General why does everyone say the stilos so bad?

[hottastilo]

i got bored and was just reading reviews on the stilo and i was just laffing to my self about them ...... ive noticed that only people thats had bad times with them ever right reviews, like why would we waste time saying how good they are not many people would i think.
In my books i reakon there will be as many other cars out there, wosre then the stilo, but the Fiat badge dont help. even though they say theres no smoke with out fire...... i think the stilos just like smoke machine... and there trying to start the fire after becuase seen the fiat badge after my little problems ive had with it which you could get on any 2nd hand car i reakon im going to love my stilo .........

does any one think the same or am i on my own on this one lol?

 

[fenton_jd]

I think it's all the constant electrical problems that put people off.

I love the look of the 3door stilo, but the reviews I've read really do put a downer on things for me.

And the front springs snapping also didnt do fiat any favours.

I was almost tempted to swap my GP for a Broom yellow stilo, but the thought of having the airbag warning light issues and various other electrical problems just put me off. my GP has no electrical faults what so ever.

 

[muppet42]

Electrical problems are all I've had really (speaking as a person who is yet again trying to locate the loose connection causing the "beep, beep, beep...Check Engine" message). Quite like the Stilo actually, do get a lot of questions as to what it is, which amuses me somewhat. Comfort over long distance motorway travel (as well as the economy of course) is great and I enjoy the spec even though it's a base model.

Reviews have almost always slated the Stilo compared to the competition, but I've seen reviews that buck the trend, Stilo Schumi GP being an example. That was pretty decently recieved iirc.

 

[Muppet1]

Well i do like mine, My mw jtd is great, comfy and quick, good on fuel, and hardly any probs really. I would never have bought it had the focus i was looking at had history but i dont regret the stilo one bit.

The only thing i do regret is the colour of it inside, cream/white totally the wrong colour for a person who owns 3 mud magnets called spaniels. We have nearly changed the colour to brown but i sure a good valet will get it looking better soon.

 

[sunbeamsupreme]

I am really impressed with my MW jtd Dynamic it is quick, economical and well equipped and all the electrics work as they should and they are an uncommon sight which suits me. The reason Fiat has a bad name I think was due to rust in the 70s but that is a thing of the past

 

[john55]

I am really impressed with my MW jtd Dynamic it is quick, economical and well equipped and all the electrics work as they should and they are an uncommon sight which suits me. The reason Fiat has a bad name I think was due to rust in the 70s but that is a thing of the past

My MW is full of broken electrical gadgets. I really wish I had the basic model.
The JTD is definately the best of the bunch as far as engines go though. Mine is on 110K and still going strong.

 

[muppet42]

Edit to my previous post...RGZ has managed to heal itself yet again, no more "beep, beep, beep" for now...

 

[Big Black Stilo]

mine was great, died mechanically though........

 

[bozzy]

The reason Fiat has a bad name I think was due to rust in the 70s but that is a thing of the past

30 + years , no rust and still at the bottom of the tables. I think the reason Fiat have a bad name is due to the dealer experience. The Stilo has more than it's fair share of problems granted but it's the dealers that disgrace Fiat not the cars.

 

[StevenkSengwayo]

Who said that let me at em..........look the truth is no car goes without its own problems. My mum had a 2001 ford mondeo the last shape out and last year when she took it in for an MOT guess what it failed dismally and this is on a car with fully main dealer service history required a new hand brake cable the bushes on the rear were gone, and loads more needed about agrand to fix and most of these were recall jobs that never got done........so took it to Bristol street Ford motors and they start saying its not covered by warranty anyway you get my point my fiats including my beast are brill they work just fine and are cheaper and better that some of the so-called better makes out there

 

[Argonought]

If you ignore the media then I'm not sure they do

I've only met one other person (not counting Forum members) with a Stilo and they told me it was a great car.

I had a guy come up to me in the street and asked if I'd consider selling mine (you can guess my reply) and then 6 months later he held up a line of traffic just to say and that he'd managed to find one

Quite recently, the garage I bought mine from, after 3 years, rang me to say someone had walked in and was desperate to buy a JTD and would I consider doing a deal (I know it's only salesman bull but you have to laugh )

From my experience, I've had a rear brake bulb go (which the car even told me about) and 2 or 3 heater plugs. Everything else is basic servicing and wear and tear.

My personal view is that an awful lot of (presumably non too bright) people class the Stilo as defective every time they hear a false BEEP BEEP BEEP message. If I did the same then mine would change from the most reliable to the least reliable car I've had in an instant. That said, with the car now 6 years old, I seem to get less errors as the car gets older

 

[dan-the-man]

Nothing wrong with Stilos and for how little you can pick them up for now they're one of the best 2nd hand deals!

