MOST IMPORTANT FIAT POST EVER

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MOST IMPORTANT FIAT POST EVER

Fiat dealer in Galway Ireland (Millenium Autos) charged my friend E260 for oil, plugs, filter and oiling the doors. price for oil was astronomical. if I can buy 5 litres of qxr for 18Euro, why can't they?

99 Brava 100 HSX with not enough mods
 
<blockquote id="quote"> face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by punto power house
hi im new could one of you peps tell me ware i can find my engine number

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Hi, welcome to the forum.

Punto 55, 60 and 75's have the engine number dot stamped on the top of the water pump face, below the exhaust manifold and next to the cam belt cover. You may have to use emery cloth to clean the face to see it.

Pete.
Cinq sporting 1242cc
Cinqs&Seis Yahoo group
Clubcento
 
Its the dealerships that aren't helping Fiats reputation...

I have had a pretty good Dealership experience on the whole.

I have yet to see what sort of response I'll get from taking my car in for service. 1st Service for my beauty!

My car sadly to say has a few little niggles that I've told my Dealership to iron out.. i.e creaking on the left front side of my car near the wheel.. The left passenger door also can creak like anything when opening and closing it.

I hope they do sort it out.

I have owned 3 Fiats.

I believe that Fiat should fine the dealerships if a customer has an issue with the aftersales that they have received if there is something that the dealerships could have done to rectify the situation without getting the customer angry.

Honesty and thinking that the customer is always right are the best policies.. At the end of the day its the dealerships that are the customers first point of call.
So the dealerships need to wake up and smell the bacon - Happy Customers = More retained customers = More Profit which means the greater the success of Fiat.

Maybe with Fiat fining the dealerships if there is something that the dealerships could have done to prevent it, then I'm sure that the dealerships would start changing there attitude to customers..

Showing willingness to help and getting the problem sorted for the customer is always the way to go.

Research Garage in Nuneaton are pretty decent dealers...
As soon as i walk in the door they ask me how i am and ask how my cars going (even though i bought it from JamJar!!! ;) )
and usually ask me if i want a cup of tea ; coffee or hot chocolate whilst i wait...

I've got my first service on the 11th and I'm expecting to have a courtesy car... hopefully a 1.3 MultiJet Punto would be nice...
apparently i have got to have the car on my insurance and my insurance company has to fax something over... (Policy Change apparently?!!) hmmm this better not mean hassle...

I'll let you know how it goes.

Metalic Jet Blue Stilo 1.9 JTD 3 door Beige Leather interior ; 17" alloy wheels and ConnectNAV+

Tasty!

Jetweed
 
Originally posted by Evil-Punto
I agree, never take your car to Fiat to be fixed and if you want parts look them up on the parts CD yourself and just give them the numbers.


www.puntoforum.co.uk

Evil-Punto AKA Evilution.

Great idea, where do I go for a parts CD? And does it list prices as well as part numbers?
Cheers

------/F/I/A/T/------

Fart In A Tin
 
First post for me on this forum, I normally hang out at http://www.fccuk.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php sorry that this one is long! Promise next post will be shorter!

I am also disapointed in the varied service I receive from Fiat dealers.
Phoned Bryn Brothers (Bristol) for test drive of Doblo, to cut a long story short after two weeks and many promises and failed call backs I still did not get a drive! Having said that the discount offered was very good. Tried next dealer -

Goddards of Salisbury - Phoned to test drive JTD Doblo Cargo, by that evening it was on my drive, they let me use it for two days to find if it suited me. As a result I placed an order with them the next week and they matched price from above dealer, very helpful with low cost finance too, delivery went without a hitch (although not quite the spec I wanted but would have meant waiting for a further 3 months - it's a van ffs, surely there can't be that much demand for them?).

Then the problems started -


Problems encountered since Sept 1st 02 with Fiat Doblo HF52 **E.


First week – Windscreen wiper fell off.

Took two weeks to arrive (one phone call reminder). Is not the matching model, advised dealer of this twice, first time when in for the brake light problem was told to mention it next time I was in (as the service manager was on lunch), suggested if they didn’t have one in they could take a wiper from a show room doblo. When I mentioned when in for the central locking problem they said that they had no wiper in stock and that their wasn’t a doblo they could take a wiper from (their were actually 3 of the mpv type in). He said to wait until the first service and mention it again then! I gave up on this in the end and just waited until they both needed replacing.

Third week – No brake lights.

