General Luca DeMontezemelo: does he really know?

[Shminkypinky]

So whilst watching the Italian GP last weekend in a foul mood, as yet again my Stilo had broken down Luca DeMontezemelo pops up on the screen with the Ferrari team rejoycing in their success, then it suddenrly dawned on me - does this man really know.

And before I go on this is not a rant about my car more of FIAT the brand as a whole and it very poor reutation in this country.

He was with another top bloke from FIAT and It got me thinking about writing him a letter telling him of his companies endless supply of poor dealerships (yes I appreciate there are good ones - but more bad than good) Ok so lets be serious this is probably a very busy man and he probably wouldn't even read the letter, but someone high up may and it may make a small difference.

I feel we do enough complaining about our cars, I mean you only have to look at the threads and there mostly about problems and that we need help to solve something, without actually doing anything about making anyone with some serious power within the company aware of our problems.
FIAT make great cars - (Stilos looks in particular) they just need to brush up on the reliability. Im 110% sure if the Stilo was made by Ford and was called the Focus it would be a top seller! its certainly a better car than the bland old Focus when its working!

So does Mr DeMontezemelo need to be made aware of the Forum, the dodgy dealers (sorry if you are from one of the dealers - I do not mean to offed anyone its just the dealer I go to has a terrible reputation and has treated me and others very poorly), the good points and bad points about his companys cars, and how we realy feel about FIAT. i mean its not rocket science, continue to build the great cars but just improve the quality and reliability and the whole ownership experience by imroving the dealers. Im sure he must be told of certain surveys where FIAT come very low down.

I must admit this has all come from my car letting me down continually so I feel I have the right to have a bit of a rant, but I still do love the car and its because of that, that I write the post!

I did find it amusing when a friend of mine, knowing my car was knackered said to me ' its funny how Ferrari who are owned by FIAT can build the most reliable racing car but cannot build reliable road cars' and that ' if FIAT/DeMontezemelo invested the same amount of money and took the same interest in mass car production as it did in F1 it may build great cars'

I would like to appologise if I have offended anyone, (dont think I have) and I would like to stress this is not a rant about my car which is not working very well at present! more about whether Luca DeMontezemelo knows about the FIAT brand in this country!

 

[bozzy]

I think most of this is fair but I imagine the money spent on F1 racing comes no-where near that which is spent at Turin on r & d.

 

[Argonought]

Sure there are some real horror stories in this forum but then you’ll find similar stories in most car forums. It’s been said before but the act of reading through many car forums is more likely to put you off buying that particular marque which doubtless explains why Fiat don’t endorse FF.

There are always inherent dangers in owning and driving a new & rare model of car. The danger is in exposing the vehicle to mechanics who have dangerously little knowledge of the car and is made far worse if that vehicle includes many advanced electronic systems as the Stilo does. Un-savvy car owners are at the greatest risk here. Personally I think many of the advanced features of the Stilo actually work against it in terms of owner reviews. I’m sure if all the body computer pre-checks and warnings were removed then it would get better owner reviews as drivers could just get in, turn the key, and not think about anything. (Actually it would then become a “Dumb car owner review” )

I’ve had my Stilo for nearly a year and it already rates as more reliable than other cars I’ve owned and, although I realize that can change, it’s a good start. In fact, had I never come across FF, I’d be telling everyone how fantastic they are (with the exception of the occasional false warning on startup which otherwise I might have taken more seriously - and wasted money at the dealer trying to get them checked). I can’t really fault local dealers either.

Car reliability and dealer issues is very much a personal experience. The important thing is to keep it in perspective.

 

[PNL]

Personally I think many of the advanced features of the Stilo actually work against it in terms of owner reviews. I’m sure if all the body computer pre-checks and warnings were removed then it would get better owner reviews as drivers could just get in, turn the key, and not think about anything. (Actually it would then become a “Dumb car owner review” )

.

Car reliability and dealer issues is very much a personal experience. The important thing is to keep it in perspective.

I could not agree more Argo the stilo electronics are a total pain if they had stuck to the old style ECU and not used a hybrid one many of the beeps and burps would be history or should I say not applicable and as far as I am concerned would be for the better this morning my engine management light has come back on again after it going in to sort out the fault on No4 injector and YES its the same fault again as light goes out after 3 start ups they said they had fixed it but apparently they haven't also I have had a fixed penalty speeding notice Oh I'm having a ball of a weekend so far

 

[Argonought]

....also I have had a fixed penalty speeding notice Oh I'm having a ball of a weekend so far

Come on Phil, tell us more?

