Technical Folding door mirror just fell apart in my hands
- Thread starter jrkitching
- Start date
Currently reading:
Technical Folding door mirror just fell apart in my hands
Then ask them to show you the marks on the mirror where it got hit. If it failed due to the inherent defect, there won't be any.
You could then ask them how it's possible to hit a mirror hard enough to cause it to dismantle itself without leaving some evidence of impact damage on the housing.
I'm sorry to hear you've not had any luck with your warranty claim. FIAT seem to be hugely variable when it comes to warranty work; some have posted that they've received excellent service, whilst others like yourself have had claims for obvious manufacturing defects turned down.
IMO for the prices currently being asked for new 500's, FIAT could do better
.
PsFiat
Member
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2013
- Messages
- 692
- Points
- 123
Theoretically the impact point if hit doesn't have to be visible if it 'hits' a soft object . Eg reversing past a bush or sturdy plant, or even a person walking past the car door could potentially damage a mirror without a mark. Sorry to hear your news, but Fiat do have an out on this one.
jrkitching and PsFiat thank you both. What I believe is this: the local dealer obviously did not like at all the fact that I called Fiat. Local dealer did not show professionalism, did not follow the right procedure, a technician touched the white steering wheel with dirty hands and left marks all over it, I complained about that too, and God knows what the answer they gave back to Fiat was.
Now I won't sit argue over things like these with amateurs who want to call themselves serious professionals. Yes, I am very displeased with the way Fiat handled my case, the mirror broke all by itself, the plastic cover is untouched, but I simply never go back there again. And of course I told many people I know what happened, so that they know too.
Now I won't sit argue over things like these with amateurs who want to call themselves serious professionals. Yes, I am very displeased with the way Fiat handled my case, the mirror broke all by itself, the plastic cover is untouched, but I simply never go back there again. And of course I told many people I know what happened, so that they know too.
ahmett
Prominent member
ok Bergmann don't go to fiat anymore, go to bosch car service http://www.boschcarservice.gr/ and they will fix it for a price cheaper than fiat is quoting. Best of luck! Let us know how it goes.
Thank you for the detailed post on fixing this problem. It worked perfectly and mirror restored to its rightful place. On Friday as my wife was washing her car the mirror came off in her hand. My wife and I were about to ask for video footage of the parking lot where she had last parked to see if someone had bumped her and hastily put the mirror back on and left. Fortunately she did an internet search today about the mirror and your post saved much money. Thanks again.
Thanks for the feedback; it's particularly rewarding when someone uses the search function to find the answer, instead of just re-asking the question.
I'm surprised these don't fail more often; it's just as weak a design as the door handle. I guess the difference is most folks don't routinely fold their mirrors, whereas they have to use the handle every time they open the door.
I'm surprised these don't fail more often; it's just as weak a design as the door handle. I guess the difference is most folks don't routinely fold their mirrors, whereas they have to use the handle every time they open the door.
AGH1965
Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2015
- Messages
- 649
- Points
- 106
Fortunately it's only half as frequent as you suggest here, since most people don't use the handle to open the door when leaving the car.
Personally I don't fold the mirrors very often, but when I do, I do it extremely carefully. Nevertheless it's smart to have some duct tape in the trunk.
This just happened to my other halfs 2015 twin air.
Removed glass & back cover.
Used a pair of thin nosed pliers to push bush back down and twist.
However soon popped straight back out.
Dismantled best i could at 10pmcleaned it all down & sprayed liberally with White lithium grease.
Appears to be moving a lot smoother & better.
I'd say 10 minute job in the future until the plastic wears away totally.
Removed glass & back cover.
Used a pair of thin nosed pliers to push bush back down and twist.
However soon popped straight back out.
Dismantled best i could at 10pmcleaned it all down & sprayed liberally with White lithium grease.
Appears to be moving a lot smoother & better.
I'd say 10 minute job in the future until the plastic wears away totally.
Unless you follow the procedure described in this post, the repair is unlikely to last long. Too much of the plastic will have already worn away for lubrication and simple reassembly to suffice. Making and inserting locking tabs results in a 'better than new' permanent fix.
What has changed since my original post is the availability of secondhand parts from breakers; this is now a cost effective alternative to either repair, or replacement with new parts.
Any mirror, even a broken one, may be a source of the necessary plastic part - but check it's in good order before fitting it.
Interestingly, time has shown this to be much less of an issue than the equally flawed rear hatch wiring design. I suspect this is because most folks rarely, if ever, fold their mirrors, whereas opening the rear hatch is pretty much mandatory if you are to make effective use of the vehicle.
Last edited:
