Currently reading:
Help needed

Lara85

New member
Joined
Sep 5, 2022
Messages
2
Points
1
Location
London
I’m thinking to purchase Fiat 500,automatic 1.2 the mileage is 140k😵‍💫 the price £3000. It’s the best value 500 I could find🥴The mot history seems to look good, car looks well taken care of.What would you recommend, did any of you had any serious problems on high mileage? The car would be used just for small trips to supermarket and kids school runs. Any comments and advice really appreciated ❤️
 
Also…if that’s about your price range…..might be worth having a chat with @typecastboy as he regularily sells in repaired fiat 500s that he has got from copart (insurance write offs and such like) all of which are road legal and would give you much better value for money than 1.2….you didn’t say what year that was.
 
Also…if that’s about your price range…..might be worth having a chat with @typecastboy as he regularily sells in repaired fiat 500s that he has got from copart (insurance write offs and such like) all of which are road legal and would give you much better value for money than 1.2….you didn’t say what year that was.
Thanks for your message it’s 2012
 
Hi, I agree with Derbyfella, if you really need an automatic, I would avoid all robotised manuals like the FIAT, and aim to get a car with a genuine automatic transmission (some Ford, Mazda) or CVT (Honda, Nissan).

As I understand the seals on the robots deteriorate with age, leaks cause gearchange problems and repairs are very expensive.

If your heart is set on a 500, the 1.2 is a good, tough engine, just make sure there's no oil and water mixing (sludgy coolant, mayo in the oil filler) and no unusual noises. There can be a slight rattle from the tappets on start-up, but if this goes away quite quickly as the oil reaches them, it's nothing to worry about.

Gearboxes are OK (the auto uses the same as the manual) but check carefully for signs of oil leaks around the transmission (especially with the auto robot, bolted on top of the gearbox).

I think they're well built cars, galvanised so rust shouldn't be much of a concern, but check the rear spring pans and coolant pipe between exhaust and engine for rust.

However, there are cheap components that can fail due to age or mileage. Suspension & steering components, brakes, sensors... it can add up if you need a garage to do the work for you, although parts are cheap.
 
140k miles is high for a small car, if it hasn't had a lot of the suspension and clutch done (and timing belt) then it'll probably need done. Fine if you can do it all yourself, but could be very expensive if a garage does it.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top