Hi everybody,

I found this web site recently and beacouse i am about to become a prud owner of a brand new Stilo i decided to join. I will get my Stilo within next week. The long waiting is almost over.
I ve seen that there are many complaints here over stilos, but i think you must tkae the bad with the good. I have driven Toyota Corola for instance, and it's a great car to drive, but for me it lacks soul. It doesn't have the image which i thin stilo defenitly has. Well the 3door version can beat any car with it's looks. The performance is relevant. Over the last few years the cars gained weight due to higher safety standards. My 10 years old Tipo has 900 kg my new stilo will have +/-1250 kg. And they are same class cars, it's just age difference - well and design of course. And if my Tipo had 135 HP as may new stilo - well i would have to drive with me 3-4 large guys to equal the weight of an empty stilo.

Anyway are there any special things i should take care with the new car beside the "take it easy for the first 1000km"?
Are there also any known faults for he 04 make.

thx!

Hello and welcome to the club!

I know their are a fair few moans and complaints about faults with the Stilo but as you said rightly.. Italian cars have soul and style unlike other cars but these days in the mass produced world some faults are inevitable even the German greats suffer from reliability issues and bits that drop off [}]

the 04 car is I guess too new to see if some of the major faults the first version had are still their... engine noises at startup, squeeking suspension etc etc but no doubt we will soon find out, I would just once you have the car make sure everything is what you ordered and is working correctly.

after that ENJOY


I hoefully should have my new 04 stilo in less than two weeks.

04 model seems little different from the pre-04 models, the 04 owners on here seem to think their cars won't have the faults prior to the model "update" but a few of them have commented on faults already!

53 plate, Stilo 3-door, Sassy grey, Alloys to follow, 1.2 Active, 5-Disc CD-Changer -- 45mpg!

Mine's an 04 done 800 miles and nothing major yet. The computer always does the check and says OK, no alerts whilst driving.

Fully expecting something soon though!

Only thing that has bothered me is the wind noise that starts on drivers door once over 50mph, but strangly it doesn't get any louder at 80mph. I've learned to listen to the stereo and not the wind!

There are a few rattles and vibrations in the cabin from the glovebox and airbag, but lifes too short if its a rattle you have to turn the radio off and listen for!

March '04, 5 dr Stilo Active & Sept '00, HLX 5 dr Punto.

Right so no faults other than various trim virbrations (in and out the car) and failed door seals! Yeah that sound like no problems to me,.....

53 plate, Stilo 3-door, Sassy grey, Alloys to follow, 1.2 Active, 5-Disc CD-Changer -- 45mpg!

Every car I've ever owned has had vibrations inside, in the beginning with my Nova & then Astra I took it back countless times but they never fixed it or they made something else vibrate / rattle, now as long as it can't be heard constantly and is lower then talksport voices I cant be doing with it!

As for door seal, reading others on here I could have the seal replaced but it looks like even if it did cure the problem it will only return!

March '04, 5 dr Stilo Active & Sept '00, HLX 5 dr Punto.

Hi
It's like software if you have a crash with your PC you just have to turn it off, the same with the car if you can turn it off and restart the engine 99% the problem dissapears.
Have 40000 km and starts always from the first attempt.


Drive safely.
Stilo JTD(115HP) Dynamic
leather,nav+,sportspack

i never obey the "take it easy at the first 1000km rule" and i noticed something ... since ive driven my car like crazy going at 6000rpm often since the first day i got it ... comparing it with a guy that still drives his stilo (same as mine on the engine, 1.6) slow ... mine is quite louder than his.

FIAT STILO 1.6 3dR Tiziano Red
Sub=Pioneer TS WX20LPA
AUTOMOBILE SK

Originally posted by janevj
since ive driven my car like crazy going at 6000rpm often since the first day i got it ... comparing it with a guy that still drives his stilo (same as mine on the engine, 1.6) slow ... mine is quite louder than his.

Click to expand...

Right so what your saying is you've knackered your engine and your mate hasn't!

53 plate, Stilo 3-door, Sassy grey, Alloys to follow, 1.2 Active, 5-Disc CD-Changer -- 45mpg!

I`ve heard this argument before.
One reason often quoted was that the engine needs to "bed in". This is largely un-true with modern vehicles.
In the old days building up a layer of "coke" around the valves was thought to help them seal, nowadays the accent is on gas flow were this practice would be counter-productive.The modern idea is to get the hot gases out as quickly as possible ready for a cooler intake...the greater the difference in temperature between the incomming charge and the outgoing charge is a measure of efficiency.
By "driving" the car from day one you will help to prevent a build-up of carbon around the valves.
It is not as important in a Diesel engine.

1.8 5 Door in Sassi Grey
Comfort Pack 1

I picked mine up from Doncaster and drove it back home the 100 miles it is. When I collected it there were seven miles on the clock, I asked at the garage do I need to run it in, they said no need, modern engines aren't like that, just keep it below 70mph for the first 100 miles then drive it normally.

FIAT Stilo Sport. Pretty Much Bog Standard Really. Rear Roof Spoiler,
Sill Protectors, Aluminium Foot Pedals, Eibach 30mm Drop Springs.

Originally posted by twincamms
just keep it below 70mph for the first 100 miles then drive it normally.

Click to expand...

Right so you had to run it in then!

53 plate, Stilo 3-door, Sassy grey, Alloys to follow, 1.2 Active, 5-Disc CD-Changer -- 45mpg!

Yeah, keep it below 70 mph in 3rd gear!

70mph for 100 miles, hardly running it in is it???

I think it was just advice to get oil around the engine and the block up to working temperature, etc!

Anyway, will your 1.2 reach 70mph ???

FIAT Stilo Sport. Pretty Much Bog Standard Really. Rear Roof Spoiler,
Sill Protectors, Aluminium Foot Pedals, Eibach 30mm Drop Springs.

hard to say .... i think that his car will reach 70mph if you dump it from a plane in a free ride to the ground

FIAT STILO 1.6 3dR Tiziano Red
Sub=Pioneer TS WX20LPA
AUTOMOBILE SK

Fiat quote a top speed of 106mph for the Stilo 1.2, can't say i've ever bothered to test that. Did 80mph once, didn't like it much, nocked 0.1mpg off the car!

53 plate, Stilo 3-door, Sassy grey, Alloys to follow, 1.2 Active, 5-Disc CD-Changer -- 45mpg!

you got the 1.2 and you never tested its top speed ... what kind of carlover are you? why did you buy italian car anyway? wiredooo...

FIAT STILO 1.6 3dR Tiziano Red
Sub=Pioneer TS WX20LPA
AUTOMOBILE SK

janejv

You are a class act, I have to agree with you.....again!

TC.

FIAT Stilo Sport. Pretty Much Bog Standard Really. Rear Roof Spoiler,
Sill Protectors, Aluminium Foot Pedals, Eibach 30mm Drop Springs.

I live in Scotland, if i ever tried to test the top speed i'd get caught on camera buy a goose stepping man in a dark blue uniform, stuck in the slammer with a big dark skinned bloke called bubba!

So far i've not had the chance to test the top speed, as i drive up dual carriageway every day, going over 80mph gets you spotted very quickly, but by all the wrong folk!

53 plate, Stilo 3-door, Sassy grey, Alloys to follow, 1.2 Active, 5-Disc CD-Changer -- 45mpg!

janejv

As Stiloboy has informed us he lives in Scotland, now I don't know if you are aware of this, but the Scottish have a reputation of being the stingyest, tightest, meanest people on the planet, so there you have it, now you know where his obsession with MPGs comes from!

TC.