This sort of experience really drives me mad. There are very few if any Fiat cars over the years that have been bad by design, bad in use/reliability and bad after correct attention by a decent Fiat dealer with manufacturer support.
Many fall at the last posts of dealer and Fiat UK attention to detail and customer experience.
I currently going through this with my Croma's rear tyre wear. After Fiat contacted me for a customer feedback after my 2nd year service I was asked was there anything else I would like to raise. I said YES. I want to claim for excessive rear tyre wear compensation.
Several weeks later a person from Fiat calls me and said that he had enquired of my dealer re: tyre wear and I had 5mm of tread left. I was also politely advised that road conditions can affect rear wheel tracking and wear.
I could see and hear the water dripping from behind his young ears. I was also advised that overall my original tyres at 24K miles were perfectly OK. So Fiat fit Kuhmo tyres from new, front wheel tread depths at 24K miles are 8mm etc. etc. Beggers belief.
When I politely tried to advise this person that I have over 30 years Fiat servicing and ownership experience, all the tyres have been replaced and the rear wheel geometry as shipped from the factory at -2.5 deg. camber and 6mm toe in was totally wrong the response was almost "what do you expect". I was then challenged as to why I had not raised this issue before. I said I had but the Fiat service bulletin said that if the insode to outside tyre wear was less than 6mm in x miles then there was not an issue. My tread wear was flat, 1.6mm after 11500 miles.
I then explained that because of this badly written bulletin I had no option but to have the car fully computer/laser aligned and then run for another year.
So year 1 = 1.6mm tread left after 11,500 miles - tyres replaced
Year 2 = 24,500 miles tread = 6mm
BIG difference. Now I have the date to support a claim.
Sadly Fiat UK don't have the skills, knowledge or customer service care to realise diddly squat.
I know one person who was advised that because he tows a caravan (like I do) then this accounts for the rear tyre wear. Sheer cr*p and ignorance. Tow ball weight max is about 70kg i.e. one person. So taking 1, 2 or 3 rear passengers (at 70kg each) is, by design, going to increase rear tyre wear to such an extent that 12K miles is acceptable.
Recap. Most Fiat cars are bloody good and issues that are bound to occur can and SHOULD be sorted by an integrated partnership between the Fiat dealers and Fiat UK. Sadly this is not happening in many cases. :devil:
Nick /////
In may last year I sold my 2005 55 Croma 1.9 16V MJT Prestigio in metallic with winter pack with 45K miles to Carcraft for £5300, Fiat dealers offered me 3500-4000 trade in but to be honest I had had enough of poor reliability of both the car and dealers and changed brand completley.
I would say 3700 is not a bad offer all things considered.
