General Did our new car bypass quality control alltogether?

[Alfatwo]

Just to reiterate, you don't need to take the plastic surround off the mirror to get the protective film off, it pulls off completely and doesn't leave any ragged bits. Mine was on for several months until I noticed it. You might also want to have a look at the windows logo near the USB port, as mine had a protective film on that they hadn't taken off during PDI/valeting either.

On a very positive note, Carstins the small family owned Fiat dealers since 1975 in Balsall Common, just outside Coventry.
Firstly they sorted all my suspension problems, Remapped the engine management ECU with all the latest updates and theres lots..........
Did a superb job on the paintwork with Autoglym lifeshine, gave me a car to use for the week,
Then they delivered the car back to my door free of charge, And there about 15miles away from Rugby.
Fantastic service, I couldn't ask for more
So no knocking Fiat dealers please!

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

We just had some fun driving through a McDonald's drivethrough, where the engine stopped about 4 times, to the bemusement of the people around us. Scared the jeebies out of me when it suddenly started on its own after stopped for 3 minutes though!

Think that's the only time it would benifit me during the term time at college with Mc'd's drive thru

 

[Venters]

I don't agree with those who are making excuses for the dealers by saying that they are only human so will be bound to make mistakes. If you don't want to be selling / preparing cars - go and do something else?
..

Get a grip mate.

Where is making a mistake and not wanting to sell/prepare cars the same thing?

Ever made a mistake in your professional life? Did you immediately quit your job because of it?

Either way it doesn't matter though does it. As admiting humans aint perfect isn't making excuses, it's accepting reality.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Get a grip mate.

Where is making a mistake and not wanting to sell/prepare cars the same thing?

Ever made a mistake in your professional life? Did you immediately quit your job because of it?

Either way it doesn't matter though does it. Also admiting humans aint perfect isn't making excuses it's accepting reality.

Well put

 

[ianrm]

Run for the hills paw!
Seriously a new car is made up of thousands of components. I've always considered it a general rule that you will have more problems in the first 6 months of the life of a car than at any other point in the cars lifetime.

1, Rattle happen in many new cars. Obviously it can't be diagnosd over the internet. But I doubt your engine is about to explode.

2, the plastic covering the mirror is valeter fail. Pick out a corner and carefully remove. Simples.


3,+4 Are both issues that have appeared after any quality control checks would have been done. Unless you hope a quality control check can find faults before they are even there.
Yes I'm sure this post will be met with I have spent 12K on a new car It shold be bloddy perfect. Well yes it should be. However in reality this isn't a utopian society we live in where everything is perfect.

Anyone who has not made a slight mistake in their entire life I suppose can complain about other people. Until then remember the people building and designing these car are human. Just like you.

Soryy Jim that isn't totally directed at you. Just keep getting pissed off with the way people expect so much but themselves deliver so little.

Well said that man.

 

[Lloyd71]

The plastic cover was still on my mirror too, I thought it was supposed to be there, like when you get a new mobile phone and it has the covering over the screen. Mine has left ragged edges on it but it's never used so I can't be bothered to remove the bits that are left over.

 

[Heidi]

Lloyd - don't tell me you are like me, and leave the plastic on your mobile phone until you really have to take it off? I've just got a new phone and it's still got the plastic on and I hope it stays on for a while! (we've still got the plastic on our Tom Tom too!)

 

[Ulpian]

Plastic on my Tom Tom lasted nearly two years - and I use it every day

 

[JimR123]

A quick update on our issues...

Mirror film sorted, carefully. Rattle seems to have just gone away. So far so good...

Taken car to dealer service department about lights on dashboard. They've got to keep it for at least 4 days, because they've found a fault, and will order the parts on Monday. Not sure if they'll be able to fix it on Tuesday, but that's when they reckon the parts will arrive. They said it's something to do with a switch of some kind, and they muttered something about the gears or gearbox.

They've given us a Grande Punto as a courtesy car, which both of us hate. I would've thought they'd at least try and give us a courtesy car that is similar to what we've paid for.

So for the first 5 days of ownership, only had it in our possession for 1 day. Not great reliability so far, and still not sure when we'll actually get it back...

Ho hum...

 

[T14086]

I would of tried the software update before ordering a new ******** switch.

 

[MissR]

Aww sorry to hear its not been as perfect as you hoped. Just try and think of it being new from when you get it back and hopefully nothing else will happen to make you disappointed.

 

[PandaLounge]

I would've thought they'd at least try and give us a courtesy car that is similar to what we've paid for

Reality check!

Dealers use low spec cars as courtesy cars because why would they have a £12000 500 Lounge that's going to be generally ill-treated and thrashed?

Grande Punto is a sensible car to use, so is the Panda IMHO. Cheap, frugal and a hoot.

Keep your sense of standards high where they matter, i.e. the quality of the repairs to your new car and the level of aftersales service.

Really, the courtesy car isn't all that important - and at least you've got one!

Steve

 

[Ulpian]

So the plastic film 'fault 'is sorted

The rattle isn't there, and there is a problem with a switch or something and maybe a gearbox fault, but who knows because nobody seems able to give a clear explanation in English?

And rather than enjoying the difference of the loan car: you are complaining about that too.

Mmmmmm...

sorry, but...

 

[MissR]

Don't be so mean. There's nothing wrong with them wanting things to be perfect whens they've spent so much money on a car they've been looking forward to. And yes its great they have a courtesy car but seeing as the garage has admitted there is something wrong they're allowed to be disappointed.
Ok some of the 'faults' weren't that huge but put the claws away!

 

[Ulpian]

I'm not being mean.
I simply can't bear whinging.

Disappointment is understandable, but things and life are not perfect. In fact to expect perfection is to be constantly disappointed. It is a mark of maturity to be able to deal with little upsets and not complain all the time, and certainly not until outcomes are finally decided.

Life is too short. Try and enjoy it, and look at the full half of the glass, not the empty part.

 

[PandaLounge]

I wasn't being mean either, so sorry if it came across that way.

It's one thing to be annoyed and disappointed with your actual car - but to be critical about a courtesy car not being to the same spec and cost as your own car is just silly.

If that were the case I'd have grounds to sue my dealer! The first few times I took my 500 back I had a 58 plate Grande Punto multijet, lovely car and even more expensive than mine.
Soon I started to get the dregs of the used car lot - a 51 plate Fiesta, a W reg Vauxhall Astra and a, get this, Y reg Suzuki Wagon R!

I understand their frustration with the 500, but the dealer has taken it back, is fixing the problems and has supplied them with transport - they don't have to do that, its dealer choice.

Be happy - and fingers crossed it'll all be fixed when you get it back.

Steve

 

[Murano16v]

I can understand dealers not wanting to use a decent car as a courtesy cars as they nearly always look like they just get used to cart garden waste etc to the local dump.

 

[306maxi]

I can understand dealers not wanting to use a decent car as a courtesy cars as they nearly always look like they just get used to cart garden waste etc to the local dump.

And people thrash them to ****. Personally if I get a courtesy car I'll be happy

 

[grimwau]

My dealer has four 1.4 Sports as courtesy cars but I always seem to end up with a Clio as everyone wants them, especially the Renault and Peugeot customers whose cars are in for servicing/repair.

 

[eki]

how do you think ferrari drivers feel when they're given 500s as courtesy cars for when they're 430s, 360s, 612s what have you are in for service? haha