This wasn't anything to do with your new found 119 BHP was it

 

[Rich]

Also I have had a fixed penalty speeding notice Oh I'm having a ball of a weekend so far

Try finding out that some little ****s have keyed the side of your car whilst you were at work . . . I'm so angry I could kill someone right now!!

 

[Argonought]

Try finding out that some little ****s have keyed the side of your car whilst you were at work . . . I'm so angry I could kill someone right now!!

This in the company car park Rich or at home.

Was it only yours?

 

[PNL]

Come on Phil, tell us more?

This wasn't anything to do with your new found 119 BHP was it

Excuse me its 119.7 bhp if you dont mind well I decided to take June for a drive to Porthcawl and have a look at the same time if the place would be ok for a meet for the life of me I never saw any cameras so I think it must have been the gantry ones as the notice says between two junctions No's 34/35 that will be six on my licence now I will be an oap before they come off :bang:

 

[Argonought]

I think it must have been the gantry ones as the notice says between two junctions No's 34/35

:nono: very naughty to adjust your speed warning to match your BHP

Mine’s still on 75mph I’ve come to quite like the BEEP BEEP BEEP the Stilo gives when blasting past a car or two on the back roads

 

[bozzy]

Try finding out that some little ****s have keyed the side of your car whilst you were at work . . . I'm so angry I could kill someone right now!!

No words rroope.

 

[PNL]

:nono: very naughty to adjust your speed warning to match your BHP

Mine’s still on 75mph I’ve come to quite like the BEEP BEEP BEEP the Stilo gives when blasting past a car or two on the back roads

Oh for cryingout loud I have got an airbag warning light on as well now tryed the conectors under both seats and no joy they refuse to go out so thats engine managment light this morning speeding notification and now a bloody airbag warning anyone got a length of rroope I mean Rope

 

[Shminkypinky]

I could not agree more Argo the stilo electronics are a total pain if they had stuck to the old style ECU and not used a hybrid one many of the beeps and burps would be history or should I say not applicable and as far as I am concerned would be for the better this morning my engine management light has come back on again after it going in to sort out the fault on No4 injector and YES its the same fault again as light goes out after 3 start ups they said they had fixed it but apparently they haven't also I have had a fixed penalty speeding notice Oh I'm having a ball of a weekend so far

Changing the subject slightly, PNL you say that your fault light goes out after 3 start ups, does that mean that even though the light has gone out a fault may still remain? im not 100% sure what you mean when you say 'YES its the same fault again as light goes out after 3 start ups'.
All im getting at is the coil failure I had recently has been cured (i think) the light has disappeared but the car still drives like cack! could the fault still remain and the cars not telling me?

 

[PNL]

Changing the subject slightly, PNL you say that your fault light goes out after 3 start ups, does that mean that even though the light has gone out a fault may still remain? im not 100% sure what you mean when you say 'YES its the same fault again as light goes out after 3 start ups'.
All im getting at is the coil failure I had recently has been cured (i think) the light has disappeared but the car still drives like cack! could the fault still remain and the cars not telling me?

Yes the fault will remain until it is sorted and the fault code/s erased from the ecu. Now in my case I had information that the engine light will erase its self after a number of start ups in my case the No 4 injector is logged as an intermittent fault and after 3 engine start ups the engine light will go out BUT the code will be logged on the ECU when a diagnostic is performed other faults can be the same a number of start ups [say off the top of my head 20] and the fault code will be logged in the ECU but the light can go out by its self but despite the light going out the fault remains until fixed.
I was talking to a lady at my local spar store the other day and I asked her if she had any warning lights come up on her rather good looking 5dr stilo she said she had a engine symbol come up but it went out after a couple of months I said did you have it seen to on a diagnostic machine she said no as it went out I thought that was that little does she realise that his could come back to haunt her in the future BIG TIME sorry for going on a bit but I hope you understand what I was getting at

 

[Rich]

No words rroope.

Well quite, it's a sad day, god was I both so mad and upset when I saw it.

Argo, it was opposite where I work on a main road, and kids walk past it quite a lot. I'm now going to park it on work premises or just do the 30min-each-way walk to and from work to avoid it happening. It's sad when you're in fear of leaving your own car somewhere.

I've done all I can to it, in fact my bro has amazed me with his skills. You can see it looking straight on, but if you look down the side of the car it is impossible to see it. After seeing him paint it, superglueing it (apparently it's an amazing lacquer that won't ever lift and allow dirt in), sanding down my door using wet & dry then cutting it all back; but it's an absolutely superb job!!! I'm happy to live with it.

Cu*ts, just utter cu*nts. If I find them you may be losing a moderator as I shall be banged up for murder!!!!