General Drivers side door handle HANGING OFF!!!!!! :(

[ahmett]

I'm 6'2" and the two times I've sat in the back of a 500 (both times in our old one) I sat in the rear passenger side with my legs across the back seat. Not something I particularly enjoyed but it was a little more comfortable than having my knees around my chin!

That's what my brother does (6ft3) it's like lying down in the back!

 

[Ricard]

Looking through your posts you seem to have had a door handle failure and some stiff gearshift cables, hardly the worst car ever.

We bought it because she thinks it's cute, my use of a car is purely practical so when things go wrong I get to be concerned.

The list is as-follows.

First the tracking was so far out on the new car that the insides of the front tyres were showing fabric whilst the outsides still had 50% of the wear-bar.

Then I had to treat the sump with rust preventative, the sump pan had very little paint on it with zero protection from the elements so it looked like it had been dragged out of a lake.

Next was the gear-shift gaiter arrangement falling to bits and door handle falling off, both these were dealt with during warranty.

Both front shock-absorber covers came loose so I had clunking on both sides.

The gear shifting is now so difficult that I've given trying to drive the 500 until I get it fixed.

Every other time I start the engine I get a screaming noise that dissapeares when I stop the engine and re-start.

The exhaust back box is close to failure and stop/start rarely works but I don't care..

This is a 1.3 multi-jet diesel, if it wasn't for all these problems it's a fun car to drive, it feels solid and with a lot more poke than any of the petrol versions I have tested. She still loves it so we'll stay with it for the time being and maybe after the glut of problems are resolved we'll end up with a car we both love.

 

[Benny the Bee]

Well, it has now finally happened to me too.

Many thanks to the kind members who have posted the guide and links for replacement hinges.
I will order one now and get to work when it arrives.

I must admit, I still love the car after 5.5 years and 59400 miles of ownership. The faults I have experienced, while annoying/frustrating, havent dampened my enthusiasm for it.

My faults so far:
Rear washer pipe "popped off",
tailgate wiring chaffed/broken resulting in "weird wiper action"!
drivers door handle broken.

......and thats it!

So, apart from service costs (I do my own), it hasn't cost me much at all to run.

All the best,
Tony.

 

[ahmett]

Well, it has now finally happened to me too.

Many thanks to the kind members who have posted the guide and links for replacement hinges.
I will order one now and get to work when it arrives.

I must admit, I still love the car after 5.5 years and 59400 miles of ownership. The faults I have experienced, while annoying/frustrating, havent dampened my enthusiasm for it.

My faults so far:
Rear washer pipe "popped off",
tailgate wiring chaffed/broken resulting in "weird wiper action"!
drivers door handle broken.

......and thats it!

So, apart from service costs (I do my own), it hasn't cost me much at all to run.

All the best,
Tony.

And those sound like regular fiat 500 problems!

 

[Grandmoose]

Hi, No matter what they told you, it is a known fault! I was told mine was the first one ever at Glynn Hopkins Milton Keynes, but when I popped around the back to parts for a price I was told they had plenty in stock and were well practiced at changing them!!!
At Fiat prices I decided to shop around and found an E-Bayer who was selling Fiat branded hinge kits for £12.00. A fiddly little job, and you'll need patience and small hands, but actually I found changing the hinge was easier than the whole handle as there is one nut which cannot be accessed without a fight and much luck ;-) One suggestion though to anyone thinking of having a go themselves, allow plenty of time so you can afford to be patient and do protect the paintwork for when you have to swivel the handle out of the way briefly (thin cardboard works a treat).

 

[Tiny Tots]

My fiat 500 drivers door handle has broken have had the car back to garage 3 times and now they saying not covered by warranty. They want £92 to fix cause surprisingly they had the foresight to get a replacement one in! Told them can't afford it Off to pick it up will ask about repair kit while I'm there and see what they say.

 

[Ricard]

Shame on them.

Regardless of comments made by the odd fan-boy moderator Fiats general quality and after-sales is better than it used to be but still lags way behind other brands that I've used. Right now my 500 has been recovered by GreenFlag on a transporter because the gear shift cable has broken. This gear shift problem has been ongoing for two years, our dealership had the opportunity to deal with it under warranty but they dodged the situation.

Seems our 500 is the only 500 with this problem but thats what they said when our door handle fell of the gear shift gaiter broke into two bits and the steel sump (Ours is the 1.3 multijet) corroded so badly it looked like it had been fished out of a lake.

Can't wait to get rid but yes, it's a cute car and a lovely drive for such a small car. I can understand why they are popular but never again for us.

 

[Ulpian]

Broken handles are totally normal, still! If the car is under warranty they should replace it. I waited behind a man at service reception and he was holding his broken handle in his hand while he waited. It was all dealt with perfectly matter-of-factly, because it is a regular occurrence.

500 sales are at record levels so Fiat has no incentive to do anything about it.

 

[Ricard]

500 sales are at record levels so Fiat has no incentive to do anything about it.

That is absolutely the case and thank-you.

 

[306maxi]

Shame on them.

Regardless of comments made by the odd fan-boy moderator Fiats general quality and after-sales is better than it used to be but still lags way behind other brands that I've used. Right now my 500 has been recovered by GreenFlag on a transporter because the gear shift cable has broken. This gear shift problem has been ongoing for two years, our dealership had the opportunity to deal with it under warranty but they dodged the situation.

