General Had a punto for 4 month. That's enough time to realise how rubbish they are.

[Stuiemac]

In 4 months i have had to replace - Head gasket (common problem), Oil sump (common problem), Exhaust (common problem), Clutch, Brake pads and discs totalling £600

Now getting a Corsa SRI 1.4

I would like to say thank you to all the people on this forum who helped out with my problems and posts as it has nothing to do with you guys that there badly made cars.

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND A PUNTO

 

[beau]

i suppose my punto outsite sitting on 137,000 miles which runs great kind of contradicts what you say.

the only real thing you've had go wrong is the head gasket, so im rather confused what your talking about?

the sump gasket, clutch, brakes, exhaust are wear and tear.

sounds like a pretty reliable car to me if you've just had the head gasket go

 

[fingers99]

You bought a rubbish car. You only have yourself to blame. Best take a hard look at that Corsa!

 

[TJHPunto]

you cant just make a sweeping statement like that about a model of car just because you've had a bad experience. You obviously didnt check it out properly before you bought it.

 

[dave]

people not fixing what causes the head gasket to go is common, on a properly looked after one head gasket isn't a common problem

 

[Rustbucket]

Nothing wrong with Punto's as a species..they need looking after like any other car. Mileage on yours 100k at 10yrs old? Everything bar the head gasket sounds fair wear and tear...

Proper little rockets if you get the right one (see under..Well its a kind of Punto??)

If you want to moan about bills then try running an old performance car and watch for rust on the SR-I. Could also be well thrashed by a whole gang 'o chavs...enjoy!

 

[tez9381]

ive got mk 1 punto cabriolet only had 1 problem that was the ecu got wet my fault i didnt check the drain holes on the scuttle panel

 

[Nicky Swans]

In 4 months i have had to replace - Head gasket (common problem), Oil sump (common problem), Exhaust (common problem), Clutch, Brake pads and discs totalling £600

Now getting a Corsa SRI 1.4

I would like to say thank you to all the people on this forum who helped out with my problems and posts as it has nothing to do with you guys that there badly made cars.

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND A PUNTO

Sounds to me you got ripped off by the seller.

Once the head gasket goes and you got it fixed you got a really sound car. Bought mine, had a HG problem in May not had any other trouble with it since then apart from the usual wear and tear (what can you expect from a 11 year old Punto!) Passed its MOT this year and it runs great, looks great.

 

[Teeejaii]

Ive had my punto 1 yearr this weeek and its done me well tbh.
if you look after it ... give it regular services thenn it should be ok.
i know nothing about the mechanical side .. but mines done 97,000 miles so far and hopefullly when it gets to the 100 mark ittle still be runnin

 

[Brin]

Sounds like you bought a poorly maintained and cared for punto. If you care for and maintain your car properly then it should only have wear and tear problems like brake pads, discs, tyres, maybe clutch.

Service it reguly and maintanin it will make any car last

I bought a 7 year old punto with 78k on clok and mine was poorly maintained but after i owned it i took care of it and maintained it properly and took care of the problems that had happened with previous owner abusing it.

This is a list of things i had to repair and replace because sum nob before me had abused the car and not maintanined it:

*I changed bonnet cable when it snapped dnt really know why it snapped.

*Changed all brake components because previous owner had let the brakes grind down to metal (pads, discs, shoes, wheelcylinders, drums, cleaned calipers, bled system)

*Changed starter motor this got jammed because previous owner never changed the camshaft gasket and oil was leaking into the starter and eventually it wer struggling to turn the engine cos of all grit and oil in it.

*Changed camshaft cover gasket to stop oil leaking into new starter

*Overheating because previous owner never bled radiator so i flushed the radiator, replaced thermostat(just cos i thort it would be best), bled the system

*Tyres wer bold and un even tyre wear cos previous owner never bothered getting tracking done or checking tyre tread so got 4 new alloy with 4 new tyres and sorted the tracking out.

*Front 2 coil springs were cracked broken probly cos the nob wer thrashing it over speed bumps and potholes or summat so i replaced all for with 50mm lowering springs.

*Sump plug just got rounded cos previous owner had used the wrong tool to try open it and apparently has used the wrong sump plug, still need to get a new one to fix this but i have managed to get the roundeed one off

*Exhaust was bangin of bottom of car because previous owner had bodged the backbox onto a different position so i had to straighten it out and re attach it.

After doin all of this my punto is now mechanically sound passed its MOT 2 days ago with no problem nothing picked up on MOT. Now all these things i have listed wont go wrong if i maintain them properly and because i havnt just bodged everything together done them all properly.

