Is this possible? Garage have phoned up to say that the cars problems may be down to clutch wear and tear. If this is the case then warranty will not cover.

Doeas this seem right that a clutch could go from brand new to none existant within 16,000 miles.

Could you please let me know when you have had to replace the cluthces on yor cars?

Can be if you allow your foot to rest on the clutch while driving.

No definetly not. I have never replaced a clutch in any of my cars with such low mileage.

Garage phoned today to say that the Clutch Master Cylinder Plate had gone, covered by warranty, however unable to get a part until the 3rd Jan, so will have missed 12 days of work. Happy that found out what the problem was, however really hacked off that it has taken so long to resolve, or put another way have lost loads of money.

As of today still no return of car. Apparently garage has come across complications. :bang:

Clutch master cylinder plate...?

Is that even a real part? If yours is a JTD the master cylinder sits atop the gearbox.

I've seen a clutch go through a failure of the pressure plate (bit wierd), and oil coming through the bolts on the flywheel (very wierd).

Got the car back 2 weeks ago. First day I got back would get an occasional whiff of what I can only describe as a burning plastic smell. Spoke to the dealership, they said that this could be the new parts "easing in". Anyway, covered another 1,500 miles since then and gearbox is starting to feel notchy again. I think I am going to have exactly the same problem again within the next week or so.:bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

I am sorry but I feel this car is a bag of ****e. Worst car I have ever owned.

I feel your pain but this is the first time we've heard of this on the Multipla. A Monday or Friday car me thinks. Hope you get it sorted once and for all very soon.

Scott

Spoke to garage today, have confirmed Clutch Master Cylinder has gone. This is the second time in 2 weeks. So since getting this crappy car I have lost 3 weeks of wages due to car not working.

Fiat customer services are lloking into the problem.

To anyone thinking about buying one of these cars I would strongly suggest dont.

Because yours has had a problem? If we all didn't buy something because someone had a problem then nobody would buy anything.


Didn't you get a courtesy car given how new the car is and how the part has failed 2 weeks since fitting? I wouldn't take 3 weeks off - firstly the company wouldn't allow me 3 weeks off because my car is broken, secondly I'd do better getting a taxi or hire a car rather than lose 3 weeks pay.

"Because yours has had a problem? If we all didn't buy something because someone had a problem then nobody would buy anything."

If this was the only problem I had had with this car I could understand but so far I have had broken drivers seat, faulty brake sensor, faulty interior lights, fault oil sensor, clutch plate and master cylinder problems. With only 18,000 miles on the clock.

I cannot speak for yours or others experiences with these cars, but only mine own, and mine is that this is a duff car. Would I buy another Fiat? No chance.

"Didn't you get a courtesy car given how new the car is"

Fiat will not provide me with a courtesy car as I am a cabbie, there insurance will not cover me/passengers.

22nd Dec car would not go into gear, parts not delivered until 3rd Jan. As you can imagine this is my busiest time, I cannot hire another cab, as none available, because every cabbie is working during this time. I can't just go to Rent A Car and pick one up as it has to be tested by the Hackney carriage, meter fitted and calibrated.

How has the new part failed 2 weeks since fitting?

You tell me. I dont't know. From what I can understand (I aint mechanically minded so bear with me) new clutch plate fitted on the 4th jan, new master cylinder to be fitted when new parts come in. So from my point of view 2 occasions I cannot get car into gear.

"I wouldn't take 3 weeks off - firstly the company wouldn't allow me 3 weeks off because my car is broken, secondly I'd do better getting a taxi or hire a car rather than lose 3 weeks pay. "

Do you think I want to be here stuck at home and earning no money? I am self employed, if I don't work I don't earn. This week the car was booked in on the 23rd Jan and will be ready at the earliest 28th jan. If another cab is available to hire, they will look to tie me down to a hire agreement for some time, ie weeks, I wont be able to hire just for a couple of days here and there.

I do not want to offend anyone I am just reiterating my experience, believe me if I could find a soloution I would, however I feel I have been let down to either faulty parts/workmanship etc which has cost me dear.

Ah, way you worded it sounded like you just needed the car for getting to work. Quite a bummer if it is your work!

All I can say is stick with it. With a new clutch and clutch system (which is basically what you'll have since you have clutch plate/master cylinder replaced, the car should be good for years. I can only imagine crap has got into the master cylinder and damaged the seals. I'd ask them for some assurances that the slave cylinder has been checked. Don't want your breaking down again with a dead slave!

