Dear Panda Lovers,
I have been on this site, and have posed questions, to which I have had some fine and genuine feedback from those in the Fiat camp. Thanks.
I had my heart set on a New, fully loaded, Panda 4 x 4, with ( against some advice ) a 1.3 Multijet Diesel Motor. The plan was, as I am going to retire, that this car would replace my much loved Honda CRV Diesel which I bought new in 2005, and it is still as new, but a lot more expensive to run than I hope the Panda will be.
Any way, with my mind all made up, and feeling good in my tummy about my first Fiat etc. I was reading my latest issue of Auto Express and "lo and behold" the results of a recent survey of over 46,000 readers rate Fiat as next to the very worst make of car to buy from a point of the Finish, the Braking, the Performance, Build Quality, Ease of Driving and in-car Tech.
Well, my balloon deflated Big Time. I have never owned a Fiat, mainly because of the rotton reputation over the years, but I genuinely thought they had got over that. I feel gutted to find out that current Fiat owners still rate the brand at the bottom of the pile.
Strangely, I am still drawn to the Panda I had my heart set on. Am I a blithering idiot, or what ? You will say if I don't want to buy it, no one is forcing me, and quite right. But I hope the article is unfair, and your thoughts would be valued - thanks. Madam Yap.

To be honest I tend to ignore this type of survey. I too am about to take delivery of my first ever fiat 4x4 TA) and have absolutely no 2nd thoughts. In this day and age, with all the competition out there, if fiat made crap cars they just wouldn't sell any. As with all makes, there are good bad and indifferent dealers and it is usually this factor that forms the basis of the opinions of those who like filling in surveys. Added to which many respondents to surveys do so because they have an axe to grind thus skewing the result.

madam yap said:

Strangely, I am still drawn to the Panda I had my heart set on. Am I a blithering idiot, or what ? You will say if I don't want to buy it, no one is forcing me, and quite right. But I hope the article is unfair, and your thoughts would be valued - thanks. Madam Yap.

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Just my own personal opinion, but there is no smoke without fire, and there are many posts on this forum from folks who've bought new FIATs & run into problems.

Coming from a Honda, almost every other car will be less well built from poorer quality parts and will have a worse dealer service experience, but IMO FIAT are firmly in the bottom half of the pack.

That said, they are priced accordingly and are decent value for money, but be prepared for a few warranty problems and also be prepared to look outside of the franchised dealer network to get the best value on servicing. I'd say there is more luck involved with FIAT ownership than most other marques.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend anyone without either DIY skills or good contacts in the motor trade to keep a FIAT beyond the warranty period.

Finally, those folks who are cautioning you against a diesel have a valid point - modern emissions requirements mean small car diesel ownership is less attractive now & if you do buy a Panda, your overall running costs will almost certainly be less with a Petrol.

If you need a vote of confidence, I have ordered and am waiting for my 3rd consecutive Panda 4x4 having had the mk 3 petrol and diesel cross. Neither of these cars had any fault during my 3+ years ownership of both, just needing the standard service..... I wish our other car during that period and longer had been so good..... they were cheapo makes.. Mercedes, Volvo, Land Rover..... none of them without big and bigger problems and bills.......

You can never be sure about getting a lemon, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with price or status.......

I had never owned a Fiat before until I got my current car - Punto - from new - back in 2009.

Since then I've had many miles happy motoring with only one fault (this week as it happens) which the garage fixed for me next day.

I looked at several other city-cars to replace the Punto - VW Up!, Vauxall Adam, Ford Fiesta and Citron DS3 before deciding on the Panda which is due next month.

My personally view is that if you are as worried as your post implies, then you may feel more comfortable looking elsewhere for your next pride-and-joy.

My Father-in-law has sold on no end of cars after he has found the manufacturer not to have done as well as he would have liked in the subsequent JD Power survey. Cost him a fair bit in depreciation along the way, mind!

