Broke down this morning in rush hour traffic!
Lost all power and the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. Fortunately my son is a mechanic and I was by his garage and was able to push it in. He initially thought that it was the ECU, but as the car is only 3 years old, he put it on the ramp. To his amazement the main earth lead had snapped at the crimp. He telephoned our local Fiat dealer and was told that they had sold 77 in the last three months and they were on back order from Italy (3 weeks wait). He bought a higher rated piece of cable and crimped it himself. The car is back up and running.
This is by far the most unreliable car I have ever owned and I am planning on part exchanging it on Saturday for a new Kia.

msm3 said:

Broke down this morning in rush hour traffic!
Lost all power and the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. Fortunately my son is a mechanic and I was by his garage and was able to push it in. He initially thought that it was the ECU, but as the car is only 3 years old, he put it on the ramp. To his amazement the main earth lead had snapped at the crimp. He telephoned our local Fiat dealer and was told that they had sold 77 in the last three months and they were on back order from Italy (3 weeks wait). He bought a higher rated piece of cable and crimped it himself. The car is back up and running.
This is by far the most unreliable car I have ever owned and I am planning on part exchanging it on Saturday for a new Kia.

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I had a 2 year old Fiesta Si that did that and it was on the roundabout under the M25 at the junction of the M2 on the last workday before Easter at rush hour.

Oh how I hate Fords

So you've had a one off issue and it's made the car the most unreliable ever owned...? I suspect even a single issue would cause the car to call into this category if you've never had an issue before

Good luck with the Kia, great warrenty with them, just hope that it doesn't become unreliable also though.

This is not the only issue. This is fourth, three of which left the car at the side of the road. I have had four Nissan's over the last twenty years and not one of them has left me at the side of the road. Two of the issues I have had (Including the one today) I would consider to be dangerous, but Fiat are not interested. In fact, they are rude and unhelpful.

The Kia will be perfect if all you need is a method of getting from A-B but if you like to enjoy the journey then it will leave you wanting. Don't get me wriong, it does what it says on the tin, but it hasn't got the 'X' factor that puts the big smile on your face.

msm3 said:

This is not the only issue. This is fourth, three of which left the car at the side of the road. I have had four Nissan's over the last twenty years and not one of them has left me at the side of the road. Two of the issues I have had (Including the one today) I would consider to be dangerous, but Fiat are not interested. In fact, they are rude and unhelpful.

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So what were the other issues then

Looking at your previous posts you crashed it and it caused an issue with your brake switch but didn't see anything else of consequence

If applying the brakes hard, before a minor accident, makes the brake switch fail, then I would call that poor engineering. The other significant one was a battery that gave up after 3 months. On several occasions the dashboard has lit up and I have had to disconnect the battery for the car to reset itself. Also, if you leave it for a fortnight, it is reluctant to start. All of the alloys have started to pit badly, even though I keep them clean and use a non aggressive cleaner (My Nissan's alloys are in as good condition after 11 years). The final nail in the coffin is the horrendous depreciation £17500 new, three years and 14000 miles later £5000. I love the car and it is good to drive, just don't like the ownership experience.

that's why nobody buys new cars, even a jag or rangerover would depreciate very quick from new. i think maybe your particular car is a bit of a shed, mine is 6 years old and still 0 problems to be had.

sucks to be you i guess

You paid £17500!! Wow, I'm sure large discounts have been easily available for some time on the Bravo?

Saying that, depreciation was the reason my 59 plate was such a bargain!

i find this very hard to believe that the battery earth strap has failed/is failing so often

There is no movement between the battery and shell.

Engine earth strap i can believe

deebo007 said:

You paid £17500!! Wow, I'm sure large discounts have been easily available for some time on the Bravo?

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Depends upon spec - with only 250 dualogics (only 100 petrol like OPs) on UK roads its a car which would have been factory only orders, they wouldn't have been imported to become pre-reg vehicles for example.

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Depends upon spec - with only 250 dualogics (only 100 petrol like OPs) on UK roads its a car which would have been factory only orders, they wouldn't have been imported to become pre-reg vehicles for example.

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Fair enough, must be a real sicken-er for depreciation when paying full list.

list on my car was over 20K, i bought it 2 1/2 years old for less than half that.
until recently you could spec the same car and it was £23k

it is a fully loaded sport, only things 'missing' are skydome, HID and parking sensors

I'm on my fourth Fiat. The last two I had for approximately 10 years each (Teapot and Bravo 1, both owned from new). The first was a Regatta which I had for 6 years.
The current mode of transport is a 2007 (57) Bravo 150 T-Jet Active which I've had for 5 years.

Not one of the above has been unreliable, hence the longevity of ownership.

One notable area which the Teapot and the B1 caused me problems (once on each) was the stalks.

The B1 was still on its original clutch, exhaust, injectors, blah blah when I part ex'd for the B2.

Charnwood Fox said:

I'm on my fourth Fiat. The last two I had for approximately 10 years each (Teapot and Bravo 1, both owned from new). The first was a Regatta which I had for 6 years.
The current mode of transport is a 2007 (57) Bravo 150 T-Jet Active which I've had for 5 years.

Not one of the above has been unreliable, hence the longevity of ownership.

One notable area which the Teapot and the B1 caused me problems (once on each) was the stalks.

The B1 was still on its original clutch, exhaust, injectors, blah blah when I part ex'd for the B2.

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similar experience here, I am also on my second Bravo

original was purchased used (advert on eBay on about at 37k from an Essex boy that had used it), i ran it for 2 1/2 years then passed it to my wife; it is now on 98k miles and totally reliable, only regular servicing and a rear coil spring (lots of potholes)...
replaced last year with similar model - would I have bought another if they were anything other than brilliant?

I think we can safely say that MOST Fiats are very good however the OP has had one of the bad ones. No amount of people saying they have had brilliant Fiats is going to change his mind about his present vehicle. I think though, going by the replies, that his experience is possibly rarer than the good ones.

scout said:

I think we can safely say that MOST Fiats are very good however the OP has had one of the bad ones. No amount of people saying they have had brilliant Fiats is going to change his mind about his present vehicle. I think though, going by the replies, that his experience is possibly rarer than the good ones.

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OP crashed the car and the brake switch needed adjusting, cest la vie

some faults displayed that were not investigated, but battery pulled
perhaps OP damaged the earth strap?

cosmetic corrosion on wheels - yes that happens with road salt

RobW said:

OP crashed the car and the brake switch needed adjusting, cest la vie

some faults displayed that were not investigated, but battery pulled
perhaps OP damaged the earth strap?

cosmetic corrosion on wheels - yes that happens with road salt

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Sorry I meant to say bad experience rather than car. But in his mind its the cars fault and nothing anybody says will change his mind. I have a 2013 500 and a 1986 Panda, both of which have never missed a beat but that won't convince someone with a bad experience that they are mistaken. I have had a also had a good experience with a dealer that another member has had a nightmare (to the point that he changed his car to get away), my experience will not change their mind either.

Thirty six years of Fiat ownership later, often alongside other brands proves that in the main Fiat cars are reliable. Our 2009 Bravo has been absolutely fine, needing only routine servicing. Our 1987 Panda 4x4 with 175k on the clock runs as well as ever - it is my chosen mode of daily transport.
Nuff said.