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General Thinking of Buying a FIAT STILO

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General Thinking of Buying a FIAT STILO

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sennen

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Apr 15, 2006
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If you are thinking of buying a STILO bear the following in mind.

  • They are cheap.
  • If you can put up with a poor dealership network (FIATS words as well as mine) who charge the earth, £286 for a 3rd year service ( more expensive than that on a 3 series BMW ) then thats fine.
  • No support at all from FIAT, don't bother logging a complaint with them unless you plan to live to 130.:bang:
  • If you take your car to be fixed or serviced be prepared to go back at least three times. In fact in my experience it may be an idea to take a tent and supplies for a least a year.
  • You don't mind trims that rattle like mad.
  • Radios that give up the ghost, all I get on mine now is interference, radios have been around for some time now, getting one that works should not be that difficult.
  • Tyres that last less than 10,000 miles from the car being new.
  • I'm now tired but the list does go on and on and on.

At the end of the day you get what you pay for, these cars are cheap to buy initially but do have very poor residual value.

For those of you who have nothing but praise for their STILO's I am very pleased for you, you have done well, however the argument that this can happen with any car does not hold water. If you do happen to get a lemon then you should get the support from the manufacturer and the dealership network, in my experience you get neither.

My advice would be steer clear, aftersales is so important when buying a car and FIAT provide none.
 
sennen said:
If you are thinking of buying a STILO bear the following in mind.

  • They are cheap.
  • If you can put up with a poor dealership network (FIATS words as well as mine) who charge the earth, £286 for a 3rd year service ( more expensive than that on a 3 series BMW ) then thats fine.
  • No support at all from FIAT, don't bother logging a complaint with them unless you plan to live to 130.:bang:
  • If you take your car to be fixed or serviced be prepared to go back at least three times. In fact in my experience it may be an idea to take a tent and supplies for a least a year.
  • You don't mind trims that rattle like mad.
  • Radios that give up the ghost, all I get on mine now is interference, radios have been around for some time now, getting one that works should not be that difficult.
  • Tyres that last less than 10,000 miles from the car being new.
  • I'm now tired but the list does go on and on and on.

At the end of the day you get what you pay for, these cars are cheap to buy initially but do have very poor residual value.

For those of you who have nothing but praise for their STILO's I am very pleased for you, you have done well, however the argument that this can happen with any car does not hold water. If you do happen to get a lemon then you should get the support from the manufacturer and the dealership network, in my experience you get neither.

My advice would be steer clear, aftersales is so important when buying a car and FIAT provide none.
Click to expand...

sennen, help us out here.

What car/year/model ?
How long you had it?
Which dealers have you dealt with?
I'm on my second Stilo with only an airbag light fault between them so only used a dealer for the wife's Punto and that wasn't unpleasant.

Not dismissing anything your'e saying but more info would help. Theres some very cheap Stilo radio's on e-bay that might cure the problem, at least you will know if it's the radio or not.

Oh, if my dealer does my 3rd year for that price I will offer to have sex with them.
 
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  • They are cheap - AND SO ARE OTHER CARS ON THE MARKET - I got mine 2nd hand, what a bargain......
  • If you can put up with a poor dealership network (FIATS words as well as mine) who charge the earth, £286 for a 3rd year service ( more expensive than that on a 3 series BMW ) then thats fine - NOT ALL DEALERSHIPS CHARGE THE SAME PRICE, BUT HEY, THINK OF THE MONEY YOU SAVED IN THE FIRST PLACE
  • No support at all from FIAT, don't bother logging a complaint with them unless you plan to live to 130.:bang: - NEVER LOGGED A COMPLAINT, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS
  • If you take your car to be fixed or serviced be prepared to go back at least three times. In fact in my experience it may be an idea to take a tent and supplies for a least a year - NEVER HAD THAT, EVEN GET A COURTESY CAR DROPPED OFF TO MY HOUSE WHEN MY CAR IS PICKED UP
  • You don't mind trims that rattle like mad - MY TRIM DOESN'T RATTLE
  • Radios that give up the ghost, all I get on mine now is interference, radios have been around for some time now, getting one that works should not be that difficult - MY RADIO WORKS 100% - WHAT INTERFERENCE IS THIS YOU TALK OF?
  • Tyres that last less than 10,000 miles from the car being new - TYRE WEAR WAS AN ISSUE, BUT I GET JUST OVER 10K ON MINE, BUT I EXPECT THAT THE WAY I DRIVE
  • I'm now tired but the list does go on and on and on - :sleep: AT THIS THREAD
 
