General Pandas - how long will they last?

[JD82]

We know the engine is good, the bodywork is pretty much rustproof and the rest of the car is simple but Pandas will always have a low value meaning it may not take much to make them go into an early scrap yard.

So what do you think will send most Pandas to the scrappy when they read 10 to 13 years old? I suppose neglect is the big one, but what else?

I reckon it could be the steering racks, ECUs, CANBUS, gearbox/clutch or maybe HG failure (the FIRE has had form in this area).

What do you think? Most 90's superminis seem to end up in the scrappy due to rust problems and most 90's bigger cars seem to end up being scrapped because a new exhaust is more than three times the cars value.

 

[dave]

10 to 13 years old some one in classic panda section just bought a panda that is about 1983 reg, and it looks like its going to go through an mot with hardly any work

 

[KozmoNaut]

Electrics, definitely electrics.

Another problem could be availability of spare parts. Classic cool cars like the Mustang etc. can pretty much be built new from the ground up from third-party spare parts, but can you do this with an economy car from the same era? I highly doubt it.

 

[dave]

you can still buy classic panda body panels new from fiat dealer, you can even still buy some classic 500 body parts too

 

[JD82]

Spares won't be a problem for a long time, they have sold over 1.5 million of them since 2003! That is a huge huge number.

I've seen some rusty looking chasis legs on some Pandas so I suppose that out some into an early grave.

Sadly though I think as most Pandas get over 8 years old owners simply won't bother to service them and they will just die a slow painful death.

 

[Wee Smurf]

I intend to keep mine long term... I don't see why a modern car would simply die or fall apart after 10 years. By simply servicing the car regularly and proper maintenance, I don't see why it wouldn't be going after 20 years...

I had a 1992 Polo and the only reason for finally selling it on was the need for one bigger car in the household now that we have two kids (let's face it, you can't fit much into the boot of a Panda or Polo). It was regularly serviced and maintained throughout its life with us and apart from a brake failure (which was sorted), never really needed much to keep it going (other than an exhaust and new fuel tank). It was old, reliable and cheap to run. Any parts were readily available from the local scrappy if needed. I can definitely see the merits of keeping a car on the road for a long time...

Pity the one we sold Foxy to decided to use him for the Government scrappage scheme... I do miss him...

 

[JD82]

Sort of glad I didn't end up qualifying for scrappage as my old corsa was put back on the road after I sold it. I wonder how well the bloke I sold it repaired the head gasket and I wonder if the new owner has found its true history during the UKs recent heat wave

I would still have my Corsa if the previous owner had bothered to have the coolent changed in its life time.

My dads Fiesta is 13 years old now and its looking like either rust or suspension problems (e.g too expensive to fix) will kill it. The engine, gearbox, clutch and electrics are work as if it was a new car though, its on 87k now.

 

[LeanMeanRacing]

Given the current condition of the roads, I think it's the suspension components that suffer most and will require replacement throughout the car's life.

 

[Trefor]

As long as they are maintained then there is no reason they won't last as long as the usual German machinery. You still see plenty of Cinqs and Secientos (sp?) around so unless new Pandas are neglected I see no reason why they won't last as long as any other car. Go to Italy and the Swiss Alps and you still see quite a few old Pandas, which is cool. They can last a long time!

 

[percymon]

The biggest factor will be the electronics - there shoudl be plenty of secondhand parts in scrappies, and Fiat do some recon parts as well, but if you have to resort to buying new parts from Fiat then its scarey..

Throttle pedal - ca £600
ECU - ca £600
Throttle Body - ca £500

A lot of other items are just consumables (brakes, bearings etc), or specialists like air conditioning centres will be able to find alternative parts.

 

[harry monk]

Got to be electrics!
Mine is 2 1/2 yrs old and needs a new injection wiring harness already.

 

[306maxi]

Spares won't be a problem for a long time, they have sold over 1.5 million of them since 2003! That is a huge huge number.

I've seen some rusty looking chasis legs on some Pandas so I suppose that out some into an early grave.

Sadly though I think as most Pandas get over 8 years old owners simply won't bother to service them and they will just die a slow painful death.

It's like all cars tbh. It doesn't matter whether it's BMW or a Panda. Some chav, someone ignorant person or just someone with no mechanical sympathy will get a hold of it and rag the turd out of it or just poorly maintain it.

How many nice E36 M3's do you see these days? Virtually none! They got cheap and then the people who bought them didn't maintain them properly and then ratty examples went off to chavvy people. It's the same with Impreza's. They've become cheap enough that anyone can buy one. But do they get oil changes at the right intervals? Do they get warmed up before they get the nuts revved off them?

Tbh the standard of maintenance of cars in the UK is shockingly bad. Used cars here are so cheap that if minor things go wrong with cars it's often not worth fixing them so people don't bother maintaining cars.