Seems our 500 is the only 500 with this problem but thats what they said when our door handle fell of the gear shift gaiter broke into two bits and the steel sump (Ours is the 1.3 multijet) corroded so badly it looked like it had been fished out of a lake.

Can't wait to get rid but yes, it's a cute car and a lovely drive for such a small car. I can understand why they are popular but never again for us.

Then get rid and sod off then.......

Tiny tots, see further up in this thread for advice on how to fix this cheaply

 

[306maxi]

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/341793-gear-shift-very-stiff.html

funny how you were told that it wasn't the cable yet didn't get it fixed.....

 

[frupi]

My fiat 500 drivers door handle has broken have had the car back to garage 3 times and now they saying not covered by warranty.

They most definitely are covered under warranty. I had a handle replaced under warranty on our last POP just two months before I sold it on and that was in the 3rd year on the dealer warranty. The work was approved by a Fiat warranty assessor and done whilst I waited. If the garage won't do it, take it to another dealership.

 

[Tiny Tots]

Thank you I will follow your advise and go elsewhere. Went for it this morning printed me quote for new handle asked about the service bulletin they said that's only for two year warranty. Persevered and asked about repair kit not heard of it was first reply when I said can show you on phone they remedy to find it lo and behold on the service bulletin I'd told them about. They then quoted £117 for job and check three times when said how can it be eventually said its £21.66 +vat and fitting £20+vat cause that's least we can charge!!!!!!

 

[ahmett]

Thank you I will follow your advise and go elsewhere. Went for it this morning printed me quote for new handle asked about the service bulletin they said that's only for two year warranty. Persevered and asked about repair kit not heard of it was first reply when I said can show you on phone they remedy to find it lo and behold on the service bulletin I'd told them about. They then quoted £117 for job and check three times when said how can it be eventually said its £21.66 +vat and fitting £20+vat cause that's least we can charge!!!!!!

Well 21.66 + VAT for the part and £20+VAT for fitting is surely the lowest you will get from a Fiat dealer. That's actually not bad for a main dealer. Check an independent and see what they say.

Every motorist should be on a first name basis with at least one independent!

 

[frupi]

ahmett, the point is, he shouldn't be paying anything at all to get it fixed as time and time again we've said it can be fixed under warranty and if his particular dealership isn't playing then quite rightly, Tiny Tots should be going elsewhere.

 

[Ricard]

Then get rid and sod off then.......

Ahh, an internet bully/keyboard-warrior. I'm not sure what's getting up your nose, me reporting my 500 failures or maybe your blind-loyalty to Fiat.

I come on here to share a few problems, I don't believe everything I read so when the one half says it's the cable and the other half says it isn't I wait to see what happens.

The fact the cables broke is a symptom, not the cause. The cable broke because.........??????????

Ahh-well, you're the know-it-all. So lets hear it from you and I'll report back when the 500 is fixed.

 

[306maxi]

Ahh, an internet bully/keyboard-warrior. I'm not sure what's getting up your nose, me reporting my 500 failures or maybe your blind-loyalty to Fiat.

I come on here to share a few problems, I don't believe everything I read so when the one half says it's the cable and the other half says it isn't I wait to see what happens.

The fact the cables broke is a symptom, not the cause. The cable broke because.........??????????

Ahh-well, you're the know-it-all. So lets hear it from you and I'll report back when the 500 is fixed.

Because if you've got an unlubricated cable going back and forward chaffing it's going to wear at the cable until POP, as it wears there'll be little metal fragments coming off which will only hasten the process of failure.


Like you said in the other thread, they sprayed a bit of lube down the cables and that eased it for a little while, but as jrkitching said, that was only temporary and now we find ourselves here.


I don't have blind loyalty to Fiat, but if I've got a problem I don't leave it till it leaves me or my wife stranded at the roadside. It's common sense not to put yourself or loved ones in danger for no good reason.....

 

[Tiny Tots]

Has any one elses driver side door handle fell off or is it just mine?

Ive took it into fiat and they said theyve never seen it happen before. All i did was pull the handle to get into car n it snapped the rod that holds the right side of the handle on!!!! Luckily i still have a months warranty so its covered! But still, bit dissapointed! Having to use Duckt tape to hold it on at mo till she goes in on the 7th Jan!

I took mine to one dealer ship 3 times to be then told not covered on third year warranty. Took it to another dealer today and it's defo covered and they fitted new one in20 mins but warranty under the impression I'd already had this done !!!!!

 

[TedTofield]

Well the whole handle of our '09 1.2 500 came off in my hand last night....well out of warranty

looks like i'm going to have to change out the whole handle not just the hinge - damn.

any advice on changing the whole thing?


thanks in advance..

 

[Dtchbrd]

Hi!

I have been lurking on here quite a bit, but I need a bit of advice again. I own a 59 plate, 1.4L Fiat by Diesel. My driver side doorhandle came of completely yesterday. I have had a good look at it and both sides of the handle have snapped, so I won't be able to use the repair kit.

My doorhandle is of a brushed steel look and therefore seems to be impossible to find online. I rang the Fiat main dealer and was quoted £106 inc VAT for a replacement handle, the guy then reduced it to £93 after I said that it was a bit expensive for a door handle. My local garage will fit the handle for around £30.

Do you think I will have any chance of finding this door handle any cheaper? Would I be able to fit a chrome handle on my car? The ones that are widely available on ebay / amazon etc? I dont really like having one mat and one chrome handle tbh, so I dont think I would actually do this. Unless I replace both door handles...

Anyway, what would you do? Any advice is welcome