I feel some of these lead times on parts are a bit long. A JTD clutch and master cylinder should be almost stock parts - and if not in stock shouldn't be wait weeks parts.

Guess what, car is back in dealership. Once again after about 6hours of driving, car doesn't want to go into gear again. Car only lasted 5 days this time. What a pile of **** this car is.

Car has now been back to the dealership with same problem, 3 times within the last month.

Who's doing the work? Shouldn't need to be back 3 times. Someone is missing something.

Fiat Dealership. Fiat Auto Group, based in Westcliff On Sea in Essex.

I had my JTD Multipla for six years and 90k miles, when I sold it it still had its original clutch, exhaust, brake disks etc. It was a great car and I had very few problems with it other than the fact that it got through three sets of front suspension bushes(partly due to me chucking it about bumpy Perthshire back roads at high speed). The only reason I did not replace it with another one is that I needed more boot space.
It sounds like you have been unlucky and that the dealer is rubbish.

Having worked out that within the last 6 months I have lost 24 days of work and counting, due to a fault that the dealership cannot correctly diagnose, I have now rejected the return of the car. Not that the dealership have even rectified fault. It hasn't been looked at as of yet. Spoke to the mechanics they don't know where to start with this one. They even had Fiat Tech dept on the phone whilst I was there with me talking to the specialists as to the nature of the fault.

Anyway, last time I will ever own a Fiat. It would appear that maybe I have just been unlucky with this particular car, however that said I probably put more miles on my car in a shorter time than most owners.

I have to say that Fiat Customer Service is possibly the worst Customer Service I have ever experienced. The whole episode has completly put me off the company.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that the car has been rejected by myself under the Sales Of Goods Act, in that the vechile is not fit for the purpose on which it was sold.

Will keep you posted as to how this one pans out.

That is a pity, I thought the Multipla was a great car and thoroughly enjoyed owning it, I fully understand your reasons though.

Spoke to Fiat Dealership who have undertaken the repairs. Apparently Fiat sent a Technicial Specialist down to try and establish the problem, he started working on it on Monday the 11th Feb by Tues 12th he still didn't have an answer.

All major Clutch/Gearbox components have been replaced and yet still has a problem. He has to come back on the 22nd to try to find an answer. It would seem that this has the Fiat specialists stumped.

Yet still Fiat/Dealership have offered me anything. Fiat suggest I take up with delaership, delaership say take up with Fiat.

This is the report that the Garage have given. Anyone have any idea what the problem could be as Fiat dont.


At approximately 14,000 miles the vehicle came in, unable to select gears. After full checks on the hydraulic system proving to provide correct clearance, the clutch was suspect. A different technician renewed the clutch assembly and also a slave cylinder was ordered in when original thought was a slave concern, to which the technician unknowingly fitted. Vehicle tested ok but was noted that difficult to bleed the system.

Customer returned reporting that after 1-2h of driving that the clutch was difficult to engage gears and requested us to look into the master cylinder. Considering the difficulty of bleeding the system, the master cylinder was renewed, bleeding achieved easier and vehicle tested ok.

Customer returned (now upto 18,000 miles) reporting after 6 to 7h of driving it was difficult to select gears. Reference Fiat Technical, instructed to carry out a gear fluid flush incase of a temperature related internal gearbox fault. This did not change the vehicles clutch operation. On testing found the bite point was extremely low and often crunching into 1st and 2nd gear with out the need to get warm. Reference Fiat Technical again, Renew the high pressure line between the clutch master and slave cylinder to rule this out. Vehicle still the same

Fiat Technical Field Engineer then visited and worked on vehicle. During his visit we carried out extensive clutch bleeding, renewal of the clutch master cylinder, clutch slave cylinder and substitution of the clutch external arm. Clearances were compared to a 1.9 Doblo with the exact same setup and it was established that the clearance made by the hydraulic system was all ok. The gearbox was then removed and found contact marks on the flywheel bolts. Was then instructed to renew the Clutch, Flywheel and bolts and reassess. These were renewed and the bite point is still exactly the same at the bottom with occasional grinding into 1st and 2nd gears still. Presently waiting a 2nd Field Engineer visit on Friday 22nd February