General Campaign to stop dealers damaging our 500's

[The Twins]

I've just about had enough of dealers damaging the underside of my car despite my specific requests that they only use a rubber pad on the jack and only use the specified 'outrigger' chassis points to lift the car - not the scissor jack points!

My car recently had an 18,000 mile service and on inspection the rails along the underside of the car where the scissor jack should go were damaged. see pic.

I brought this to their attention and they said they could fix it. My car was in the dealership for two days having this fixed.

When I picked the car up I inspected the repair and I though it was ok. However..., they have now dented the outrigger jacking points and covered the damage with black underseal! see pic.
:bang:

I told them that this was not acceptable and I wanted the damage repaired and re painted back to the original underbody colour.

The then kept my car for another 3 days to repaint it. They said they needed the underseal to cure before painting - fair enough.

I finally have my car back with the damage repaired and repainted but on inspection they have painted over soft underseal and the top coat simply wipes away!

I have no faith that they can make a decent repair so I will be contemplating doing it myself now.

I have inspected numerous 500's and found this kind of damage to either the rail /scissor jack jacking point or the outrigger jacking point on more than 90%

Why do the dealers think this is acceptable! How do stop this?

I am even thinking of making some sort of 'cover' to protect these jacking points from the fools.

Has anyone got any ideas how this could be achieved and how we can get Fiat to give more specific instructions to the dealers about how to lift our cars?

 

[GeorgeDamper]

Does it refer to these as "jacking points" in the handbook ? Garages tell Punto owners to get similar looking "jacking points" welded for MOT and they are not jacking points.

 

[Murano16v]

My brand new 500 had the sills bent in the same way from day one. My first Mito had the same even after I had shown them where not to jack it. All other Mito's on their forecourt had bent sills. No hope

 

[The Twins]

Does it refer to these as "jacking points" in the handbook ? Garages tell Punto owners to get similar looking "jacking points" welded for MOT and they are not jacking points.

Yes but the jack point that looks like a thin rail under the sill is for scissor jack only. The head if the scissor jack has a slot so the rail drops into the slot and is not damaged.
Damage is caused by using a flat (even rubber) jacking pad like those in the equipment used in dealers to lift the car as a whole.
No damaged would be caused by this method if they used chassis outrigger jack points.

 

[The Twins]

My brand new 500 had the sills bent in the same way from day one. My first Mito had the same even after I had shown them where not to jack it. All other Mito's on their forecourt had bent sills. No hope

Raely make me sick!!!

 

[RobW]

they should jack it on the subframe not the floor!

 

[The Twins]

they should jack it on the subframe not the floor!

They never do though. Dealers insist that the points used and the type of jack are approved by Fiat.

 

[jrkitching]

I've just about had enough of dealers damaging the underside of my car despite my specific requests that they only use a rubber pad on the jack and only use the specified 'outrigger' chassis points to lift the car - not the scissor jack points!

Have you read this.

3yrs on & I can confirm the 500 can be lifted with a trolley jack on these hardpoints repeatedly without risk of damage, provided a suitable pad is used to distribute the load.

Mine is still perfect; I've solved the problem by never taking the car into a garage except for its MOT. Even then, I made sure to take it somewhere I could trust not to lift it incorrectly.

No reputable garage would jack any car on the sills; the problem is how to stop the rest from mangling our cars. :bang::bang::bang:

How about making up some suitably-worded magnetic signs out of fridge magnets to put over the arrows on the sills before taking it anywhere near a garage?

 

[The Twins]

Have you read this.

3yrs on & I can confirm the 500 can be lifted with a trolley jack on these hardpoints repeatedly without risk of damage, provided a suitable pad is used to distribute the load.

Mine is still perfect; I've solved the problem by never taking the car into a garage except for its MOT. Even then, I made sure to take it somewhere I could trust not to lift it incorrectly.

No reputable garage would jack any car on the sills; the problem is how to stop the rest from mangling our cars.

How about making up some suitably-worded magnetic signs out of fridge magnets to put over the arrows on the sills before taking it anywhere near a garage?

Good to hear of an un damaged 500.
Fridge magnets, good idea lol.

 

[306maxi]

They never do though. Dealers insist that the points used and the type of jack are approved by Fiat.

Not really. My dealer is competent and doesn't jack on the scissor jack points.

 

[The Twins]

Not really. My dealer is competent and doesn't jack on the scissor jack points.

Ok, almost never. You are lucky.
I have looked at countless 500's and almost all have damage.

 

[Mondaugen]

Most owners probably aren't aware of this. Have to check myself, too.

Might be worth to raise a stink about it on the Fiat Facebook page.

 

[T14086]

I have looked at countless 500's and almost all have damage.

I have 'lifted' hundreds of 500's with no so much as a scratch however I have documented/photographed many with damage done by customers.....swings & roundabouts

Dealerships have printouts of jacking points for all cars.

 

[jrkitching]

I have 'lifted' hundreds of 500's with no so much as a scratch

The care and attention you show towards other folks property is commendable.

It is a shame that many in the motor trade do not share your attitude.

I...however I have documented/photographed many with damage done by customers...

How do you know the damage was done by the customer and not by the last dealer / tyre fitting centre / MOT station to have worked on the car?

I once looked under about a dozen brand new 500's and Pandas on a local main dealer's showroom floor - all had dented inner sills to some extent and a couple were quite seriously bent .

Dealerships have printouts of jacking points for all cars.

It is a pity they do not always use them.

 

[T14086]

The care and attention with which you treat other folks property is commendable.

It is a shame that many in the motor trade do not share your attitude.

Thank you, it's simple...treat the car as if it's your own after all you have paid £10-12k or whatever, i'd be pi55ed off if it was my car.

How do you know the damage was done by the customer and not by the last dealer / tyre fitting centre / MOT station to have worked on the car?

I once looked under about a dozen brand new 500's and Pandas on a local main dealer's showroom floor - all had dented inner sills to some extent and a couple were quite seriously bent .

Vehicle history and other tell-tell signs (tyre depths, used jack etc) also to be fair I would say it is unlikely (not saying no just unlikely) the ones you looked at in the showroom was done by the dealer in question.

 

[jrkitching]

Thank you, it's simple...treat the car as if it's your own

Mind you, the way some owners treat their cars...
(not that it would apply to anyone on here of course).

...only last week I saw a ***** scraping a new Merc along a kerb - both alloys mangled beyond belief...

...also to be fair I would say it is unlikely (not saying no just unlikely) the ones you looked at in the showroom was done by the dealer in question.

They were brand new cars straight out of the PDI bay :bang:.

 

[T14086]

They were brand new cars straight out of the PDI bay :bang:.

Only way to really tell is to check it leaving factory and follow it from there to customer.

(edited that as didn't make sense)

 

[The Twins]

The care and attention you show towards other folks property is commendable.

It is a shame that many in the motor trade do not share your attitude.



How do you know the damage was done by the customer and not by the last dealer / tyre fitting centre / MOT station to have worked on the car?

I once looked under about a dozen brand new 500's and Pandas on a local main dealer's showroom floor - all had dented inner sills to some extent and a couple were quite seriously bent .

It is a pity they do not always use them.

The problem is the Fiat supplied diagram of the jack points is that it states just that 'jack points' it doesn't state anything about what type of jack, so dealers think they can use their lifts / trolley jacks on the inner sill ridge designed for scissor jack only.
I have contacted Fiat UK and they have sent me a 'case number' saying they would be in touch with me very soon.

 

[jrkitching]

but where were they before that.......

factory / transporters / bulk storage yards ??

 

[The Twins]

factory / transporters / bulk storage yards ??

Why would they have reason to jack them up?