Panda 2012+ Hi All from a Panda 4X4 newbie

[MIKEVO]

Hi Fiat Friends, I have been a Fiat owner for a few years.

Recently had a 2009 Panda 1.1 Active Eco, then a 500 twinair and now a Panda 4x4 twinair almost a year old.

Just booked in for a big service apparently as it has done 10k miles, I was quoted about £380 Fortunately, I got my first service free as part of my purchase negotiation.

Love the car though.

Cheers.

Mike

 

[TwinAir Newbie]

I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the Panda 4x4.

I think that the TwinAir engine suits it (and the 500) well.

Well I would, wouldn't I.

The cost of the service sounds blooming expensive!

Is that the norm?

 

[Super Uwe]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to this side of the forum!

Am sure you're loving your 4x4 TA, there are so many people on here with one to be honest

Re your comment about servicing, that sounds really expensive for the first one (the 18k one). I'd give your dealer a call and make sure they're not trying to sell you down the river - it sounds to me like you have just been quoted for the 36k one (I hope anyway!)

FWIW, I have just been quoted £290 for a 36k service on our 1.2 Easy from a local Fiat dealer, which incidentally I was very happy with; this is the "big one" which takes a tad over three hours to do.

Incredibly, the labour was only about £140, but the parts came to over £150!

I'm not lying when I say that I can get all of the genuine parts from Shop4Parts for around £85 - and that leaves just under two litres of Selenia oil left over. So in reality, it's about £70 for the parts, nearly half the price.

Funnily enough, I had a very interesting conversation with the dealer and I know for a fact they aren't necessarily screwing me over; in fact, they are only making around a 20% margin on parts themselves. So something is badly wrong with the "official" supply chain IMO...it certainly doesn't seem to be offering value for money, that's for sure.

 

[jrkitching]

Funnily enough, I had a very interesting conversation with the dealer and I know for a fact they aren't necessarily screwing me over; in fact, they are only making around a 20% margin on parts themselves. So something is badly wrong with the "official" supply chain IMO...it certainly doesn't seem to be offering value for money, that's for sure.

Is this any different from the 'tied' public houses which pay more for their spirits than you could buy them for in the local supermarket?

Their franchised status gives them a huge commercial advantage & the franchise holder will want a generous slice of that.

Buy a set of spark plugs from a franchised dealer & you'll pay silly money. The same parts can be had from NGK distributors on the 'web for a small fraction of that.

In the end, it all comes down to your choice as a customer; shop around or get screwed over. Loyalty is generally not rewarded .

FIAT are no different in this regard to insurers, banks, energy companies etc...

It's a feature of modern life.

 

[Goudrons]

Panda 4x4 twinair almost a year old.

as it has done 10k miles,

Mike

I was lead to believe "best practice" was an oil and oil filter change half way to it's 18k/24 month anniversary.
Turbos bearings don't like dirty oil.
(that's what mines getting, and I'll do the oil change myself)

Though the handbook states nothing about this, just the 18/24 month interval and that's a short service. which at that price does sound excessive.

See here, the 4x4 in under "Supplements"
http://aftersales.fiat.com/elum/Mod...2782&market_code=EN_EU&cat=lib&part_number=#1

 

[MIKEVO]

Thanks for the replies Guys.

My free service happens on Friday and the dealer didn't know I had negotiated the first service free with the salesman, until the extortionate quote.

Hopefully free means no cost at all to me.

Apparently below 10k miles is a 'small service', which I presume is an oil change and over 10k miles is the 'BIG' service, which I presume includes checking the valve clearances (which I have been well informed they don't really do, they just change the rocker cover gasket), who knows?
Usually I have my Fiats serviced locally at my friends garage, but as this one is free, I shall take them upon the offer.

I shall let you know the outcome.

 

[babbo_umbro]

I had an oil/filter change done at (I seem to remember) about 5000 miles and will otherwise take advantage of the 18k service interval.

 

[MIKEVO]

Well Guys. I got my Panda 4x4 TA back and they carried out an 18k mile service even though my car had covered just over 10k miles.

The service was a freebie and I didn't get an invoice with a price, but they changed Oil filter, Air Filter, Pollen filter and the spark plugs.
In addition to Engine Oil, they claim to have used Paraflu Anti Freeze and some Dot4 brake fluid.

All in all, great for free and they cured a rattle in the dashboard.