I have a (Jun 2002) Punto HGT. Due back at the dealers again for eighth time in twelve months due to Airbag Light Staying on, and all dashboard warning lights staying on when I switch off engine and remove key. Anybody suffered same as I am in process of trying to reject the damn thing and get my money back. No end of reasons from dealers, basically they don't know, neither do fiat technical. First they said the earth bonding needed replacing, then the ECU, then the earth bonding again, then they said nothing was wrong with it!!? Then they said it was my fault because I had charged my mobile phone up in the car? Eh?
Car been off-road a cumulative total of nine weeks! Will never ever ever have another.

Dashboard going crazy like this is not completely unheard of on mk2's and it's a shame because it really is a bastard to sort out. The other instance of this I remember the guy was told he needed a new dashboard, which they tried to make him pay for (because it's one hell of an expensive job). It is very rare though, but has happened enough for me to hear about it.

As for Fiat dealers, well this is where teh cars are usually let down. In truth a Fiat is probably no less reliable than the average VW, the problem is the dealers and 'Fiat techincal' are s**te most of the time. And this is what puts me off buying a complex Fiat. Basic ones don't go wrong much you see, and when they do it's easy to fix.

Spirito di Punto | M-reg 55SX, black, 5dr. Clear repeaters. Remote locking fitted, no light confirmation yet though - need relay fitted

i had a faulty key on mine which made the alarm light (red) come on for the first 30 seconds of starting the car, so in theory, i should have been quoted for just that at £80.

our fiat dealer did a diagnostic @ £30 and told me i needed a new alarm body computer £200 which i had done.
the next morning, the light came back on, so i booked it in again.
new battery fitted to key, fault returned again.
took the car back, and i was told the contacts in the key were corroded. result, the contacts were cleaned and yet again the fault light came back on!
i took it back, and they told me that the diagnostic computer returned a fault code which meant the key battery was low. they wanted to charge me £80 for a new key on top of the body computer i paid for that i didnt need!!!!

my point is, that although all cars have problems, the dealers are not that good at sorting out very basic problems!

with that said, yours could have something very simple wrong with it, and at the best case, it may be 1 loose connection