Just taken my 2013 1.2 Panda Pop to have its headlight recall, and asked the garage to check the sump to confirm my suspicions.

Which they did - sump pan leaking as it has rusted through and requires replacement, for the princely sum of £232.70. Apparently very unusual to occur at just over 4 yrs old, which I guess is a change from "They all do that, sir" Not entirely convinced after a quick google, but only had the car 3 months so no idea if anything the previous owner did may have contributed.

Anyone done this job? In theory looks pretty straightforward - there's nothing in the way on a Pop, and the I guess the key will be torqueing up the bolts gradually and evenly to make sure the joint is oil tight, plus use of decent "gunk" and gasket.

Also pointed out that the rear shock absorber bushes are shot - only £220 for these. Having replaced shocks and springs on my daughter's 169 a couple of months back, I'll definitely be doing that in house.

Rusted through? In just 4 years? Incredible.

Is that from the inside or outside? Either way it's not common.

gar074 said:

Rusted through? In just 4 years? Incredible.

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Yeah, whole thing looks pretty scabby. After I'd first seen it I was straight underneath our 8 year old 169 Panda to check that, but there's barely a hint of any rust. It's a bit of a mystery.

gullyfoyle said:

Is that from the inside or outside? Either way it's not common.

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From the outside - inside ought to have a nice protective coat of oil!

Doesn't look like the parts price is too bad - may give an extra coat of paint to the replacement, but suspect this must be down to either a dodgy part or something dodgy having happened to it.

Cheguava said:

From the outside - inside ought to have a nice protective coat of oil!

Doesn't look like the parts price is too bad - may give an extra coat of paint to the replacement, but suspect this must be down to either a dodgy part or something dodgy having happened to it.

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Yes, from inside would indicate a really horrible problem.

gar074 said:

Rusted through? In just 4 years? Incredible.

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Rusted sump pans are a common, well known issue with the 1.2 FIRE engine and have been for many years, hence the widespread availability of cheap aftermarket sump pans.

IMO this is a disgrace - a sump pan should be designed to last the life of the car.

That said, it's easily prevented if appropriate measures are taken at an early stage, but not many new car buyers want to crawl around underneath it rustproofing the sump.

And if you think the sump pan is bad, take a close look at the spring pans on the rear beam, and the fins on the radiator and A/C condenser.

The core bodyshell may be galvanised now, but the Panda is still a rustbucket.

Are there any marks in the underside to suggest the sump has been dragged over a high curb/speed-bump? Just wondered if that had broken the coating and allowed the rust to take hold? Seems odd - never heard of this before!

Panda 4x4 TA Antarctica said:

Are there any marks in the underside to suggest the sump has been dragged over a high curb/speed-bump? Just wondered if that had broken the coating and allowed the rust to take hold? Seems odd - never heard of this before!

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Nothing that I can see, but it's difficult to tell given its barnacled appearance. I'll take some pics when I get chance, but it basically looks like the Punto's sump pan in this video.

Hi.
Mine at three years didn't look great but after a good wire brushing and some coats of Bilt Hamber now looks fine.
I'd hardly say they are rustbuckets, I would say though using car washes and the TFR that is used as soap in the pressure washers and foam dispensers wont do the radiator or A/C Condenser any good as TFR is caustic, and alloy doesn't like this one little bit.
After market sumps are cheap and easy to fit on the Fire engine, I did mine on the 2001 Doblo and it took less than an hour, I gave it a few coats of hammerite before fitting it.

The rear cups should be kept clean and the drains should be checked for dirt that can block them, I pulled the little rubber things out and water trickled out, a clean up and spray with rustproof fluid is a good idea each year after winter.

sump pan leaking as it has rusted through and requires replacement, for the princely sum of £232.70.

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Recently a friend of mine said that his sump pan on an 01 Hyundai 1.3 had rusted through. I said that was ridiculous as sump pans don't rust through .. but he was right, it had..

I'd never heard of a sump pan rusting through. The cars from the 60s 70s and 80s certainly didn't suffer from a rusty sump.

For that to happen on a 4 year old Fiat .. God .. it annoys me and it's not even my car! And it certainly doesn't do Fiat's reputation any good.

Removing a sump isn't difficult at all. I think I would be tempted to remove the sump, clean it/de-oil it .. and have a plate welded inside and maybe then give the outside a smear with fibre glass resin.

How do they justify £232.70 for a sump? I would have thought £45 for a brand new QUALITY one would be 'more than enough to pay'.
Alternatively buy a cheapie from Ebay and give it a good splash of undercoat:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...ump+pan.TRS0&_nkw=panda+1.2+sump+pan&_sacat=0

glenn2602 said:

Removing a sump isn't difficult at all. I think I would be tempted to remove the sump, clean it/de-oil it .. and have a plate welded inside and maybe then give the outside a smear with fibre glass resin.

How do they justify £232.70 for a sump? I would have thought £45 for a brand new QUALITY one would be 'more than enough to pay'.
Alternatively buy a cheapie from Ebay and give it a good splash of undercoat:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...ump+pan.TRS0&_nkw=panda+1.2+sump+pan&_sacat=0

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Cheers. The dealer quote was all fitted. I don't think the one in situ is repairable - it really looks like a rock at low tide! Costing it up, the cost for the part plus a sealant, plus oil plus filter plus labour is understandable. But I reckon I'll be onto ebay for the pattern part.

Thanks for confirming that it is doable at home - I've done a fair amount of stuff on cars in the past, so think it's within my limits.

It's not just Fiat. Steel sumps are not properly painted these days and they all rust from the outside.
Let's not forget in days gone by engines leaked and breathers dripped so most sumps has a nice layer of rustproof.......... namely engine oil.

If the current Panda Pop promotion at £6995 had an asterix saying a £26 sump pan would last 4.5 years and is easily fixed, wouldn't bother me at all. But there's always an obscene profit margin involved. Which is off putting. :devil:

Expect to pay a lot more for a VW sump pan. They go too as well. Before my daughter bought an MG3 I replaced the sump on her 6 year old beetle, a pig of a job due to recessed flange bolts on the bellhousing end, ideally the engine should have been separated from the gearbox. The Fiat is a doddle.

Had a look under my 2014 couple of weeks ago due learning months back that the sump and back axles are prone to rust.
The back axle good but sump had a small patch that looked like early onset of rust so all washed down and painted so hopefully extend the life of these items will recheck next summer and treat again if needed.
Certainly worth doing if you intend to keep it long term like me but it is well pampered and always garaged

mines a 2013 plated car 28,000 miles and the sump is fully rusty,i always put a good dose of pit grease on these to hold the rust at this stage and check every 6 months
i cant remember how many sumps i replaced on the same engine in puntos

Al D said:

If the current Panda Pop promotion at £6995 had an asterix saying a £26 sump pan would last 4.5 years and is easily fixed, wouldn't bother me at all. But there's always an obscene profit margin involved. Which is off putting. :devil:

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To be fair, £6995 is an amazing price for what you get. I bought a brand new Vauxhall Nova for £5995 in 1990, which puts it in perspective.