I've had 2 and both were great cars.

 

[muppet42]

If you ignore the media then I'm not sure they do

I've only met one other person (not counting Forum members) with a Stilo and they told me it was a great car.

I had a guy come up to me in the street and asked if I'd consider selling mine (you can guess my reply) and then 6 months later he held up a line of traffic just to say and that he'd managed to find one

Quite recently, the garage I bought mine from, after 3 years, rang me to say someone had walked in and was desperate to buy a JTD and would I consider doing a deal (I know it's only salesman bull but you have to laugh )

From my experience, I've had a rear brake bulb go (which the car even told me about) and 2 or 3 heater plugs. Everything else is basic servicing and wear and tear.

My personal view is that an awful lot of (presumably non too bright) people class the Stilo as defective every time they hear a false BEEP BEEP BEEP message. If I did the same then mine would change from the most reliable to the least reliable car I've had in an instant. That said, with the car now 6 years old, I seem to get less errors as the car gets older

I now put the "beep, beep, beep" down to it being an Italian car. Even Jeremy Clarkson made a similar observation about the 147 GTAs oil pressure warning light in a DVD a few years back. I guess it just gives the car character

 

[coupedummy]

Weve recently just bought a stilo and think its fantastic.
Its a 3 door,jtd model with sky roof.Few little niggles which ive started to sort out in the mean time,which id proberbly assume with 103k and 6 years olds.
Wiper linkage,preheat fault car satrt perfectly everytime and small skyroof issue.

But great driving car,great seat position and engine.Most cars have there common isues anyhow just people expect them from fiat.

also saying that i also own a fiat coupe turbo 20v which has had its problems.

I did have a company focus a while ago that had done 110k on the clock diesal that ran fantastic,i was due to have it alot longer so they replaced clutch,steering rack etc just to keep it going for a few more yearsfor me, when the fuel pump went.£900 replacement on a an enduro mk1 focus.Ended up scrapping the car.point is every car has faults

 

[Sparky1483]

i love mine, think its fantastic, had it fair share of faults, but most of the were down to either me, and 1st dealer neglect with it bein an ex demo, and since i got it in jan 2006, iv had one major problem, but as i said, dealer neglect, since then iv had nearly two years of faultless motoring, it has an on going problem but thats being sorted, ignore the beep beep beep, i take it as a "hello im still here"

 

[FiatFleetFamily]

Missus Stilo is perfect, since she had had her 03 JTD Dynamic, its never broken down, never had any warning lights on, serviced every year at a Fiat Indie, It has been ever so reliable compared to the Mk1 Punto and Mk2 Punto's she had that were always giving problems.

In her words the Stilo has been the best Fiat she has ever owned. Some people do feel that the JTD Stilo's were better build and the mechanicals are more robust than a petrol model.

 

[french bean]

Had a look in a Motor Mechanic magazine that did a review on used 3 series diesel BMW's. What the owners don't tell you is that the turbo's are likely to blow at 60k.

I've heard that the last shape Mondeo tends to wear rear bushes which take two days to change because it means dropping the whole subframe.

A Mk IV Golf GT TDI I had as a company car kept going in for turbo problems, also had leaking door seals and blew both dipped beam bulbs at the same time.

Don't even start me on the Vectra!


In my experience, those who slag Fiat off and Stilo's in particular haven't owned one. Yes they have problems but no worse than many and a lot better than some so called premium brands. Check out the Warrenty direct website for their car reliability index. Last time I looked it was Alfa, Saab and Audi at the bottom.

Finally, 35k in two years with my Stilo, the front spring went and anti roll bar drop links. That's it for wear and tear. Touch wood

 

[cris1117]

Hi All
150k apart from brakes and tyres had new rear bushes and drop links which I fitted myself total cost £50-00 ish. 1.9 jtd 55-60 mpg on a run 45mpg average what more can you ask for, great car

 

[wotnowarninglight]

Covered 40+K in two years in the JTD. Covered 27+K in the 1.6 in 16 months prior to that. JTD does seem to be wearing the miles much better than the 1.6

JTD has besides routine wear and tear items & servicing had; front springs, OCS pad, supercharge pressure switch (Engine warning light on & engine into safe mode - no turbo!) & brake light switch.

1.6, besides routine wear and tear items & servicing had; a coil pack & brake light switch.

People tend to judge the Stilo harshly, from my experience still hard to beat as a package for the money.

 

[Steve148]

Nothing wrong with Stilos and for how little you can pick them up for now they're one of the best 2nd hand deals!

I've had 2 and both were great cars.

I'm also on my second JTD, over 150k of combined mileage now and no serious problems with either of them. Plenty of niggles, but nothing expensive or impossible, and no worse than I hear about other marques.