Stuart DemonD said:
  • They are cheap - AND SO ARE OTHER CARS ON THE MARKET - I got mine 2nd hand, what a bargain......
  • If you can put up with a poor dealership network (FIATS words as well as mine) who charge the earth, £286 for a 3rd year service ( more expensive than that on a 3 series BMW ) then thats fine - NOT ALL DEALERSHIPS CHARGE THE SAME PRICE, BUT HEY, THINK OF THE MONEY YOU SAVED IN THE FIRST PLACE
  • No support at all from FIAT, don't bother logging a complaint with them unless you plan to live to 130.:bang: - NEVER LOGGED A COMPLAINT, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS
  • If you take your car to be fixed or serviced be prepared to go back at least three times. In fact in my experience it may be an idea to take a tent and supplies for a least a year - NEVER HAD THAT, EVEN GET A COURTESY CAR DROPPED OFF TO MY HOUSE WHEN MY CAR IS PICKED UP
  • You don't mind trims that rattle like mad - MY TRIM DOESN'T RATTLE
  • Radios that give up the ghost, all I get on mine now is interference, radios have been around for some time now, getting one that works should not be that difficult - MY RADIO WORKS 100% - WHAT INTERFERENCE IS THIS YOU TALK OF?
  • Tyres that last less than 10,000 miles from the car being new - TYRE WEAR WAS AN ISSUE, BUT I GET JUST OVER 10K ON MINE, BUT I EXPECT THAT THE WAY I DRIVE
  • I'm now tired but the list does go on and on and on - :sleep: AT THIS THREAD
Click to expand...

Morning Stu:)
 
DEALERS AND PROBLEMS
Do as much maintenance as you can or your own garage and you won't be bothered by dealership problems and frustration. If you go to dealers then ask for recommendations first and choose your garage wisely

TYRES
Check your tracking yourself at least every 2 months. Takes 2 minutes tops. I have 35k miles on tyres easy. Check your tyres WEEKLY like Moses told us and you'll spot any problems

RADIO
What problems?

CHOICES
The choice for a 2 year old car on £4.5k budget? A 1.2 Renault Clio or ......

Stilo depreciation is ghastly/ fantastic. Catch it on the downside and there's a lot of car for your money. Damn now the whole world knows
 
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Yes Stilo's are cheap but isn't that a good thing for when your buying one?

My radio is perfect even though the 5cd changer doesn't like some of my cd's.

I've never had any problems with the dealer.

As far as I know my tyres have never been changed in 44k, and they're about ready to be changed now.

tbh I would recommend a Stilo to anyone who likes the look of it.
 
i havent got my 52 1.6 active yet 3dr and i hope i wont have a problem with it , i work in a motor factors and i priced up a service kit for said car , the dearest part was the pollen filter which was about 12.00 quid made by fram . ok if ya car is in warranty go to fiat buy all ya filters n take em to ya local garage get them to stamp ya book n fit em , you save a fortune in fiats labour , every-ones a winner :D
 
sennen said:
If you are thinking of buying a STILO bear the following in mind.
  • They are cheap.
  • If you can put up with a poor dealership network (FIATS words as well as mine) who charge the earth, £286 for a 3rd year service ( more expensive than that on a 3 series BMW ) then thats fine.
  • No support at all from FIAT, don't bother logging a complaint with them unless you plan to live to 130.:bang:
  • If you take your car to be fixed or serviced be prepared to go back at least three times. In fact in my experience it may be an idea to take a tent and supplies for a least a year.
  • You don't mind trims that rattle like mad.
  • Radios that give up the ghost, all I get on mine now is interference, radios have been around for some time now, getting one that works should not be that difficult.
  • Tyres that last less than 10,000 miles from the car being new.
  • I'm now tired but the list does go on and on and on.
Click to expand...
i agree with certain points, my stilo was £11000, and now worth half that in over a year!

service charges are high - they could do with extending the service period to every 2 years or 20,000 miles

fiat have had my car in five times to fix the speedo needle dropping to 0 when travelling, they want it for a sixth time - no. a letter has been sent to fiat uk MD and fiat uk customer manager

have a look at the loan car had from my local dealer, again poor customer service.
https://www.fiatforum.com/showthread.php?t=59484&highlight=fiat+loan+car


my trim doesn't rattle and the radio is fine at the moment!

