General Fiat panda life expectancy?

[ReadySteady98]

Hi everyone was wondering if anyone can shed some light regarding the life expectancy of a Fiat Panda MK2 (2004 - 2012). I know asking how long a car can lasts is like asking “how longs is a piece of string”. Also everyone will advise if it’s looked after it will last long etc.

But from experience has anyone owned one of these vehicles cared for it and it lasted them 150k miles and above?

Thanks

 

[StevenRB45]

Hi everyone was wondering if anyone can shed some light regarding the life expectancy of a Fiat Panda MK2 (2004 - 2012). I know asking how long a car can lasts is like asking “how longs is a piece of string”. Also everyone will advise if it’s looked after it will last long etc.

But from experience has anyone owned one of these vehicles cared for it and it lasted them 150k miles and above?

Thanks

Without trying to be deliberately opaque...they'll last as long as you're willing to pay for repairs.

Unless the floor rots out an ECU gives up there's nothing about them that says it'll be dead at 150k. We had a member who ran one at that age but it wasn't a trouble free experience as you'd expect.

Engines and transmissions are cheap in the grand scheme of cars..and they are more simple than most that makes home repair possible.

But they are not engineered like an 80s Merc or Honda so the higher the miles the more likely it is you'll have nickle and dime faults cropping up often.

 

[brooking147]

145k on mine at the moment and adding around 20k per year (mostly motorway). Regular oil changes. Will see how long see lasts...

 

[koalar]

Milage doesn’t seem to bother them, mechanically or electrically

Looked after they will do well over 200,000 miles

Rot in the body seems to set in. There’s less and less 2006 and earlier one on the road

Bottom of the sill just in front of the rear wheel seems to be the first place it goes

They can be patched but most people here in the UK will call it a day. Instead putting the £100 repair towards a newer version with cheaper road tax

 

[Yolanda]

They are great little cars. Mines a 2004 with 67k on the clock but it was looked after as far as I can tell by previous owners and I'm carrying on with that tradition. As said above with all older cars things will fail/wear out after time. If you've got the skills and also the facilities to be able to service/repair your self, thus eliminating labour charges and again as said above the body is in good condition,and parts are available then there's no reason why they couldn't become classics in their own right

 

[Cinq999]

Mine is now 19 years old and almost 160k miles on the clock. (2004 MJ)

It's been running at nearly twice the standard power for the last 6 years/80k miles, and apart from the regular parts that need changing, it hasn't missed a beat.

I've just taken it off the road for a refurb, not because it needs it as such....but because I want it to do another 20 years.

The only rust on the whole car is the N/S sill, which I welded at the rear, but now the front has started. So will fit a brand new sill, Job done. Even the original rear axle is rust free.

I've driven it to Morocco and back, and around Europe a few times, and I'd have no hesitation jumping in it tomorrow and driving across Europe.

 

[ReadySteady98]

Mine is now 19 years old and almost 160k miles on the clock. (2004 MJ)

It's been running at nearly twice the standard power for the last 6 years/80k miles, and apart from the regular parts that need changing, it hasn't missed a beat.

I've just taken it off the road for a refurb, not because it needs it as such....but because I want it to do another 20 years.

The only rust on the whole car is the N/S sill, which I welded at the rear, but now the front has started. So will fit a brand new sill, Job done. Even the original rear axle is rust free.

I've driven it to Morocco and back, and around Europe a few times, and I'd have no hesitation jumping in it tomorrow and driving across Europe.

Wow that’s impressive

 

[DaveMcT]

I’ve been rebuilding my 120K Multijet engine because the cam chain had failed and the head was choked with carbon. BUT the crank, rods, bores, pistons and cams are all as good as new. Diesel give the internals a harder time but this is just great.
Bodywork has done rust under the engine mounts, but as I removed the engine to do the work, it’s easy access to clean it up and stop anything nasty developing.