I noticed that the brake lights were not functioning. Called dealer to arrange fix, few dates available, had to make an appointment the following week. Was not happy with this and asked would Fiat pay for the damage if I had an accident as a result of having no brake lights (or a police fine)! Eventually they relented and agreed to see the van the next week. I advised that if the van was to be left with them I would need a courtesy vehicle of similar size to carry out my business. Was told that they do not have any vans available as courtesy vehicles ever. Surely a dealership allowed to sell and service vans should have one available as a courtesy or hire vehicle? I would most likely receive a Punto or Seicento instead, insisted I would need a larger vehicle!
Day arrived to drop van in, was told it would take many hours to rectify problem. Fine, as long as they can call me when ready, when I shall return. Receptionist tells me that all courtesy cars are out and being used so I would need to wait ‘can’t you see any clients in Salisbury?’ I have no customers in this area and besides, I’m not going to walk into the centre of the city with all of my aquarium maintenance gear and 30 gallons+ of water!
Made complaint, service manager (who has a certificate on the wall for best customer service!) tells me that I did not ask for a courtesy vehicle at the time of phoning! Made further complaint to salesman who originally sold me the van, he thankfully saw sense and gave me a 2nd hand punto from the forecourt. In the end the problem was that this part of the brake light circuit had never been connected properly at manufacture. Was surprised that the van did not go through a basic check after having been made, or when the dealer took delivery. I know that when you take on a new vehicle you sign to check that it is in good condition, but it’s a bit difficult to check the brake lights when you are on your own!

Week 5 – Central Locking

Remote central locking packed up. Booked it in with Goddards of Salisbury next week (earliest they could see it), again saga with trying to get a courtesy vehicle. Thankfully they found the problem within 5 minutes – it was just a blown fuse (could have easily fixed it myself but don’t expect to have to after buying a new van 5 weeks before). Was a little concerned about the fix though – ‘we fitted a larger fuse so it won’t happen again’, surely for a fuse to blow their must be a problem for this to happen? So far though it has been ok.

During the above troubles I called Fiat directly to seek advice/complain and they were absolutely no help at all, in both cases they did not want to know any details and said that it was a dealership issue and not anything they could help with, even when I reminded them that it actually says to contact them in the event of dissatisfaction with the service manager.

Since then it has given me 32k trouble free miles in the past year, including driving 3500 miles around Europe this summer (wish I had waited and go the model with aircon!). The vehicle itself is fantastic, fast and economical.

Servicing – Ridiculous, can’t believe how expensive it is. Example is the Doblos 24k service (which they cocked up the booking having no record of me phoning) during which they changed the wiper blades and checked the tracking as the front tyres had worn on the inside. Total price inc. VAT was nearly £400!!!! They gave me no clear reason why the service was so expensive. The garages labour is priced at over £90 ph and they now charge for courtesy cars (Bravo this time – getting larger thank god). God knows how much they would have charged me for a service on my Coupe! I will not be taking my vehicles back to Goddards for any further work.

Much of the above is not the direct fault of the dealer, but it is their unwillingness to help (or even smile!) or want to provide a good customer experience that really frustrates me. I love Fiats as does my father but I do find myself wondering why at times, and is difficult to defend their reputation to others when I remember the above. I would not recommend fiat to friends and family as I think they would disown me when the problems start with the car!

For the first month I tried to get advice on how to uprate the stereo and speakers (not a boy racer – just like to get a decent quality from a cd player), no-one could help (wish I had known about this forum), they could not even provide me with a wiring diagram so I could do it myself. I replaced the dash speakers myself (thankfully easy) and then got a car stereo place to fit the door speakers. They had to make custom mounts as Fiat could not provide any, despite the mpv versions coming with speakers in the doors as standard.

Valeting – ok, it’s a van, so maybe it’s unreasonable to expect this to be done? When you book it in to be valeted at your own cost when in for it’s service, you don’t expect it to come back dirtier!
First service excuse was that the valeting bloke was too busy (I had booked it two weeks in advance with Goddards), second service I got the ‘you didn’t tell me you wanted it valeted’ excuse, despite giving them plenty of notice and the receptionist telling me she was writing it all down in the diary.

Teething troubles are to be expected on all new vehicles, but the hassle that goes with it from the dealers is not. Where possible I will avoid Fiat main dealers now and seek out good independents. In fact the main piece of advice given to all Coupe owners on the owners club site www.fccuk.org is to avoid Fiat dealers!

I have rambled on for long enough on Christmas Day!!!!! :D Hope this gets forwarded onto the directors.

Thanks, Dave.



