I'm looking at buying myself a 500 Abarth to keep my 4x4 Panda company on the drive. Looking to pay around £7K which seems to get me an 09 50K+ miles car.




Can anybody point me in a direction of a buyers guide or give me some tips on what to look out for?


Thanks, Mike

Common problems:

Rust: Underside of bonnet, exhaust, sills, boot closings, door hinges etc
Bearings: Wheel bearings fail at 30,000 to 40,000, check they've been changed.
Suspension: Front strut mounts only last a year or 2 at most, check when they were changed last. Rear shock bushes wear out quickly too, check for metallic clunk over bumps at the rear.
Exhaust: I've heard some cases of the manifold gaskets blowing due to the extra weight and pressure from the turbo, expensive job!
Alternator: A few cases of alternator failings, check condition carefully, and the battery.
Interior: Play with the heating/fans, they can squeak. Heated mirrors are fragile and can break easy.

Good luck

PercyCravers said:

Common problems:

Rust: Underside of bonnet, exhaust, sills, boot closings, door hinges etc
Bearings: Wheel bearings fail at 30,000 to 40,000, check they've been changed.
Suspension: Front strut mounts only last a year or 2 at most, check when they were changed last. Rear shock bushes wear out quickly too, check for metallic clunk over bumps at the rear.
Exhaust: I've heard some cases of the manifold gaskets blowing due to the extra weight and pressure from the turbo, expensive job!
Alternator: A few cases of alternator failings, check condition carefully, and the battery.
Interior: Play with the heating/fans, they can squeak. Heated mirrors are fragile and can break easy.

Good luck

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could premature wheel bearing failure be due to the extra weight of the wheels? i mean 17 inch rims for such a weak and small car, forget it = )

Possibly, more likley to be related to another common issue, sticking brakes, causing them too overheat and wear prematurely .

PercyCravers said:

Common problems:

Rust: Underside of bonnet, exhaust, sills, boot closings, door hinges etc
Bearings: Wheel bearings fail at 30,000 to 40,000, check they've been changed.
Suspension: Front strut mounts only last a year or 2 at most, check when they were changed last. Rear shock bushes wear out quickly too, check for metallic clunk over bumps at the rear.
Exhaust: I've heard some cases of the manifold gaskets blowing due to the extra weight and pressure from the turbo, expensive job!
Alternator: A few cases of alternator failings, check condition carefully, and the battery.
Interior: Play with the heating/fans, they can squeak. Heated mirrors are fragile and can break easy.

Good luck

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Thanks for that useful info. What about timing belts, at what interval do they need to be replaced I would suspect it would be around the age or mileage I'm looking at?

I think it's 5 years, not sure of the mileage interval, but at the age of the cars you are looking at, it's probably best to buy one that's had it done. If not, use it as bargaining tool to get a few hundred pounds off the price.

Mike n Helen said:

Thanks for that useful info. What about timing belts, at what interval do they need to be replaced I would suspect it would be around the age or mileage I'm looking at?

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I'd certainly either want to see proper evidence of a 'belt change on an A500 of that age/mileage, or I'd be doing it as the first job after buying the car. Evidence of regular oil changes (and I don't mean just stamps in a service book - you need to see the invoices) is essential on this car.

I know it's the price they make, but IMO £7K for a 6yr old performance hatchback that cost less than £14k new is crazy expensive. I'd expect most cars of that age & mileage to be well tired by now.

You could probably pick up a Swift Sport of similar age/mileage for not much more than half that money, and it'd likely cost you far less in maintenance and repairs going forward. Even better, for £7k you should just about be able to snag one of the current model cars (2012 model year onwards). Straight line performance is close to an Abarth, and on a track it'll leave the A500 in the weeds.

The A500's low depreciation makes it a good choice when bought new, but I'd be concerned about a six year old car turning into a money pit.

jrkitching said:

The A500's low depreciation makes it a good choice when bought new, but I'd be concerned about a six year old car turning into a money pit.

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This too has been on my mind especially as I can get the Privilege Scheme discount through my brother in law. So today, spending the same money I was going to spend on 6 year old car I have bought a brand new one instead. 0% and no payments for two years and then one final payment for the balance, a really good offer IMO which I'm happy with, so roll on Saturday.


Mike

Good luck with the new car. Pics please!

Melanabb said:

Good luck with the new car. Pics please!

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There you go









Not the best quality picture as this was taken by the guy in the showroom. Not actually seen the car myself in the flesh yet, but I have driven one and I have seen this combination in the past, so hopefully all is good on Saturday when I collect it.


Mike

Just ordered a one ourselves on the same scheme.

We were going to save up for a new car next year, but there were a few built so we couldnt wait!

Should be here in a week or two.

Did you get yours from Richard Hardie? Just the salesman said we were the second people to buy on this scheme.

bowserman said:

Just ordered a one ourselves on the same scheme.

We were going to save up for a new car next year, but there were a few built so we couldnt wait!

Should be here in a week or two.

Did you get yours from Richard Hardie? Just the salesman said we were the second people to buy on this scheme.

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Certainly did at Silverlink. I bought my 4x4 Panda from there too. It's great when you don't have a part ex and you are buying on the scheme, you just phone up, say what you want and tell them the price you're going to pay, no haggling it's great. I even had to send to the FIAT dealer the latest scheme information as they didn't have it...........


Enjoy your new car..

We have got a part ex, a two year old 500 which nearly covered the deposit. Might stick it up for sale if we get the logbook back soon enough (has got private plate on it). I think we will get more selling private.
Looking forward to getting the new one, or should I say the other half is.

Its 4 years for the cambelt or 72k miles. So it should have been changed by now regardless of the mileage if its an 09 plate.

The Wiring loom to the boot can fray over time causing the boot to fail to unlock. Soldering them back together can fix this.

Door handle hinges snap easily, but thankfully cost sod all to fix.

I came from a 500 pop to the Abarth and so have a good idea of which upgrades are worth it. I definitely recommend split fold rear seats. The interscope sound system is well worth it too, as is the electronic climate control. Auto dimming rear view mirror is also a nice addition.

The standard suspension is rather squidgy so I would recommend a Koni upgrade. These can be had off the net relatively cheaply now. I would say the suspension is the single best upgrade you can get.

I think the earlier comment of top mounts needing to be replaced every 1-2 years is slightly pessimistic, however they do go eventually. I've had my car for 2 years and as far as I'm aware they've never been replaced ( its an 09 plate). Touch wood its been reliable so far.

Edit: just noticed the OP has now bought a new one, but you never know other people may find the info useful!