General Panda Wild Twinair 4X4 2023 warranty question

[Twotone2]

Hi guys, I picked this car up last week from Stoneacre Worksop, it was registered back March the 30th 2023 however I live in Glasgow and I understand that the warranty situation is two years with Fiat and a further year with the dealer however there’s very little chance that if the car needs a warranty repair after the the Fiat warranty expires that I’ll be going back to Worksop for the dealer warranty so does anyone know if a local Fiat dealership will pick up the warranty from year three or carry out warranty repairs on the car even though they didn’t sell it?

The other question is my local Fiat dealership, Arnold Clark paisley, offered two additional years warranty after the third year for £500 if I’d have bought the car from them( I did order a city hybrid but cancelled it when they couldn’t source me a 4x4 TA, but you had to pay for that additional warranty within 60 days of pivki the car up.

I know I could just phone them up and ask but they were very good with the city hybrid order and cancelling same so I’m a bit reluctant to go to them after having bought the car elsewhere, anyone have any experience of the above?

I think the also offer a three year servicing package to for about £350 so maybe if I’m spending the best part of a grand they’ll happily provide the services that I’m looking for?

Thanks

Tony

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

My Panda 4x4 MJ was similar: pre-reg in May 2018 but sold to me in early August the same year, from Richard Hardie in Gateshead (for £13500 by the way, including winter pack and a real spare wheel!). I had the heated windscreen replaced in the third year of warranty (when half of it stopped working) at GlynnHopkin here in Hertfordshire without any issue. I think that shows it’s ‘the dealer network’ that will cover the third year rather than the specific dealer you bought from.

Can’t comment on the other warranty aspect

But, do the maths carefully on the service ‘deal’. All depends on your likely annual mileage

 

[Twotone2]

My Panda 4x4 MJ was similar: pre-reg in May 2018 but sold to me in early August the same year, from Richard Hardie in Gateshead (for £13500 by the way, including winter pack and a real spare wheel!). I had the heated windscreen replaced in the third year of warranty (when half of it stopped working) at GlynnHopkin here in Hertfordshire without any issue. I think that shows it’s ‘the dealer network’ that will cover the third year rather than the specific dealer you bought from.

Can’t comment on the other warranty aspect

But, do the maths carefully on the service ‘deal’. All depends on your likely annual mileage

Thanks, we bought a Renault Scenic 4X4 pre-reg back in late 2000 from Arnold Clark in Glasgow and it broke down in Switzerland en-route to Italy the following summer when we were traveling.

Fortunately or unfortunately it broke down just outside of the exit to the St Gottard tunnel but I managed to limp it into the nearest town (Brechia) where I had coincidently booked a hotel for the night and lo and behold there was a Renault dealer there who sorted the car but refused to recognise the UK warranty.

I had to pay to have the car repaired there, initially the guy wanted about £650 but settled on £260 'for cash' anyway when we got back to the UK I wrote to Renault UK and they reimbursed me.

I think it was the erg valve that went on an almost brand new car either that or the dealer/mechanic was just making a quick few bob as the car displayed similar symptoms on the way home but those symptoms never happened again up until we changed the car about two years later.

Personally I think it was a dodgy batch of fuel that I had bought in France before going into Switzerland, the symptoms from memory were loss of power and black smoke coming out of the exhaust and only managing to drive in first and second gear.

Likely annual milage will be about 6000 or less maybe 5000.

Tony

 

[Funky Spike]

I've had no problems having warranty work done in the third year at a different dealership.

A five year service plan was great value when I bought my Abarth, saved me hundreds.

Spike

 

[Marcus Daly]

I've always been wary of those service plans—not least because I bought one for my MG TF135 in 2005 a fortnight before MG Rover went bust and my local dealer with it.

A friend of mine recently took one of those plans out for his wife's MINI and had to have a stand-up row with the service manager who refused to change the oil at the first service, claiming "the car tells you when it wants new oil".

 

[Twotone2]

Thanks guys, that's good news regarding the warranty and using another dealer locally but hopefully I'll not need to do that anyway, I'll look into a service plan with a local dealer/Arnold Clark.

I've been going to my local garage for about 20 years and he's looked after all of our cars, except when they've had to go to the dealer for a service re the warranty, but I ended up abandoning that and just taking the cars to him so he's looked after my van which is a Citreon Nero diesel, various Ford Fiestas and my daughter's VW polo, he's really trustworthy and we've never had any issues with him but he's a one man band business (two man actually) but he's due to retire in the next year or so, I think, but I'm hoping that the younger mechanic, who has been there for years too, will take over but it's a big investment for him as it's an MOT station too, so who knows but hopefully the garage will keep going. I would have no problem taking the Fiat to them if they do remain in business.

I might look into doing the 9000 mile oil change myself if it's not too difficult as I'm an engineer well a heating engineer and plumber so can handle tools etc but I've never repaired a car or serviced one but an oil change can't be too difficult hopefully?

As an aside when we picked up the car from the dealer I noticed when we got home that there is only a quick start manual in car and no full sized manual, have Fiat stop using paper full sized manuals or should I contact Fiat or the dealer for the full manual if there's on available or can some point me to one to download?

Thanks

Tony

 

[roverp480]

I questioned FIAT service directly about this aspect last year and they confirmed all warranty now covered for 3 years by Fiat and any Fiat dealer in UK can (should) assist and the warranty booklet needs updating .

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

I might look into doing the 9000 mile oil change myself if it's not too difficult as I'm an engineer well a heating engineer and plumber so can handle tools etc but I've never repaired a car or serviced one but an oil change can't be too difficult hopefully?

This will guide you through it. They are fussy about the correct oil specs... Originally the oil change interval was 18,000 miles. Fiat rather abruptly halved that a couple of years back, but I think only so it coincided with the 9000 mile 'check and inspect' at the dealer (where no parts are replaced – they just charge you for looking hard at the car ...) Whether it needs to be done that often is up to you - modern oils will last a lot longer than that... (and no, I don't want to debate that here)

 

[Twotone2]

This will guide you through it. They are fussy about the correct oil specs... Originally the oil change interval was 18,000 miles. Fiat rather abruptly halved that a couple of years back, but I think only so it coincided with the 9000 mile 'check and inspect' at the dealer (where no parts are replaced – they just charge you for looking hard at the car ...) Whether it needs to be done that often is up to you - modern oils will last a lot longer than that... (and no, I don't want to debate that here)

Do you need to reset the software thing I’ve been reading about here when you do an oil change or can you reset it in the car in the menu for the dash display ie auto stop etc?

I noticed that there was a setting for the oil change when I was settings the auto stop the other day.

Obviously I’d need to ask my usual garage if they have the correct oil and equipment for an oil change but I don’t know how they’d react to those questions they might be offended as I’ve known them for years, anyone here done similar and what was the reaction from the mechanic/garage?

Personally I have no problems if a customer asks me those sorts of questions and wants to supply their own materials but I know that some tradesmen would take offence at someone telling them their job.