Faults:

I think I have a snapped rear spring and an engine oil leak.

General Comments:

Emergency purchase - needed a car quick in a pandemic so what do you do?

Went FIAT cos I have had several in the past and they are good robust cars. However I have been disappointed. It's slow, uncomfortable, rides badly and lacks charisma.

It never failed to start, never missed a beat and is good on fuel, but if I drive any distance (talking say over 25 miles here) the lack of ride comfort and lack of seat comfort becomes wearing.

It's a base model and it was fairly cheap so expectations weren't high, but it's fallen below even them. Usual electrical issues apply - some heater fan settings don't want to play and the HRW is a deleted option in that the stupid FIAT wire ducting has occurred (see YouTube).

Overall the Punto was allowed to wither and die as the once mighty FIAT with a model range became solely a purveyor of 500 and Panda variants, and turned to their other brands to sell different models.

All rather sad really.

Faults:

The paint when I collected the car had marks on it.

Underpowered for the way I drive and the miles I cover.

Rear brakes.

And one really big thing.

It caught fire.

General Comments:

3rd March 2009.

Woke up one morning and decided after 4 months of having my new car, that I would give it its first wash (I had been pulled over by the police and told to do it as they were unable to see the number plates). So I clean and polish it, and it looks like it did when I collected it on the 1st September 2008. Lovely.

I then go and fill up with petrol, and drive to my local town to do some shopping. I park in the multistory like I do every week, and go and do my shopping.

13:45, I walk back to the car park, get my ticket out of the bag, put it in the machine and it won't work, so I press the button on the machine and a woman's voice said what is your reg. I gave her the reg and she said please can you return to you car. I go running up the stairs with all my shopping bags to see my car with 8 firemen and 2 police officers trying to put out the flames coming from the windows. 20 minutes passed and the fire was put out. My lovely car was a shell; no seats, no door cards, no windows, nothing.

I lost over 5k worth of computer equipment that day, and a program I had been working for 2 years. All gone because the fire was caused by a faulty airbag in the passenger seat.

What can I say, I never though it would happen to me, let alone when the car was 6 months and 2 days old.

All I can say is how disappointed with what Fiat's response was when I called them, they were not interested and that was that.

My last car was a Fiat Panda 100hp, what a great car.

Faults:

Water leak into the driver's (RH Drive) and RH rear foot wells.

Media player has stopped recognizing memory stick.

When 'radio' has been 'paused', intermittently starts again when engine is started.

General Comments:

Engine (tappets and diesel 'ignition') noisy when cold.