P Reg Coupe 20vt
52 Reg Doblo Cargo JTD
 
Can somebody help me please........ i have standard cinq 13" rims on my cinq, i tried to put some 13" abarth ones one and they were scraping all round. then put some 6mm spacers on them, and they were STILL scraping.... any suggestions, somebody help me......:D
 
Hi
New to forum, just bought a Punto Sporting late Nov. 03, after a 4 month wait!.Dealer and myself kept in the dark about delay due to, as we eventually found, out probs with option pack of reversing alarm and rain sensitive wipers at Fiat. Dealer got basic car and fitted reversing alarms at sensible price just so I could at last take delivery.
Dealer kept to his agreed price of 4 months earlier on 8V Punto on a Y plate although Dealer Principal said "I will be discussing this with my Zone Manager from Fiat", salesman and Dealer Principal have been keen and helpful at all times even though a 20% discount I had surely did'nt leave them a huge amount out of the deal?
Dealer is Bostons of Milford, near Stafford, a small Family Dealership where it seems a watchful Owner, Derek Boston, keeps an eye on things and is keen to give good customer service, fingers crossed but the gut feeling is good.
Pleased with car, smart looking, plenty of admiring comments, seems to suit the colour Crystal Green.
 
Id like to say thanks to the lads at the parts dept at my local dealer!(Arnold Clark, Whitemyres Place, Aberdeen, AB16 6HZ) Thay have been fantastic every time i have needed a part. However its a shame the Service and Sales dept are not as good. After walking into my local dealer to look for a new car(in my work clothes) i ended up stood about for 45min and was never spoken to. So i walked out and decided to keep the fiat already had! Prob not the best thing i ever did as its now getting old and probs are popping up. It is great the parts dept are as good as thay are as i sort most of it myself however i now have a prob that i cant sort and im realy dreading puting it in to the dealer as thay have messed up so many times on all 4 fiats iv had and both my mothers and fathers! I love my car and its a shame fiat uk cant sort the dealers out ! will see how my dealer improves in the next year and if not it looks like a Honda is on the cards!

A girl phoned me the other day and said, 'come on over; nobody's home." I went over. Nobody was home.
 
I have to agree with boywonder that most contented fiat owners are usually pretty quiet because they are happy.
There are good dealers out there, I use Fiat Piccadilly of Ripon and they have been really good to me in respect of minor problems with sensors to their customer service, service dept & they know what they are on about and just in general the way they treat their customers.
I have read about some nightmare dealers. but if we both expose them and let people know who the good ones are then it might give the bad ones a kick up the backside if people know that there is a choice albeit a small one.

"Rome wasn't built in a day"

Dave..
Dynamic 1.9 jtd, Sassi Grey, sky window, connect nav, 16" alloys,light, rain & parking sensors.
 
Originally posted by boywonder
I have managed to obtain the names and addresses of the directors for Fiat (UK) Ltd and intend to write to them with some customer feedback as there seems to be very little other way of getting feedback to anyone who actually cares at Fiat.

Please take this as an opportunity to offer some constructive criticism about all aspects of Fiat ownership and any encounters you have had with Fiat staff or dealerships. I am sure they will be happy to hear praise of good dealers and staff too as they seem to be a rare commodity and they may be able to act as an example to the worse ones.

I will be printing out this Forum string and sending it along with my letter so please remember to be polite and give them information they can really work with to help sort out the dire reputation of Fiat in the UK.

Steve (on his third and quite possibly last Fiat)

Fiar Stilo Abarth 3dr. Loden Green, Beige Leather, Sky Window, Cold Climate Pack, 17" Alloys, CD Changer, 260w 8 Speaker Stereo. Anticipated Delivery Mid June (oooh it's July now and guess what?.....Still waiting!
 
I too have had poor customer service from a FIAT Dealer on more than one occasion. The dealership based in Rivermead Reading has since moved. The c*nts made me wait nearly 5 mths! for a replacement quarter panel for my Punto Sporting.

I also took it there for a leaky sunroof; they had told me they fixed it. The next time it rains it leaks again - I take it back. Guess what the monkey behind the desk said when I picked it up: "there was no sealent around the aerial housing".

I too think that their aftersales attitude sucks.
 
Had to take Punto back for a slight problem with paintwork, sorted out ok, sadly one little part reacted and microblistered, no problem with dealer, saleman brought me a courtesy car on his way home and returned my car 2 nights later, Bodyshop manager fitted me in after Xmas to suit my day off at work again no problem with courtesy car, even though someone forgot to tell me to take my licence and ten pound deposit.Second attempt at paintwork seems very satisfactory and dealer happy to oblige.
Staff are friendly and helpful. Dealer principal even went out of his way to get me a token for the coffee machine because I had no change!, am I so out of the ordinairy because it all seems to be going ok???? or are other Dealers not making the relatively small effort to look after customers?
Bostons at Milford near Stafford, small but seemingly doing a not to shabby job of looking after me and my Punto Sporting
 
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