General Spoke to the garage today...

[yknivag]

:bang:

On the 28th February, when I ordered my Panda, I was told 6-8 weeks for delivery. I had a phone call from my salesman this morning (well his replacement as he "no longer works for the company") who told me that I could now expect to take delivery at the end of May!

Now it's quite a while since I did maths at school but I make that 10-12 weeks not 6-8. Apparently FIAT can only build red cars next week, not last week when mine was scheduled for.

Something tells me I am being lied to, not only on that but maybe on other things.

What is the normal waiting time for a Panda? I really can't believe that 12 weeks is normal - even when ordering an MJ with a skydome.

:bang:

 

[Jai]

i fear this is only going to get worse, as demand for the 500 ramps up supply, fiat looking for 200000 odd 500s a year just to slightly cut waiting times, factor in the ka production, and looks like the panda will get pushed back down the list.

 

[Schwenck]

I can't speak from experience but to be fair to the dealer there must be enormous pressure on the Tychy plant at the moment (I read somewhere back orders for the 500 alone are at four months) and FIAT could be bumping back delivery dates, as frustrating for them as it must be for you. Or more cynically I suppose the departed salesman was lying just to secure your money!

Hang in there, I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

 

[ScoobyChris]

Very frustrating I was a little shocked when the salesman said I could pick up my (practically new) Panda the following day - in the past I've had to wait at least a week even for 2nd hand cars

It better be ready for the end of May

Chris

 

[yknivag]

I understand that the 500 is popular and needs resources, but once a car is ordered that customer should be as important as any other and once allocated a place in the line should keep it.

Bumping Panda owners down the list to try and appease 500 customers with shorter waiting list is just the kind of crap customer service Fiat were famous for in the 80s. I thought they were trying to shake off that image.

Maybe not.

 

[yknivag]

It better be ready for the end of May

Indeed in better had!

To be honest it had better be here considerably earlier than that. Otherwise, having no car at all at the moment, I will have to seriously consider the whole purchase. I bought this only on the reassurance that I would have the car by the end of April. I can't afford to be without any longer than that.

 

[Jai]

it's all about money, the hot new product, with massive demand, built on the platform borrowed from the less glam saviour of the company, thereby making a massive saving in tooling and production coupled with a huge profit. so you lose a few panda sales, the upside is you get your fleeced, sorry premium paying customers into their 500s asap

 

[yknivag]

it's all about money, the hot new product, with massive demand, built on the platform borrowed from the less glam saviour of the company, thereby making a massive saving in tooling and production coupled with a huge profit. so you lose a few panda sales, the upside is you get your fleeced, sorry premium paying customers into their 500s asap

Oh I don't doubt it, and clearly my £10k isn't as good as their £11k.

Maybe their undoing in this case unless the garage can come up with something tomorrow, because I can no longer afford to be with out a car.

 

[Wee Smurf]

Nothing's changed then...

I ordered my Multijet Panda with skydome in February 2005 and took delivery of it at the end of May 2005. Same build time!

 

[Wee Smurf]

Maybe their undoing in this case unless the garage can come up with something tomorrow, because I can no longer afford to be with out a car.

Why not ask them for a courtesy car till your car arrives...?

 

[yknivag]

Why not ask them for a courtesy car till your car arrives...?

Oh I have! Apparently they have nothing available. This despite there being 25 used cars on the forecourt (some of which have been there for a considerable time).

They are going to get back to me (checks watch) 6 hours ago to discuss the matter further. I'm not holding my breath. :bang:

 

[Sammyboy]

I waited nearly 9 weeks for mine

 

[Ets]

For my Panda Cross I was promised 4 weeks here in Switzerland, which turned into an amazing 2 months due to a "cylinder head gasket" which needed to be replaced as it wasn't the correct specification. F O U R weeks to change a cylinder head gasket! In South Africa a complicated Mercedes Benz or BMW cylinder head gasket would be done in a day or less.
To be honest though this is a Swiss epidemic, I think things (everything) take longer here than in the former Soviet Union.

 

[NottsCharger]

Not just Fiat, though as I waited 4 months for a VW Golf and one day short of 6 months for a Mini Cooper. If you want factory options it seems your at their mercy!

 

[Nuova500]

I dont think the 500 has pushed the Pandas back, Im waiting for a 500, after 10 weeks its still not got a build week! I waited around 10 weeks for a Panda Eleganza in 2004, so its nowt new.

 

[Victor|100HP]

Same here. Was told 8 weeks, ended up being 12 weeks.

Of course I had to run over Bambi 6 days later, which meant I could wait another two weeks to get my car back. Yes, patience is required if you want to drive a Panda. Especially a grey 100HP, as those are cursed

 

[100hp Joe]

Yeah, when I ordered mine I was told 4-6 weeks... that would've made it this weekend just gone if it was 6 weeks.
My dealer has been a bit of a pain in the ass to be honest... never returning calls and generally being hard to get hold of and me having to chase them. Having spoken to Fiat Customer Relations they've told me that my car has been built and will be in the UK on the 23rd so I should be able to get it the following weekend. Only two weeks behind schedule, but why couldn't my dealer tell me that??

Still, at least it's on it's way!

 

[yknivag]

Yeah, when I ordered mine I was told 4-6 weeks... that would've made it this weekend just gone if it was 6 weeks.
My dealer has been a bit of a pain in the ass to be honest... never returning calls and generally being hard to get hold of and me having to chase them. Having spoken to Fiat Customer Relations they've told me that my car has been built and will be in the UK on the 23rd so I should be able to get it the following weekend. Only two weeks behind schedule, but why couldn't my dealer tell me that??

Still, at least it's on it's way!

My dealer has been pretty similar, I was told on the 9th of April that it had been built and was waiting to be allocated a slot on the boat for transport. Then told on the 14th that the build has been put back a week and that it will be built this week but not delivered until the end of may (which will be 12 weeks from order).

They can't tell me why it was built and now isn't, they can't tell me why they weren't told, or why they didn't call me. In the last 2 months they have called me only once (and that was to return my call to them).

To be fair the new guy seems a bit more helpful and actually just picked up a message on my answerphone to say that the sales director is off today but will be looking at my case tomorrow morning and they'll call me then.

Guess I'll need to get used to the 2 hours of walking a day for a bit longer

 

[kipster1]

I waited 1 week for mine, May 2006.
Guess i was lucky.

 

[valencia100hp]

mine took 10 weeks, Red with FF options.

Dealer was good about keeping me informed though even though the build week wasn't complied with and it took 4 weeks to get to the dealer from Poland.

I am interested in the colour line the dealer gave you. Was that a dodgy excuse or do they really only do a colour a week? If so then what happens with the IRN BRU tone Alessi and Cross - they must skip a turn or three.