in the UK *known* design / manufacturing faults should be repaired free of charge even after the warranty period has expired. Getting Fiat to do it is another matter but as you see in this forum and posts by many people this is a reoccurring and known problem and component failure so it won't come as a surprise to Fiat.

s130 said:

Check your trading standards laws in your country. Here in the UK *known* design / manufacturing faults should be repaired free of charge even after the warranty period has expired.

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Unfortunately, the trading laws don't apply in my case. When you buy a used car from an independent source here in Lithuania, the local official dealerships completely waive your rights. The reseller is also not bound by any sort of obligations whatsoever. You are completely on your own.

Goodcoin said:

I can't challenge the part price, it's out of the local dealership's control. I can only ask for the discount on the replacement job, but it shouldn't be too much anyway.

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You can ask for a goodwill contribution from Fiat as it is a known fault

In the UK you have up to 6 years to claim from the manufacturer. You do however have to show that the design is poor, not really fit for purpose, is a known issue and not a result of fair wear and tear.

I would be approaching Fiat in Lithuania if not for a free replacement then on a goodwill contribution from Fiat.

In the UK if Fiat were to kick us a fuss then one could serve them with a "freedom of information act" request for how many boot switches had been replaced under warranty and after warranty (sold or on goodwill basis). That would prove the poor design not fit for purpose.

s130 said:

I would be approaching Fiat in Lithuania if not for a free replacement then on a goodwill contribution from Fiat.

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You need to know that things work differently in small countries like Lithuania in that regard. Most car manufacturers simply don't have fully authorized local dealers there, just small-scale affiliates who are basically useless in making any decisions exceeding the limits of standard service and care. And if you try to reach the manufacturer directly, in most cases they will redirect you back to those local guys, making it a vicious circle.

After reading the comments I'd suggest trying the DIY repair first.

If this fails then get onto Fiat directly, and try and find as much evidence from as many different sources beforehand to send them showing this is a manufacturing defect. Even discussion boards like this help. Then they should be able to arrange with a smaller affiliate to fit the part either for free or part subsidised.

FOI requests are not applicable, they (in the UK anyway) are only for public sector bodies.

cowabunga said:

FOI requests are not applicable, they (in the UK anyway) are only for public sector bodies.

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I kind of new that but often you have to play the game.

You state your believed right and then it is up to the other party to challenge/deny. How many of us know the exact letter of the law/requirement? The receiving end may be as clueless as us but are aware of the freedom of information principal and don't get legal involved in everything.

After all *they* try it on us all the time, push us to legal, and then fail to show in court and lose their case. (the *they* refers to a shed load of not punter friendly businesses)

Please note. I'm not implying or suggesting Fiat UK/Italy are cowboys etc. In the UK they are on the whole pretty good and fair.

cowabunga said:

If this fails then get onto Fiat directly, and try and find as much evidence from as many different sources beforehand to send them showing this is a manufacturing defect.

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Unfortunately, I can't even contact FIAT directly from here. The European customer care toll-free number is not operational in Lithuania, and the country is not supported in the Ciao Fiat mobile app. I can't find any contact form or email on their global websites. I can only chat with the country-level (US, UK, etc.) online support, but I'm afraid that won't get me anywhere, since I'm not in those countries.

My 500X is Keyless-Go and on the key fob I have the boot release button (double push required). Neverreally used it before but have just tried it and it pops to boot/tailgate just like pressing the button. So if one has the key fob with the boot release button then a replacement key fob (for when you wear the boot release button out on your existing fobs) is probably going to be far cheaper than 500 Euros!

s130 said:

My 500X is Keyless-Go and on the key fob I have the boot release button (double push required). Neverreally used it before but have just tried it and it pops to boot/tailgate just like pressing the button. So if one has the key fob with the boot release button then a replacement key fob (for when you wear the boot release button out on your existing fobs) is probably going to be far cheaper than 500 Euros!

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Great suggestion, the batteries are cheap too ( CR2032)

s130 said:

My 500X is Keyless-Go and on the key fob I have the boot release button (double push required). Neverreally used it before but have just tried it and it pops to boot/tailgate just like pressing the button. So if one has the key fob with the boot release button then a replacement key fob (for when you wear the boot release button out on your existing fobs) is probably going to be far cheaper than 500 Euros!

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Not an option for me. My car also has keyless entry, but the key fob doesn't have a boot release button, unfortunately. Good suggestion, though.

Here we go. Removed the whole damn thing and will attempt the repair.

Thanks for the picture. Thankfully I've not needed to go this far in dismantling the rear "cluster".

All those one shot? plastic pegs / rivets / ..... look like a nightmare when one comes to reliably refitting????

s130 said:

All those one shot? plastic pegs / rivets / ..... look like a nightmare when one comes to reliably refitting????

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Fortunately, the design is quite solid here. Basically, you can't refit it in a wrong way.

And here's the result. I'll beautify it later.

Well done, saved yourself a shedload of money and got a working car again. Presumably you had to remove the plastic trim on the inside of the tailgate to get to the nuts/bolts? I had to replace the boot release button on my daughter's Bravo a few years ago, and getting that trim off was a pain - I did break a couple of the plastic fittings but luckily it didn't rattle afterwards.

TrevC said:

Presumably you had to remove the plastic trim on the inside of the tailgate to get to the nuts/bolts? I had to replace the boot release button on my daughter's Bravo a few years ago, and getting that trim off was a pain - I did break a couple of the plastic fittings but luckily it didn't rattle afterwards.

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Yes, I had to remove the tailgate trim and I broke a few fittings in the process, too. But I'm going to replace them – bought a whole bunch at a local auto store today. I haven't assembled this whole thing back yet, still waiting for the sealant to dry. For some reason, it's taking a lot of time, despite the word "instant" on the tube.