General What to look for?

[Classamin]

Hello everyone!

I'm going to be looking at a 2012 Fiat Panda Easy in the coming days with a view to buy. Doesn't have to be anything special or fancy as it's only going to be a vehicle to get me to work and back while my wife uses my Mazda through the winter (AWD and it's bigger and safer).

Any common issues with this year I should be on the lookout for? It's the 1.2 petrol as far as I'm aware, are these engines hardy enough with regular servicing?

 

[ClassicZoo]

They're solid engines as long as they're up to date with servicing. Make sure the cambelt/water pump has been changed especially as the later 1.2 is an interference engine. You will see different recommendations for when they should be replaced - personally I use 5 years or 50k miles whichever comes first as it's not an especially complicated job compared to some cars.

The shell is galvanised but do check for rust especially in the non-galvanised areas such as subframes and suspension components.

Otherwise just do the usual listening for odd noises on startup and driving. If there are any noises that might be attributed to the gearbox, that's not good news. Any other clunks/knocks are likely to be fairly simple and cost effective to resolve but would still be a negotiating point. Knocks from the rear are common and often due to the rear shock absorber mount bushes but new shocks are cheap and very easy to fit.

They're great cars!