Greetings Fiat folk -

I am about to take the plunge and buy my first Fiat, a Panda diesel, and was looking for some insight into potential servicing and maintenance costs.

I am considering a 2008 / 08 Panda 1.3 16v Multijet Dynamic which has clocked c.80k miles. I am aiming to do 6k-8k per year for the next 4-5 years.

What are the likely issues which might arise? What are the typical servicing costs for such a wee beastie? I understand that the engine is also fitted to Corsas - is there any experience of them from the Vauxhall side of the fence?

Am looking forward to getting this (or another) Panda - my test drive was entertaining and the headroom (I am 6'+) superb in a car of this size.

Thanks in anticipation!

Patrick

I serviced my Panda Cross (diesel but also 4x4) myself about 6 months ago and spent about £250 on parts and oil. However, this included new discs and pads front and rear. Without the brake parts the cost was around £50 and this was the "big" service where I changed fuel and cabin filters.
I've put 2 tyres on since at a cost of around £130 but somewhat specialised "all-season" tyres.
Whilst under warranty the servicing was carried out by a dealer and never cost more than £200 in one year.
Hope this gives you some idea of costs. Basically, all Panda versions are cheap to service and run.
Don't forget, your biggest expense is depreciation so as long as you haggle with the vendor of your chosen car you will not lose a lot of money over your ownership of the car.

Emissions is a big factor in the running costs, is the car in the £30 tax bracket? I have had both diesel & petrol cars, the way diesel costs are escalating I would go petrol.

At only 8K miles I would by a petrol, unless you do a lot of towing. That low a mileage will work out more expensive in the long run, due to the increased cost of diesel (assuming you're in the UK) and the increased cost of service parts.

Recently, on the forum, I have read about clutch issues, which are due to the increased torque from the diesel, and previously I have read about EGR failure, and of course, there is the increase in weight on the front axle, so it chews through more tyres, and more weight on the suspension, which again, knackers it quicker. The 1.2 Petrol would be more ideal for you, especially if you do not do long runs.

If you primarily drive short distances and stay off the motorways, don't get the diesel. It needs long drives to warm up completely and the EGR valve needs to be massaged with at least a couple of motorway blasts a month.

Get the 1.2. It's a fun little engine, and IMHO the car handles a bit better with less weight in the front.

Patrick,

I have done 95k since buying my MJ & for the money & usage it is an excellent buy however the car has not been fault free but well built for the cash.
You need to consider whether you need the MJ for its capability on long runs really it is much better to drive on mway inclines than a petrol . However if round town is your regular jaunt then the eco Dynamic will suit better at the sort of mileage you were looking at wishbones discs & EGR problems might be apparent soon & for the money a much lower miles petrol car could be better.
Check to see how the clutch performs too & is there a good Fiat dealer or specialist nearby?
One of the better cars I have owned but to get the best from it you have to adjust your driving style a bit too the hatchback central locking problem can be an issue too they are well documented on the site. I prefer mine with the optional alloys too as the extra weight in the nose can wear standard cars tyres out relatively quickly.
If you can stretch the 100hp seems like an excellent car for the money my car gets oil changes twice a year to keep the turbo sweet.
Up to you mate but I was getting 55-58 mpg on fast runs but now I am doing more rural journeys up to 66mpg is on the cards MJ seems the best engine & no particulate filter but the car likes having a decent battery as winter mornings can produce power steering failures usually cleared after a restart, oh and I have had glow plugs replaced, the dealer I use for servicing is Walkers Northallerton very good for a fiat franchise. Best of luck enjoy!

KozmoNaut said:

If you primarily drive short distances and stay off the motorways, don't get the diesel. It needs long drives to warm up completely and the EGR valve needs to be massaged with at least a couple of motorway blasts a month.

Get the 1.2. It's a fun little engine, and IMHO the car handles a bit better with less weight in the front.

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:yeahthat:

Driven gently, the 1.2 petrol will have a comparable fuel cost per mile to the diesel. My 1.2 returned 69.2 mpg on the trip computer yesterday on a round trip commute of about 40 miles .

My wife had a MJ, justified by the high main road commuting mileage she used to do - over 20k miles per year - the majority of her miles were done in ideal diesel conditions and it justified the extra cost. Was a great little car, though it used to eat front tyres. She now has a 1.2 petrol as she only does 10,000 or so miles per year. The comments about main road hill climbing are correct - if the MJ's got the turbo spinning it will pull much more enthusiastically than a 1.2. However, the MJ has a typically narrow power band for a small turbo diesel and you do have to row it along with the gear lever in give-and-take driving. Unless you really want to have diesel for the sake of it, I'd say a petrol 1.2 is a much better choice for your purposes.

joe1962 said:

Patrick,

I have done 95k since buying my MJ & for the money & usage it is an excellent buy however the car has not been fault free but well built for the cash.
I prefer mine with the optional alloys too as the extra weight in the nose can wear standard cars tyres out relatively quickly.
Best of luck enjoy!

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yes , great if you are racking up the miles, the 1.2 is a better choice if you are not,
1.2's MUCH cheaper to service and will be a cheaper 5 year-old buy as well..!!,

I thought the Standard FIAT alloys actually weighed MORE than the steels - due to their over-engineered construction..!!??,
Charlie

Thank you all for your prompt and full replies.

It sounds as if the balance of opinion is that, at my expected annual usage, the additional maintenance costs of the diesel are not offset by the economy.

A quick bit of arithmetic says that (with the published mpg) the saving on fuel costs is less than a monkey, possibly around a couple of ponies. Heavier wear and tear on the front end could exceed this, especially in view of the mileage already achieved.

My sister's Renault Clio diesel has just had to have the EGR valve replaced as it doesn't get a sufficient regular 'blast', and the shock fixings have had to be touched up with 'metal glue' due to the heavier engine, so these are issues I don't really want to face with my own car.

The downside is that the alternative petrol Panda at the same dealer, although only 30k miles, doesn't have some nice-to-haves such as sliding rear seat bench and roof rails. Why are life's choices never simple!?

Again, thanks for the advice - it is reassuring to know there are helpful folk here on the Fiat Forum. A good first experience!

Patrick

mccormackpj said:

The downside is that the alternative petrol Panda at the same dealer, although only 30k miles, doesn't have some nice-to-haves such as sliding rear seat bench and roof rails. Why are life's choices never simple!?

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I'd suggest that considering the number of worn parts likely to need replacement over the next 4-5 yrs on an 80k car vs a 30k one might just help you to simplify the choice .

jrkitching said:

I'd suggest that considering the number of worn parts likely to need replacement over the next 4-5 yrs on an 80k car vs a 30k one might just help you to simplify the choice .

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Indeed so! Am now awaiting a response from the dealer re. a price for the petrol version .. Hopefully all will be done and dusted in time for a long w/e away later in the month.

Patrick

My wife's MJ had the sliding rear seat, which was a fairly rarely applied option, I think you'll find, but not exclusive to the MJ - we seldom made use of the function but it was extremely useful when we did. Roof rails are common to all Pandas and I'd look in a scrappy for them.