Technical RECALL: Service Solution for Suspension Springs

[Argonought]

New springs are very similar to the originals, same ride height, but less nose diving in corners

So basically you're saying they're the same height but a bit stiffer which is most likely what most owners are after.

Were the springs identical in all other respects?

Makes you wonder why Fiat didn't just change to this supplier and sort the problem once and for all

 

[Deckchair5]

Yes, same height, just a bit stiffer. Just right for me

And yes, it's not as if new springs are expensive and it would have meant so much for customer service and customer loyalty to just recall and change the blessed things

 

[LoBsTeR]

Bah got beaten to it.

Here's what they are supposed to look like......

 

[dave]

i cant see why they dont let you use one of their demo cars, seemed to be plenty there yesterday. where are springs coming from, italy? because italy are shut till friday

 

[Leithie]

Glad i went for replacing springs instead then

Was there an option to go for spring replacement?

I thought it was only the plate doodah.

I thougth it was odd, if they know it's the springs change them to ones that work i thought.

 

[Deckchair5]

No that was MY option,
"Shall i go for the spring catcher mod or replace the springs myself?"
As soon as I found a place that sold Stilo springs of the same height (Lesjofors) then I didn't hang around

For £70 for the pair it's not even two fill ups of fuel

I had to replace both front shockers on the Bravo at 6k miles as they were leaking. Many found the same. After that - inexpensive and reliable driving and still cheap as anything to run.

Each car has a weakness somewhere but if it was cheap to buy in the first place with great spec and just needs something fairly cheap to make it great then that's ok by me.

 

[oneofakind]

Hi All....

New to this forum.

Yesterday my Stilo made a clunking noise, and a piece of spring fell on the road! Fortunately I was only doing about 10mph at the time, having just driven off my drive!

I had the bodge/mod done about 3 months ago: do I have any redress with the dealer who did it? (this dealer is the original seller, but I bought the car used at a different place.)

The car is a 03 plate 1.2activ, which has done 46k, almost all of this lightly loaded (my 35k worth, anyway.)
It's the driver's side spring that's broken - I understand this side is less of a problem.
The broken piece of spring is about 2/3 of a turn, and shows no sign of corrosion - VERY clean breaks!

 

[Argonought]

The broken piece of spring is about 2/3 of a turn, and shows no sign of corrosion - VERY clean breaks!

That's completely different to the evidence we have.

Can you take a really good image with a digital camera for us

As for redress, there's no standard policy to replace the springs but several members have tried and been successful (and some have tried and haven't).

No harm in trying though

 

[ChrisMClark]

Weren't the succesful members gerneally the ones that dealt with Fiat UK direct, and the ones who dealt with a local dealer were the ones who were left to foot the bill themselves?

 

[Argonought]

Something like that

A good Fiat garage can put forward what's called a sympathy claim for items that fail before you'd expect them too given the age and mileage of the car etc.

I get the impression that garages with low labour rates can receive a better response from Fiat UK than expensive main dealers (for obvious reasons).

Raging at your Fiat/dealer/garage is not always the best way to start these discussions so best to use a bit of tact

 

[wotnowarninglight]

I took the JTD to my local Fiat dealer and had, on their advice, both the front springs replaced as I was told 'it was the best engineering practice' and I settled the bill.

The I took the matter up with Fiat via the 00800 no. pan European Customer Services Line and explained that @ 36.5K & 4 years and 3 months old I felt the NSF spring failure was premature. I was given a case no. and was within a week or so offered reimbursement for the replacement of the snapped spring only. I refused this and decided to push on for reimbursement for both springs. Chasing this up, I was told computer says the original case was settled and that reimbursement for one spring had been made. Said I had received no confirmation and nor cheque and had a second case no. raised saying I was unhappy with the outcome of the first case. Then got Mrs WNWL on the case to ring a particular individual at Fiat UK direct every hour on the hour for about two days and got the result. Cheque promised in 28 days and arrived in about 14...

Fiat UK's point was that I should have got my Local Area Technical Representative involved to take up the case on my behalf... or rather my local Fiat Dealer should have initiated this. I was given the impression that this would have brought about a satisfactory solution sooner. Unfortunately, dealer did the repair, took the money and washed their hands of it - possibly because from experience they thought my chances of recovering the money was slim So persistence is the key...

 

[coyotes_uk]

Chalk one up for the consumer there! Well done!

 

[kev1]

Had my recall work done last month.

My car always creaked from the NSF but now with the mod I get a mettallic thud when going over uneven roads and speed bumps. I have checked the mod and all seems secure but I am certain the noise comes from the brackets esp as it never happened before.

Question is, is this normal for stilos after the mod?

Sorry if this is a repost - tried a search to no avail

 

[Deckchair5]

Sounds like they haven't been fitted and checked correctly with enough clearance for suspension movement. Back to dealer unless you fancy finishing the job properly yourself

 

[PNL]

Many have said that the spring catchers have caused knocking from the front suspensions ..Decks did the wise thing by not fitting them when he had fitted none fiat front springs ..to my mind they would have been better to redesign the strut with a cup instead of a flat platform just like many manufacturers do ..but of course we are talking about fiat here lol

 

[Argonought]

Never heard of one knocking on standard springs before :chin:

Sound like as Decks says, it's not been fitted properly

 

[coyotes_uk]

I certainly can't hear any nocks after my Stilo went in for its recall. The only noises I get I think is from dry suspension which ill sort soon with WD40 and grease!

 

[d6w9l3z]

Had my Stilo 1.9 JTD for 7 years now, love the car......but on my 5th broken spring (1 on the nearside and 4 on the offside). It is always the bottom 3 inches of the spring that breaks, the piece of spring is always caught in the lower spring tray, thats when I know it has broken..........it rattles in the tray. I am a very careful driver (HGV 1), and the car has only covered 44,000 miles. Apart from the springs the car has been brilliant. This is a common fault with Stilo's, look at any Stilo, especially a diesel one, and you can see the front suspension is low, I say the the springs are not strong enough for the heafty diesel engine.

 

[Morty Mort]

I just got my recall for this one mont ago. We might be pioneers on some areas, but getting FIAT service bulletins out in time is not first priority in Norway.

 

[vladof]

Isn't there a time limit in which you need to go and install the certain spring retainer?

Neither of my Stilos have it installed, and I always thought it's too late anyway.