Have you thought about a Dacia or a Subaru Impreza (the non-sporty one) or even (heaven forbid) a Suzuki Jimny? The latter two at least have a known reputation (one good, one not-so-good, admittedly...). Or if you are unlikely to actually need 4wd, then a VW Up! with a spare set of winter boots will see you through many happy years of motoring.

The beauty of cars is that there are plenty of good makes to choose from, so if one does not float your boat for whatever reason, then another one almost certainly will.

As to FIATs. The Mk4 4x4 will be my fifth FIAT over the years - none of which have been entirely trouble free, but each of which I have thus far loved to bits. The only car I've ever owned that was truly 'perfect' was an E39 535i (very happy memories), but unfortunately no-one makes cars like that anymore and they are perhaps a little on the big side if you are chasing Panda-sized transport.

Personally I'm just looking forward to my new Panda 4x4 and if anything is not perfect, the garage will just have to deal with it until it is.

The panda I have is my first Fiat. My tow previous cars were Honda, a brand new Jazz and more recently had a two year old Civic which I kept for 3 years. Both the Hondas' had faults. The Civic was the one that although solid had more problems, seized calipers very dodgy clutch. The suspension on the Panda is miles better than the civics, it creaked and groaned on most of the roads I drive on. I had a Yaris before the Hondas nothing went wrong with that. My Panda has had a new rear boot lock done and a rattle which were done with no hassle. If I were doing that survey I would rate the Fiat above Honda. I'd get a 4x4 in a heart beat if I had the money. Although my Panda has already taken me everywhere I need to go, aka muddy forests and snowy roads. I've driven quite a few cars the Panda is a car with character.

Maybe if Honda is a trusted brand for the OP, a Jazz is the way to go?

Yes, I think a new Jazz would fit the bill too if buying new.

Have you considered keeping the CRV?
I don't think you'll lower your running costs buying a new car.
You've already taken the biggest hit in depreciation.
You can service the car cheaply out of the dealer network, or in the dealer network if like many manufacturers they do cheaper deals for older cars.
Fuel consumption may be similar, and insurance comparable too.
I'm unsure but maybe a car of that year will not have a DPF to worry over?

The only thing that will definitely be more expensive is the road tax.

If your Honda has served you with a 100% clean sheet I think you'll be disappointed with Fiat.

I have been quite erratic since passing my test in 2007...but being broke I have owned either old cars or cheap makes...I wonder if this list will help you?

Daewoo Matiz - Treg. Basic model. I LOVED this car. although it never broke down it failed every MOT first time - but every part was on ebay/eurocarparts etc and eay to fix by my other half with his brother.

Perodua Nippa - 02 plate. Basic model. This car was ****e. it had no leeks, yet when it iced up and then defrosted would always leave a large puddle or water in the passenger footwell. it had a heater, but no cooler function. you couldn't get parts except from one dealer. it never really broke but then it never really worked well.

Renault Clio - 94. RT model. Wonderful lovely car with all sorts of mod cons and a big upgrade from the Perodua, not as attached to it as the daewoo as i had to give up on it as bits dropped off. parts mostly came from breakers.

VW polo - 02. basic model. Very reliable, never broke, only reasons for sale is that it wasn't the right size/shape for me and the running costs (tax insuarnce fuel) too much for the budget.

Panda - I am really enjoying the panda so far. The comfort and drive is better than all bar possibly the polo (but i think that's just me getting used to the car) build quality and things included for a basic model is very good. it does every thing i need it to...not sure the fuel cost isn't 'wrong' but i hope that a change of fuel filter will help. fun is off the scale.

I had a Tipo Turbodiesel for 14 years that required only a battery and a set of clutch cylinder seals in all that time: the body work was like new despite being parked outside, a mile from the sea, all its life. I had a Panda Multijet for 7 years which was similarly trouble-free. So I bought the new Panda with reasonable confidence, and a year on I feel quite justified in my choice.
Mike

For wot its worth, i am a Fiat tech. I am now seeing year old cars
for service with next to no faults at all.
The panda is a tough little car,that will serve you well.