if you have goodyear eagle f1's on 17" wheels they only last 10,000 miles. i stuck some budget tyres on the front and so far have had 16,000 out of them, and i think i may get 20,000 before they need changing
 
Last edited by a moderator:
chromegrey said:
i agree with certain points, my stilo was £11000, and now worth half that in over a year! - just got mine valued at £6500 - offer from a dealership, so, mines over 18months, and it's technicaly 3rd hand, AND I've modified it.

service charges are high - they could do with extending the service period to every 2 years or 20,000 miles - Not had this problem, my last service was cheap as chips, like 130 or something, I've had an expensive bit of work, but that was my fault for not noticing that my brakes were completly worn, hence new discs and brakes.

fiat have had my car in five times to fix the speedo needle dropping to 0 when travelling, they want it for a sixth time - no. a letter has been sent to fiat uk MD and fiat uk customer manager I had a problem where my speedo stuck at 40 mph. It happened twice just before my service, and hasn't happened since. I've been through FIAT's complaints procedure and was thoroughly impressed (and my job is complaints handling). Also had an issue with the radio and copied CD's that the dealership were rubbish about, but i accepted that the cd radio wasn't what i wanted, so i bought after market. They let me talk to the head technician and he explained everything fine to me. Also, anyone who thinks the MD and customer manager of a company will read their complaint letter are very very naive.

have a look at the loan car had from my local dealer, again poor customer service.
https://www.fiatforum.com/showthread.php?t=59484&highlight=fiat+loan+car
LOL, that is disgusting! - why on gods earth did you accept it? i assume you read and checked the pre-drive checklist?! but then they gave me a Daewoo Matiz with no tread at the renault dealership, so I reckon that's a garage thing... some muppets in every business. imo.

my trim doesn't rattle and the radio is fine at the moment! - good to hear a positive at least. I've never had any rattle from my trim, and I have an alpine headunit (y)

if you have goodyear eagle f1's on 17" wheels they only last 10,000 miles. i stuck some budget tyres on the front and so far have had 16,000 out of them, and i think i may get 20,000 before they need changing - just had my front tyres replaced after 19000 miles (the rear tyres still going strong) mine came with Firestone tyres (I believe they are the source of comedy in the US), so i've put the same on the front... i expect a good 15000 out of them again.
Click to expand...

I'm happy with my stilo, possibly have a few gripes with the dealership, but then with the state of affairs i had at renault... it's hard to say.
 
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Why blame a car for what sounds like your own driving characteristics, well some of it anyway. I know the Stilo is a big car for the size of tyres its fitted with but even i managed to get 27000 out a set of 15" Dunlops, compares favourably with the Saxo VTS i had which couldn't get more than 8000 out the front tyres! I rotated the wheels at 17000 miles, i'll prolly do the same with the 17's on the car, and i'm sure to report the milage covered on them too.

Radio, well mine has been fine, maybe its the reception your gettting, have you checked the arial lead is connected properly to the back of the HU, is the arial itself ok? I've got a stubby one and i loose reception sometimes.

Rattles, nope! Only interior noises i get are from the windscreen air vents on really cold days, where as the harder plastic warms it creaks a bit, but when warmed up its totaly silent. Oh my seat squeeks sometimes, but i put that down to my being a fidget behind the wheel.

Dealers are pish, but its your responsibility to keep on top of them, applying enough pressure to get the work done, but not so much as to **** them off! Be friendly whenever possibly, and only STATE your point when your not getting anywhere. Damanding as soon as you arrive puts everyones shackles up!

I paid £7k for my Stilo a little over 2 years ago, its prolly worth about half that now, which is good, because thats more than is left on the loan. So i'm still in positive equity with the car. Not bad considering depreciation is at an all time high, so much so its now affecting diesel resales. ;)

All in all £7k for a car valued at £11k when i got it was great, pre-registration rocks! Brand new car for second hand prices.
 
Firstly, let me say, I LOVE my car. 1.8 Dynamic in Black. Lush.

However, it has had many many electrical problems since I bought it 16 months ago.

Firstly I had to have a new ECU last year as that packed up.

This year the problems I have are probably mainly due to the dealership communication with Fiat. It's going into the garage for the 5th time in 3 months next week with throttle related problems.

Initially it was stalling, after 4 visits it seemed to be fixed ( they replaced a throttle coil and changed the type of oil used).
Unfortunately about 500 miles later, the problem changed & it's now revving up when in neutral, at about 1700 - 2000 revs with me doing absolutely nothing.