PUNTO's are very very good cars especailly for your first car pretty nippy and quick and probly best looking first car you can get out of what options you have for insurance reasons (corsa, saxo, clio id rather have the punto)

 

[DaveMcT]

All cars have to be maintained and anything that's been neglected or hammered (especially early in its life) will play-up later on. Puntos are not perfect, but they withstand abuse and neglect much better than they have any right to do.

I hope you do OK with the Corsa but dont hold your breath if its a similar age mileage and value to the Punto. It certainly wont be such fun to use.

 

[PuntoSS]

Wise idea, coming to criticise a car on a forum where it is loved by many.

All cars have their problems, whats the betting the Corsa you're about to buy has its issues, too?

 

[thefallenangel]

Head gasket (common problem), Oil sump (common problem), Exhaust (common problem), Clutch, Brake pads and discs totalling £600

For £600 you've been had. If you can't fit a mid-section and back box your an idiot, pads and discs are easy enough and if it's a sump gasket which has gone then that's easy enough.

Pads + Discs are wear and tear, so is clutch if it's been badly used all i got to say, Devil you know. Did you get the belt changed at all?

 

[rallycinq]

Maybe in four months time it would be worthwhile registering on a Corsa forum to see what the OP now thinks of that.

Depends on the Corsa he is buyng, but most of them aren't as easy to work on as Puntos.

Cheers

SPD

 

[DaveMcT]

Head gasket is only a common problem on cars that have been abused -
*Its only 8 years old so I never check the coolant - why's it just stopped on the M6.*

Of course the OP might be loaded and buying a new Corsa.
Does s/he know that's a thinly disguised Punto Mk3.

 

[Stuiemac]

Glad to read your replies maybe I did buy a abused car but I made my comments on several mechanics statements that FIAT use cheap parts on there cars.

Am sorry to put it across as harshly as I did but it doesn't get you in the best of moods when you've got another bill coming in for £100 after spending £600 on it already and only 4 months of owning the car.

I bought the car for £999 which was the book price in Parkers last year, and now I have the spent £600 soon to be £700 this is enough for me to say this will be the last FIAT I will buy.

Its such a shame this car has let me down and put me off FIAT'S as like it has been brought up they are lovely looking cars and nippy (fastest accelerating 1.2 iirc).

I am truly disappointed

 

[rallycinq]

You paid book price for a car that was obviously not in book price condition.

I know a grand is a lot of money to some folk, but in the real world it aint that much when you consider what you are getting in terms of personal mobility.

The only way to get a car with zero wear and tear is to buy new and the depreciation on taking it off the dealers forecourt will be more than you have paid for the car and repairs.

Having spent that money on your Punto, you now know everything that is new so giving in now is plain daft, in my opinion. You have not got value for the money you have spent, unless someone is going to give you £1700 for it nett.

Cheers

SPD

 

[m20b25]

Glad to read your replies maybe I did buy a abused car but I made my comments on several mechanics statements that FIAT use cheap parts on there cars.

Whats wrong with cheap parts? If they work well theres no problem. I think you ment cheap quality parts like what was put into most toyotas.... I cant say much on that, I do all my own work and make sure its done right with decent stuff.

We all drive bravos, one cost over 2.6 k euro to fix a neverending problem with a sticky accellerator, another one blew up its engine just 5 months after we got it. We never said they were bad cars just these were poor examples. And yes, we still have them all to this day

I know what its like to buy a pile of crap, ive been ripped off once too many. Beware the sri, or any corsa, chaved as standard, mayonaise oil caps, rust and complicated mechanics. If i were you, id look at a decent impreza 1.6 or 1.8 and stay away from vauxhalls....

 

[rallycinq]

Whats wrong with cheap parts? If they work well theres no problem. I think you ment cheap quality parts like what was put into most toyotas.... I cant say much on that, I do all my own work and make sure its done right with decent stuff.

We all drive bravos, one cost over 2.6 k euro to fix a neverending problem with a sticky accellerator, another one blew up its engine just 5 months after we got it. We never said they were bad cars just these were poor examples. And yes, we still have them all to this day

I know what its like to buy a pile of crap, ive been ripped off once too many. Beware the sri, or any corsa, chaved as standard, mayonaise oil caps, rust and complicated mechanics. If i were you, id look at a decent impreza 1.6 or 1.8 and stay away from vauxhalls....

Poorly maintained Imprezas are very expensive to put right if you can't do the work yourself. They are also fortunes to insure for young people.

I found a lovely WR1 today, wish I could justify another car.

Cheers

SPD

 

[DRUE1]

every car has little problems.my wifes 02 plate punto the ecu for the fuel went new ecu plus two coilpack then the electric power steering went.replaced them car is sweet such a good little car i bought a mk2 03 plate punto hgt so they cant be that ****