My TwinAir Panda is the first Fiat I have ever owned, and also first brand new car. In my mind it is a great choice and have had only a few very minor issues. The first being the boot mechanism, and I'm sure when it was replaced it is made of stronger stuff and hasn't malfunctioned since. The second was a window seal on the Driver's Door. All fixed under warranty with little inconvenience. I had it serviced last week and not a thing was wrong with it. It's been all over the place: Motorways, forest tracks, snow (6 inches) - lots of different scenarios and hasn't missed a beat.

I had a 54 plate Focus. It was a year old when I bought it and it was a complete waste of space and got rid of it after having to be towed away for the fourth time in the first six months of ownership. The reviews for it were excellent. I'm sure I bought a Friday Afternoon car, however I was not impressed.

I then bought an R-Reg Citroen Saxo (the most basic model) which kept me going without incident (apart from the usual servicing stuff and an exhaust pipe) for 4 years. One summer I drove to Portugal and back in it without a problem. This was rated as a poor car, of which I beg to differ hugely!

The next car, and prior to the Panda, I had a 55 Plate Mini Cooper. I bought it in 2010 and thought I was doing the right thing by buying what was considered to be an excellent car all round. It was the worst. In the first year it went through two injector units, seized rear calipers, immobiliser failure and two days before the warranty expired it spat it's gearbox out all over the M74 taking the clutch, driveshaft and passenger side suspension with it. The dealer wasn't surprised by the amount of times the car had been brought in, by it's own steam or otherwise, which did make me think...

So, after all that, I can safely say I am really impressed with the Panda. Other marques may have more kudos and respect, but I'm not convinced by it all. On a final note, over the Christmas period I did a fair bit of motorway driving and there were quite a few cars broken down on the hard shoulder, all of them either BMW, Audi & Volkswagen - not a Fiat in sight, except keeping up with the flow of traffic :worship:

Well this is my 3rd car and they were all FAITS 1st was my mums M reg Punto SX70 nice heavy steady car opions were air bags and ABS ,2nd was my first new car 59 2010 panda MJ 1.3 that was a good car the first car I had with Ac and power steering -what a difference that makes also it was very good MPG wise 54-58 ,The last car was my first 4x4 wheel drive car ,Except in my job I drive a New Holland TC24D tractor which has 2 or 4 wheel drive ,anyway going back to my car by having the twinair version I am still on the same RoadTax bracket £30 also has more Go in it and is better kitted out than my Bog standard Panda mk 3

I had an Uno (903cc), bought second hand and quite knocked about, which went from 40K to 120k miles with nothing more than a new exhaust, a replacement cam chain (it was rattly) and a water pump. I drove it like stink too - loved that little car.

I've had a Diesel Doblo from new which gave a few niggles, remedied under warranty, and latterly had starting problems. But it never once broke down or actually failed to start, and I drove it hard for nine and a half totally trouble free years.

I now have another three year old Doblo, and let's see...

I've exhausted the market looking for a car which is comfortable for my bad back and easy to get in and out of, and interesting and fun to drive - and so I'm back with Fiat.

I don't trust buyer surveys much, people complain about bits of loose trim or a failed bulb and then mark a car down, which I think is nuts, but Fiats' oily bits tend to just keep on going...

The original public fear was caused by the terrible rusting they developed in the seventies, when they built their cars from inferior Russian steel, imported as part of a reciprocal deal with the USSR to manufacture Fiat/Ladas at a new factory, built by Fiat, in Russia (Ukraine). Those days are over and Fiat was one of the first manufacturers to galvanize it's cars. Dacia doesn't by the way

GM (Opel/Vauxhall) and Saab (that was - RIP) use Fiat Diesels and most manufacturesrs use Fiat made (Comotor) robots to build their cars, since Fiat is a lot more than just a manufacturer of vehicles.

Having said all that, I'd think twice about a Diesel, since the new petrols are much more economical than they used to be and cheaper to buy, and less prone to particualte problems, even if the new Fiat Diesels are better than most.

But the Jazz is a very good car. I'd stay clear of the Germans though as their reputations are undeservedly loaded in favour of a reliability they just don't deserve - in my experience.

