My friend has a Ford Ka for her sins. Anyway she had to take it back in for a warranty fix .... petrol smell in the car when turned fan on. Anyway, her uncle runs parts section at the local Ford garage and he knows someone equivalent at a Fiat garage and he basically said that as KA's are basically 500's that Fiat are looking into recalling all 500's to have the corroding pipe replaced but haven't decided when to do it yet.

Anyone know anything about this? and has anyone had to have a corroded pipe changed under warranty yet?

Nope, no issues here! Given the amount of time the 500 has been about now you'd have thought it would have popped up once or twice if what he's saying is really true.

Fuel lines are plastic, so won't be that. I'm guessing he's talking about the cam-cover to air filter breather hose which can crack on low mileage cars when they block-up with condensation/oil sludge due to lack of use- but they're rubber, not metal.

Heidi said:

My friend has a Ford Ka

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Theeeeere's your problem

I spoke to her again last night and said that no-one on hear has heard of the problem and she said that apparently it is a common fault on 500's..........personally i'm going to wait until someone on here actually reports it rather than fret. Her KA pipe is going to take 2 weeks to come so she is currently driving around in a petrol fumed car ... I'd have asked for a loan car, especially considering her uncle runs parts department! i don't think I'm being told the full story lol.

Heidi said:

I spoke to her again last night and said that no-one on hear has heard of the problem and she said that apparently it is a common fault on 500's..........personally i'm going to wait until someone on here actually reports it rather than fret. Her KA pipe is going to take 2 weeks to come so she is currently driving around in a petrol fumed car ... I'd have asked for a loan car, especially considering her uncle runs parts department! i don't think I'm being told the full story lol.

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Yeah something doesn't add up

If it is corrosion I bet it'll be on a fuel pipe clip, if we have them.

if its a safety issue here will be an official recall and you will get a letter

if it is important they will change parts at service time

if it is minor they will change if the customer complains


suggest you don't listen to Ford dealers talking about Fiats

Had the fuel pipe on our Panda wear through last year, but that's a diesel.

Heidi said:

I spoke to her again last night and said that no-one on hear has heard of the problem and she said that apparently it is a common fault on 500's..........personally i'm going to wait until someone on here actually reports it rather than fret. Her KA pipe is going to take 2 weeks to come so she is currently driving around in a petrol fumed car ... I'd have asked for a loan car, especially considering her uncle runs parts department! i don't think I'm being told the full story lol.

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Find out where this "corroding" pipe runs- like I said, I can only think of the camcover breather hose as a common fault.

D4nny8oy said:

like I said, I can only think of the camcover breather hose as a common fault.

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sounds like that to me

I have a 58 plate 1.2 500 and this has happened to mine this week, I have coverd 11.5k miles it started when I was stopped in traffic or at traffic lights. Because it was on the same journey to work I thought maybe it was something like a factory for pAint or something but then I used my car to go somewhere else and noticed again and relaised it is the car and it's getting worse. I can only describe it as hAving a fuel canister in the car and taking the lid off it and the fumes filling the cabin. I makes you feel sick and have a head ache even opening window doesn't stop it much. Luckily I am having the car exchanged next week after 18 mo the of problems with the car and I am not very confident about having another with the long list of problems with it. I am surprised if fiat are aware of this that they are not recalling as the car isn't safe to drive like this with such fumes and it's later down the road that you may find problems to health with prolonged use and imagine little childs lungs in the car whilst this is happening. I will call fiat UK tomorrow to obtain a courtesy car until mine arrives next week.
To date problems:
petrol smell in cabin
clucking noise from front suspension
whilst idling engine lights flicker and engine feels like will cut out
back jet washer broken
front jet washer jet fallen off
Bluetooth inoperable
heater fan makes loud noise

already had replaced:
Bluetooth and broken again
heated mirror replaced
pipe refitted in engine compartment
jet washer replaced to fall out again

I realise I am lucky to finally get an exchange but I do feel pretty gutted that I spentmy money on this car, don't get me wrong I love the car but it just shouldn't have so many problems and this fumes one is rather serious.