I'm sure some Panda's will survive but the UK's apetite for new and not particularly better cars will mean that a lot will die before they need to.

 

[trackdayqueen]

It's like all cars tbh. It doesn't matter whether it's BMW or a Panda. Some chav, someone ignorant person or just someone with no mechanical sympathy will get a hold of it and rag the turd out of it or just poorly maintain it.

How many nice E36 M3's do you see these days? Virtually none! They got cheap and then the people who bought them didn't maintain them properly and then ratty examples went off to chavvy people.

That may be true to an extent, but I would say that certainly with more enthusiast type cars (the M3 being one) tend to be better looked after by their owners. The same is true to an extent to many top of the range cars. Unfortunately cheaper, more basic cars are less likely to be so well looked after due to the owners not really having much in the way of interest in maintaining them to a high standard.

Sure there are always going to be examples of poorly looked after M3s and Impreza's, but I bet you'll find more bargain basement cars that have not been well maintained.

 

[trackdayqueen]

In response to how long Panda's will last, well I reckon a ten year life span is about all that you can expect really.

They are built to a price (which means cheaply) so materials used are not particularly hard wearing or of brilliant quality. I guess the general mechanics are okay, but having had two now, I honestly don't think the build quality is particularly amazing in all honesty.

I wouldn't expect a Panda to last as long as say a Toyota for example.

 

[JD82]

Well I would expect my Panda to last longer than a Toyota, they are all used as taxis

 

[doctorchris]

In response to how long Panda's will last, well I reckon a ten year life span is about all that you can expect really.

They are built to a price (which means cheaply) so materials used are not particularly hard wearing or of brilliant quality. I guess the general mechanics are okay, but having had two now, I honestly don't think the build quality is particularly amazing in all honesty.

I wouldn't expect a Panda to last as long as say a Toyota for example.

I disagree about Panda materials and build quality.
The bodyshell is very well-finished and corrosion has been designed out. Plastics are sensibly used to reduce weight and corrosion in some areas.
The mechanical components are refreshingly simple in design to make construction cheaper, which also makes repair easier.
Sadly, legislation has increased complexity of some components particularly where electrics are involved. This may have increased longevity of these components compared with simple mechanical systems but their eventual failure will make them uneconomical to repair (compare modern fuel injection with carburetors). However, manufacturers of supposedly high quality cars, eg VAG, have possibly more problems with failure of electrical systems than are seen on the Panda.
I feel Pandas are not built cheaply but economically. I also feel that in some areas, such as the body shell and longevity of the paint finish, the quality exceeds that of Japanese cars such as Toyota.

 

[Dan Friel]

They will disappear as soon as parts and fixing problems become more than the real value of the car.. 10 years sounds about right as they're not "special" enough to worth investing in.

Having been out of the country for a couple of years, it's interesting to see what cars are still kicking about. An old favourite is the the Primera GT, still plenty on the streets.

 

[trackdayqueen]

I feel Pandas are not built cheaply but economically. I also feel that in some areas, such as the body shell and longevity of the paint finish, the quality exceeds that of Japanese cars such as Toyota.

Can I just ask where you got your information about VAG cars having more electrical problems than Pandas? It seems to me that there are a few noted issues with electrics and mechanical parts that have gone wrong on Pandas which seems fairly well documented on the forums.

I really think toyota produce better quality cars which is reflected in what you pay for them new, that doesn't mean they are interesting cars, just better built and to a higher standard. The paint finish on Fiat's is nothing amazing in all honesty. It's just par for the course.

Pandas are cheap to buy, that means that they will be worth not very much in say ten years time. This also means that it won't take very much to make one beyond economical repair in the event of either an accident or mechanical/electrical failure. My fiance has a 2001 yaris, find me a comparable Fiat of similar size that has the same resale value.

You get what you pay for and naturally more expensive cars tend to use better quality materials as that is after all what you are paying for.

 

[JD82]

A part of FIATS poor residuals is simply because they have never managed to fully shed their reputation in the UK.

Modern VAGs are full of sensor issues and their diesels seem to be quite unreliable, you only have to do a search of HJ, 100's of VWs but not one single question about a faulty Panda (I realise the Panda has a much smaller sample size but...).

Also in the past few years the Panda has scored better than any VW for reliability. In fact for reliability I would choose a Ford Focus over a Golf any day although the MK5 and 6 Golfs are supposed to be vastly improved.

I think low value will be the reason people ditch their Pandas. I hope the only reason I get rid of mine is because I am bored of it.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I really think toyota produce better quality cars which is reflected in what you pay for them new, that doesn't mean they are interesting cars, just better built and to a higher standard. The paint finish on Fiat's is nothing amazing in all honesty. It's just par for the course.

Completly agree!