General Advice on buying Panda TwinAir Cross

[minisandfiats]

My wife is after a 4x4 Panda, and we’ve been to look at a 2015 one today which looked great. However, there were a couple of questions which I wonder if anyone could help with…
-The driver’s seat was tricky to move back and forth, like the mechanism was stuck. It was possibly to do but needed a knack to move the lever.
-There was only one key for it- is getting another key expensive?
-The service history stopped at 53k, but it was on 73k, is this likely to cause problems?
-It seemed like there was a rumble coming from the transmission, possibly propshaft- do bearings fail?
The rest of it was ace, I loved all the toys, comfy seats, driving position and the overall look but don’t want to overlook potential of costly faults!

Thanks in advance for advice!

 

[Bonefish Blues]

That missing service history is walk-away on a TA engined Panda for many. I got a second non-remote key for about £100. Propshafts are easy to replace (most do the whole shaft) so have a search - thread within the last few days on a Cross. No idea re the adjustable seats I'm afraid.

 

[varesecrazy]

My wife is after a 4x4 Panda, and we’ve been to look at a 2015 one today which looked great. However, there were a couple of questions which I wonder if anyone could help with…
-The driver’s seat was tricky to move back and forth, like the mechanism was stuck. It was possibly to do but needed a knack to move the lever.
-There was only one key for it- is getting another key expensive?
-The service history stopped at 53k, but it was on 73k, is this likely to cause problems?
-It seemed like there was a rumble coming from the transmission, possibly propshaft- do bearings fail?
The rest of it was ace, I loved all the toys, comfy seats, driving position and the overall look but don’t want to overlook potential of costly faults!

Thanks in advance for advice!

Hi,
Twinair is a real Marmite thing,

They are complex, so circa £2k in repairs isn't unheard of..
Uniair unit and DMF, BOTH circa £1k to sort out

They can also use a fair bit of the Expensive correct Petronas oil

I now have 3 x twinairs.. So am in the "love" camp.. But with the 4x4 too would be mindful of Spending money from the day of purchase

Latest is an Alfa local key cutter supplied a working basic key for less than £50

A full working key coded to open RCL, etc is nearer £300 from FIAT

IF it's going to be a main car and do Lots of miles.. You might be better searching for lower miles

 

[Marcus Daly]

The service history stopped at 53k, but it was on 73k

...and with that I'd be out.

 

[minisandfiats]

Ah that’s very interesting! Felt a bit laggy pulling away in 1st too, so that sounds like an issue. Here’s link in case anyone wants to have a look. So the TwinAir engine needs regular servicing, kind of makes sense if it’s 900cc working hard!

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1518899835345062/

 

[Bonefish Blues]

That looks suspiciously cheap to me

 

[Eltezz]

That ought to be the best part of £7K. Why is it so cheap?

 

[varesecrazy]

That ought to be the best part of £7K. Why is it so cheap?

Category marker..?

 

[The Panda Nut]

The seat mechanism can get disorganised and its a take out the seat to fix it, Annoying but not difficult, First gear is a crawler gear. Second alas is just too high to ignore first. You get used to it but it is a little wearing. If im on a down hill slope at standstill I dont use first. I checked my oil yesterday after a long fast drive and it hadnt used a drop of oil. My biggest concern on that car would be why its so cheap, If the transmission is noisy or clunky I would avoid it. Most likely cause of this is unnecessay running on tarmac with 4x4 engaged. Its worth noting that the car must not be towed two wheels only raised and doing so will damage trasmission due to absence of a centre differential. This is a worry buying secondhand unless you know the history.

 

[minisandfiats]

Thanks for the advice. I think I’ll leave it as quite a few red flags, I wouldn’t have known that the TwinAir needs diligent servicing, How is the 4x4 engaged/disengaged?
The price thing is interesting isn’t it!? If the guy had asked for more maybe people wouldn’t be suspicious of it! Wonder how long it’ll stay for sale for?

 

[varesecrazy]

Thanks for the advice. I think I’ll leave it as quite a few red flags, I wouldn’t have known that the TwinAir needs diligent servicing, How is the 4x4 engaged/disengaged?
The price thing is interesting isn’t it!? If the guy had asked for more maybe people wouldn’t be suspicious of it! Wonder how long it’ll stay for sale for?

Was there mention of insurance markers..?

