General Pro's and Con's of Multipla

[momoe]

If the worst attribute of the Multi was the fact that it's "Aesthetically challenged", most of us wouldn't be here!
It's a niche car and as such you either love or hate it, personally I could never see the point of the retro Beetle which was essentially a Golf that looked like a beetle, why??
Or the appalling Chrysler PT Cruiser which makes the Multi feel positively refined, at least with the Beetle you got Golf mechanics and VW engineering.
The Chrysler is to date the worst modern(ish) car I've had the misfortune to drive.

 

[kev78]

I am on my 2nd Multi, the 1st was a 2001 JTD SX and this one is a 2004 JTD Eleganza (nosejob).

20 k miles in the SX which had done 90K when i bought it. needed new discs, pads, shoes and cylinders same as any other 90k mpv might. Failed on strut tops and handbrake cables on the 1 MOT I put it through, same as any other 90k mpv might. Kids treated it like crap and it stood up to everything they could throw at it literally, minimum 550 miles to a tank of diesel but usually 650 miles plus.

So far i have put 40k miles on the nosejob. The 3 kids still treat it like crap and it still takes it all. I've put a cambelt and waterpump on it myself (easy). It's had rear shoes, its had rear swingarm bearings. It's had front wishbones. Using it for a 80 mile daily commute 5 days a week at the moment and it consistently returns 47-50 mpg with ease (620-650 miles to a tankful).

So in 60 thousand miles in 2 different Multiplas that both went through the 100K miles during my ownership and neither have needed anything but normal service items. You do need to be prepared to tinker from time to time as they are quirky and have interesting electrical gremlins from time to time - but thats gremlins like lying Airbag lights(wd40 and a wiggle to fix) or intermittently wont start(crank sensor, £20-£30 and a spanner to sort-not happened to me but happened on the SX after i sold it to my brother).

No car is perfect even the ultra expensive German stuff and most MPV's are nasty on the suspension but not as cheap or easy to put right. C4 picassos are great but much longer to park, much less roomy feeling inside and doesnt have 6 full size seats and when they have electrical troubles its not cured by the wiggle of a connector or a cheap sensor in my experience (fleet of 3 at work) they are also in a different price bracket to a 2001 plate Multi.

I have had a really good experience with my Multis and i do not read about any major catastrophies on this site with anybody elses very reguarly.
Take someone who knows what they are looking at when you go have a look and have a good read up here so you know the quirks.

Good Luck

 

[scottley]

Its all Cons and not many Pros as far as I'm concerned.

The Pro is that you still have a boot with six people on board other than that its all cons.

Mine is on 05 plate jtd with currently 67,000 miles on the clock and to describe it in one word its a DOG!

I have done nothing but spend money on it from day one, thats 3 years of misery and cash.

I have had to replace the following:
Rear exhaust
handbrake cable
clutch AND dual mass flywheel
Front suspension
Discs and pads up front and new shoes rear.
Water pump

andbeforeanyone jumps on and says /maintenance' thats codswallop, a clutch and flywheel should NOT need replacing on a car with 60k on the clock.

The car is currently sitting on a ramp with the engine out, we took it out last night as its highly likely the head now has to come off to remove a seized glow plug.

I'll never buy another one of these

 

[widemouthfrog]

You don't say how many of those miles have been in your ownership. To me though, your list of work required isn't exactly excessive spread across 3 years of ownership. 67,000 miles may be a little light for clutch life, but you probably don't know how your car was treated by its' previous owner (and they would have had something like 4 years to abuse/neglect it if they so chose).

Apart from the clutch and flywheel, the other items are consumables and about what I'd expect for a 7 year old car. The water pump should be replaced when the cambelt is done (hopefully you've had the cambelt done, if not, you're taking a big chance by now) and that is by no means unique to the Multipla or indeed Fiat. What's more, aside form the clutch and flywheel, all of the parts you've listed are dirt cheap for the Multipla. Rear exhaust is about £50, handbrake cables S&F for just over £100 inc VAT, front suspension £60 for a pair of wishbones, £13/pair drop links, £15 roll bar bushes, front discs and pads £60-£90 dependant on spec, rear shoes £25, cambelt and water pump kit around £90. Even the clutch and DMF can be had for less than £350 inc. VAT.

I think you're just as likely to have suffered the same faults/wear and tear with any other make of car. The saving grace for the Multipla is that a) they are dirt cheap second hand due to savage depreciation from new, and b) replacement parts are, in the main, also cheap.

 

[kev78]

Scottley, i agree that a clutch at 60K is early but all common rail diesels seem to need the DMF replaced at the same time, mine is still fine at 100K so thats a bit of an ouch for you.
But brakes and suspension are service items and you should replace the waterpump when the cambelt is done (due at 5 years i believe or is it 6 cant remember) on every car to prevent having to replace between cambelt changes plus potential seizing.
I'm not having a go but these are all things that effect all other makes of vehicle.
There is no need to remove the engine to replace 1 seized glowplug either, unless some one has got too excited and decided rather than leave it alone to give it both barrels and destroy the thread. Its well documented that Multi's will happily start with all the glowplugs not working in the UK so why go to all that trouble when 3 good ones will more than suffice.

Pro's far outweigh the cons in my experience and if you look at the the forums of other mpv's Multi owners get a fair enough deal on running costs in my opinion

 

[scottley]

The cambelt has been done and water pump was ok at the time but id fail later, so another new belt and luckily no damage. I've posted a thread about the plugs here:
https://www.fiatforum.com/multipla/304871-multipla-woes-maf-map-egr-scratch-head.html

 

[Minus2]

Where are you Minus2? I have an 03JTD (why go for an 01??) going on ebay tomorrow.. (See classifieds..)

Damn! I've been away getting married and then holliday and missed it!

 

[guizzo]

mine's a jtd elx
pro's....great on fuel, loads of space, comfy, versatile,wide track for roadholding, plenty people don't like them, reliable (mine's a good one so it seems).

con's.....could be longer.

other cars I own, BMW Z3, MINI COOPER D, for me the multipla is the best, I've had it for four years and eight months.

 

[klytus]

Damn! I've been away getting married and then holliday and missed it!

if your still after a multi i have one for sale and its mechanically sweet
have it on ebay classified and on the ugly bug balls facebook group
its diesel and is very keenly priced
drop me a pm if your still looking
peace