So back in the garage again for more Fiat (whatever...) modifications.

Luckily, like I said at the start, I love my car, everything else has been perfect. No rattles, tyres lasted to 20k, just about to replace them (did rotate once), cheap service due to low mileage, and just so fun to drive!

So that's my gripes. You do pay for what you get, but a 3 year warranty has been a major bonus so far, there are many faults with the electronics in my case.

If it's not fixed this time I'll be asking a Fiat UK representative to come down to my dealership & explain why they can't fix a car after so many visits. They should be scared.... I will have lost my patience if it gets to that stage!! :eek:
 
Deckchair5 said:
DEALERS AND PROBLEMS
Do as much maintenance as you can or your own garage and you won't be bothered by dealership problems and frustration. If you go to dealers then ask for recommendations first and choose your garage wisely

TYRES
Check your tracking yourself at least every 2 months. Takes 2 minutes tops. I have 35k miles on tyres easy. Check your tyres WEEKLY like Moses told us and you'll spot any problems

RADIO
What problems?

CHOICES
The choice for a 2 year old car on £4.5k budget? A 1.2 Renault Clio or ......

Stilo depreciation is ghastly/ fantastic. Catch it on the downside and there's a lot of car for your money. Damn now the whole world knows
Click to expand...

Deckchair, just wondering how you check your tracking yourself???Thanks also what size wheels do you have?
 
Seraph said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by chromegrey
i agree with certain points, my stilo was £11000, and now worth half that in over a year! - just got mine valued at £6500 - offer from a dealership, so, mines over 18months, and it's technicaly 3rd hand, AND I've modified it.

service charges are high - they could do with extending the service period to every 2 years or 20,000 miles - Not had this problem, my last service was cheap as chips, like 130 or something, I've had an expensive bit of work, but that was my fault for not noticing that my brakes were completly worn, hence new discs and brakes.

fiat have had my car in five times to fix the speedo needle dropping to 0 when travelling, they want it for a sixth time - no. a letter has been sent to fiat uk MD and fiat uk customer manager I had a problem where my speedo stuck at 40 mph. It happened twice just before my service, and hasn't happened since. I've been through FIAT's complaints procedure and was thoroughly impressed (and my job is complaints handling). Also had an issue with the radio and copied CD's that the dealership were rubbish about, but i accepted that the cd radio wasn't what i wanted, so i bought after market. They let me talk to the head technician and he explained everything fine to me. Also, anyone who thinks the MD and customer manager of a company will read their complaint letter are very very naive.

have a look at the loan car had from my local dealer, again poor customer service.
https://www.fiatforum.com/showthread....=fiat+loan+car
LOL, that is disgusting! - why on gods earth did you accept it? i assume you read and checked the pre-drive checklist?! but then they gave me a Daewoo Matiz with no tread at the renault dealership, so I reckon that's a garage thing... some muppets in every business. imo.

my trim doesn't rattle and the radio is fine at the moment! - good to hear a positive at least. I've never had any rattle from my trim, and I have an alpine headunit

if you have goodyear eagle f1's on 17" wheels they only last 10,000 miles. i stuck some budget tyres on the front and so far have had 16,000 out of them, and i think i may get 20,000 before they need changing - just had my front tyres replaced after 19000 miles (the rear tyres still going strong) mine came with Firestone tyres (I believe they are the source of comedy in the US), so i've put the same on the front... i expect a good 15000 out of them again.



I'm happy with my stilo, possibly have a few gripes with the dealership, but then with the state of affairs i had at renault... it's hard to say.
Click to expand...


i've written to the md and customer service manager to get my letters noticed by someone, i have written to the customer the service deparment last month who have fobbed me, "go to your local dealer". i ended up part exchanging a 2 year old punto hgt prior to having the stilo because i got fed up of fiat trying to fix small problems that they couldn't - looks like i might be doing the same again soon

what pre drive checklist? they give me the keys and say goodbye..... i don't expect a fiat car to be unroadworthy

tyres may wear quicker on diesels as they are nose heavy......who knows!
 
My dealer is Westover Fiat in Poole, they don't seem to have very good customer service when problems arise unfortunately. They sent me away one time not fully confident the problem had been fixed, but failed to tell me that! They admitted it when I went back to them with the problem again...
I think my car is addicted to the garage personally!!!

Oh, and it's an April 2004 model.
 
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