Lets see, Fiats we've had:

1998 Seicento. Utterly reliable. Rubbish paint. Resprayed under warranty.

1999 Punto 1.9D Intermittent misfire. Dealer spent a whole year not fixing it before we traded it back to them.

2001 Punto 1.9JTD Had this one for eight years. No bother except for a failed ECU under warranty. Took a month for dealer to fit a new one. At this point we gave up on crappy Fiat dealer and next two cars were Vauxhalls.

2009 Fiat Panda. switch cluster in centre of dash not working from new. Fixed under warranty. Completely reliable, traded in a two years & 30k miles. By that time most of the interior trim had some kind of squeak.

So as far as I'm concerned Fiats are great value little cars even if some of the fit & finish is sometimes a bit off. The most important thing though is to find a good dealer. A poor dealer will make your life a misery.

FWIW Vauxhall dealers give much better service, and if they don't there's always another one nearby.
At the moment I have a Chevy Spark which at two years & 30k miles has never needed anything done under warranty and absolutely nothing squeaks, rattles or clonks.

I ordered my Panda 4x4x twin air on the 4th January and collected it from the showroom on the 23rd March. I drove it from the showroom to the petrol station, filled it up, drove arround for a little while the drove it home. I noticed a strong smell of petrol and discovered a steady drip from the tank.
To cut a long story short the car is back at the dealers lying in bits where it has been for the last month or so. It needs a new tank, they say that Fiat can't supply one as all the new ones are faulty!!! It seems that all the new 4x4 tanks are no good.
It is so depressing, it was such a fabulous car to drive for a couple of days!
I am in Spain and Spanish is not my native language so I find it difficult to argue my corner. I find it unreasonable that they cannot tell me when I might get my car back, I just have to keep paying the insurance, tax and depreciation!
I should now get a lawyer and demand my money back with compensation but what I really want is a new Panda 4x4 which I have paid for. Arrrgh!

AnninCoin said:

I ordered my Panda 4x4x twin air on the 4th January and collected it from the showroom on the 23rd March. I drove it from the showroom to the petrol station, filled it up, drove arround for a little while the drove it home. I noticed a strong smell of petrol and discovered a steady drip from the tank.
To cut a long story short the car is back at the dealers lying in bits where it has been for the last month or so. It needs a new tank, they say that Fiat can't supply one as all the new ones are faulty!!! It seems that all the new 4x4 tanks are no good.
It is so depressing, it was such a fabulous car to drive for a couple of days!
I am in Spain and Spanish is not my native language so I find it difficult to argue my corner. I find it unreasonable that they cannot tell me when I might get my car back, I just have to keep paying the insurance, tax and depreciation!
I should now get a lawyer and demand my money back with compensation but what I really want is a new Panda 4x4 which I have paid for. Arrrgh!

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Oh no, that's no good!

My new 500 had a leaking tank. A new one had to come from Poland and took 2 weeks. In the meantime my dealer let me use a demo car.
I think your dealer should be doing the same.

This is the 1st I've heard of a leaking tank in a new panda.

Hope you get it fixed sooner rather than later.

They said that the faulty tanks were only on the 4x4 Pandas which are different apparently.
Fiat customer services offered a hire car through National Car Hire but not a 4x4 car. I live 8km from the nearest tarmac and I would have to provide National with my credid card details for the insurane excess, I declined the offer! They could not provide me with a loan Panda 4x4 as there were none available nor can they tell me when my car might be fixed, if ever!

AnninCoin said:

They said that the faulty tanks were only on the 4x4 Pandas which are different apparently.
Fiat customer services offered a hire car through National Car Hire but not a 4x4 car. I live 8km from the nearest tarmac and I would have to provide National with my credid card details for the insurane excess, I declined the offer! They could not provide me with a loan Panda 4x4 as there were none available nor can they tell me when my car might be fixed, if ever!

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I know nothing about Spanish Law, but if you were in the UK I'd be suggesting you reject the car and demand a refund of all your costs .