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

, How is the 4x4 engaged/disengaged?

fully automatically
A rotary control left in the ‘auto’ position will engage it as needed. There is an ‘off-road’ mode that forces it, but you’ll never need to use it. Also a ‘hill descent’ setting that’s really intended for very steep downward slopes such as mountain roads. Doubt that’s ever needed (other than at an off road course) in the U.K.

 

[jrkitching]

Too many red flags on this one - I'd say it's an easy walk away.

If its next owner had to spend £4k-£5k on repairs over the next 12 months, it wouldn't surprise me at all. And that's more than the car's worth.

Easy to see why the current owner is getting rid of it. Good call on their part, I'd say.

Wonder how long it’ll stay for sale for?

Someone will buy it, attracted by what superficially looks like a cheap car. Sadly it'll probably be someone with little experience and less money who won't easily be able to afford the near inevitable expensive repairs that will be needed in the near future.

 

[minisandfiats]

Yeah, definitely. Guy was a trader, he said it was a part exchange. As you say, some unfortunate soul will probably buy it and regret it!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Thanks for the advice. I think I’ll leave it as quite a few red flags, I wouldn’t have known that the TwinAir needs diligent servicing, How is the 4x4 engaged/disengaged?
The price thing is interesting isn’t it!? If the guy had asked for more maybe people wouldn’t be suspicious of it! Wonder how long it’ll stay for sale for?

The system engages and releases automatically in milliseconds - as required to amintain grip. You can alternatively switch to off road which engages it all the time up to 30kph I think. Then it switches off as not really needed, It will engage if a wheel starts to slip. It is very very good. The cross has hill holder too which does work, I have used it on very steep hills in icy conditions and it really works well. The 4x4 is electrobically switched by solenoids linked to the ECU in tandem with ABS sensors. I am a great admirer of teh car. Its never going to get stuck on the road and having been off road on appalling conditions this winter its impressive there too, In snow it is pretty well unstoppable. However the two wheel drive cars are also good on the road. 4x4 will have maintenance costs and does use more fuel but in normal running the car is front wheel drive with just a tioken amount of drive going to the rear axle probably to counter the drag from the system, I have to climb kerbs when visiting my daughter and using 4 wheel drive makes this very easy. I love it. My TA is nicely run in now and for an 874cc car goes like the wind . Unlike others I mostly leave the ECO in the on position as the car goes as well as if not better than a standard 1.2 like this. Exo switched off it performs like a reasonable 1.6 petrol from a few years back.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Yeah, definitely. Guy was a trader, he said it was a part exchange. As you say, some unfortunate soul will probably buy it and regret it!

If its not CAT S or N its is a good price and could be reconditioned and you would have a bargain. Unless you know the damage and the repairer I would not touch Cat s or N as these are fairly flimsy cars and structural damage would need to be rules out. This would be costly.

 

[Marcus Daly]

My TA is nicely run in now and for an 874cc car goes like the wind . Unlike others I mostly leave the ECO in the on position as the car goes as well as if not better than a standard 1.2 like this. Exo switched off it performs like a reasonable 1.6 petrol from a few years back.

I've come round to leaving mine in ECO too. At 12,000 miles it's like night and day compared to how wretched ECO was when the car was new.

 

[Twotone2]

I've come round to leaving mine in ECO too. At 12,000 miles it's like night and day compared to how wretched ECO was when the car was new.

My wife does the same, 2023 4x4 TA, she does very short journeys though but she now drives with it on nearly all of the time, she reckons fuel consumption is better although we did change the tyres in the winter from the stock tyres to Goodyear Vector four season gen 3.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I find under 50mph eco on is better mpg. Above 50 its less clear. If in traffic I always use eco on. Above 50 On a runits usually off. I like the suggestion madeby someoneon the forum touse it likean extra gear when going up slopes put eco off. Extracting max economy is very hard, but get it right and over 60mpg is possible on a long run. BORING though.

 

[Twotone2]

I find under 50mph eco on is better mpg. Above 50 its less clear. If in traffic I always use eco on. Above 50 On a runits usually off. I like the suggestion madeby someoneon the forum touse it likean extra gear when going up slopes put eco off. Extracting max economy is very hard, but get it right and over 60mpg is possible on a long run. BORING though.

Aye my wife uses it as a sort of turbo or extra gear when she’s going up a long hill or when some idiots is sitting on her bumper.