Rust on 51 Plate Punto - Help Needed

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Rust on 51 Plate Punto - Help Needed

GrahamK

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Aug 22, 2004
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Girlfriend's car is coming up for 3 years old so the warranty expires in a months time. There are spots of rust bubbling up underneath the paint on the front of the roof, one in either corner at the front, about 2 - 3 inches from the top of the windscreen where it joins the roof.

Took it to a Fiat dealer to get it sorted under warranty. A guy from their service department comes out to look at the car and immediately starts telling us it must be stone chips!! :confused: On the roof? WTF! There isn't a mark on the bonnet or windscreen (where a stone chip would be most likely) and how the hell does a stone fly up and hit the roof? There are no scratches or paint flaking where a stone has impacted but this clown says there is a tiny pinhole where the stone has puncture the paint through to the metal so that it is what has caused the rust.

We weren't really buying this so he said he will email Fiat and see if they will sort it under warranty. He is going to get back to us in a few days once Fiat respond but I could tell he was just going through the motions and know exactly what his answer will be.

Would just like to know if anyone else has had this problem or if it is a recognised problem on Puntos or other Fiats as I would like to arm myself with as much info. as possible so we can get this sorted and not be fobbed of with some bullsh*t excuse. The car's less than 3 years old and there's no way it should be rusting already.

Thanks in advance.
 
Have you had it since new? If not, then the only thing I can thing of is poorly-repaired accident damage.

FIAT have galvanized the steel bodywork of their cars since the Mk1 Punto, that's why you only see rust on the older generation of FIATs (e.g. Unos, Pandas, Tipos etc etc..) so I'm surprised you're pissed off that you have it on such a new car.
 
Mine's an X 2000 reg and has no rust either.

I noticed something in the small print recently not sure where I read it about the 7 year rust warranty only applying if you pay for a yearly paint/body inspection or did I read that in another manufacturers advert?
 
I had the same problem mate. Same place as well. Round the Sunroof on my MKII Sporting.

I took it to FIAT and they sorted it out under warrenty.

Mine had a small pin hole as well, they didn't argue. Just done it.
 
Fiat dealer has to sort it out. Force them. Argue. Whatever. Apart from the 3 year warrenty, bodywork should be covered for 6 years (pretty much all new cars are like this).

Stone chips shouldn't cause rust though, just chipped paint.
 
Punto Powa said:
Have you had it since new? If not, then the only thing I can thing of is poorly-repaired accident damage.

FIAT have galvanized the steel bodywork of their cars since the Mk1 Punto, that's why you only see rust on the older generation of FIATs (e.g. Unos, Pandas, Tipos etc etc..) so I'm surprised you're pissed off that you have it on such a new car.

Sorry, meant to say that she has owned the car since new. It was in an accident over a year ago but it was just the front end that was damaged. As far as I'm aware there was no damage at all to the roof and no repairs carried out anywhere near it.
 
HornetUK said:
Mine's an X 2000 reg and has no rust either.

I noticed something in the small print recently not sure where I read it about the 7 year rust warranty only applying if you pay for a yearly paint/body inspection or did I read that in another manufacturers advert?


I dont know weather it's the same for punto's but in the service book for my seicento the inspections are supposed to be carried out on the 3rd and 5 B/day's of the car.
 
bloomfieldliam said:
Could you take it to another dealership near you and see if their answer is the same?

Hate these people that think it's their money.

Liam

Will see what kind of reply we get from this dealer. Problem is we go on holiday in two weeks and both work full time so don't have much spare time on our hands at the minute. Just can't belive they're trying to wriggle out of this. :mad:
 
FeeYat said:
Has the windscreen been changed?

Sometimes the paint can get scratched when taking the old screen out as the tool is pretty sharp that cuts through the glue.


No ,windscreen has never been touched.
 
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