Faults:

I got the car because it was cheap, and I quite like the looks. It has since had a good few faults occur, including;- (1) Fuel Gauge intermittent,

(2) Heater blower intermittent,

(3) Water leaks,

(4) broken ashtray,

(5) corroded connectors on external electrical items ie. Headlamps and tail lamp.

(6) Cheap and flimsy switch gear, "tinny" plastics.

General Comments:

However, the car handles very well and feels stable and secure on corners.

The Diesel engine is quite noisy and lacks power on the road, it has good low-down power though.

I quite like the styling and has a more grown-up look compared to the Tipo.

The dashboard looks like something out of an 80s VW, not pleasant!

There is very little rust and the shell seems to be very solid.

Faults:

The speedometer cable became disconnected, so the reading on the digital speedometer was a constant zero irrespective of what speed you were traveling at.

The electric sunroof became distorted one hot summer in England, but has proved too expensive to replace.

The central locking and the boot lock stopped working properly, resulting in a costly repair.

The diesel injectors have started to leak a number of times, spraying diesel all over the engine, but replacement costs have tended to be low.

More recently (107,000 miles) the clutch requires replacement.

General Comments:

For a family with a dog the car has proved to be very practical, obtaining reasonable performance and fuel economy.

However, the reliability of the car has proved to be poor, relating to the general mechanics of the car.

Our experiences with Fiat service centers have left a great deal to be desired - in our experience they have offered the worst customer service of any car maker we have used (and that is quite a few). Typical things included having to wait months for parts to arrive after ordering, only to discover that the incorrect parts were ordered in the first place. The service costs have always been incredibly high, so total cost of ownership is high. The standard and quality of work has also been very poor. I will never buy a Fiat again on the basis of these experiences, particularly when we complained to the service manager no apology was even offered.

Faults:

Alternator @ 90000 miles, clutch master cylinder, wipers wear down quickly.

General Comments:

An economical budget family saloon that looks different from other euroboxes and has galvanised body panels, so the car doesn't rust (severely).

Has poor rear visibility and a big boot.

The 1.4 and diesel keeps you from breaking speed limits!

Faults:

Front shock absorber broke (really broke).

4 fuel pumps broke.

Lots of water leakage to the driver compartment - and therefore electric shortcuts.

AC unit (inside the dashboard) rotten.

Head gasket blow at 160000km.

Head was renewed 3 times.

2 electric locks not functioning.

Suspension system had to be totally renewed.

Gear handle carrier broke twice.

Digiplex sensors were replaced twice - very expensive, and disables the car.

General Comments:

Very good road grip.

Excellent suspension system.

Very comfortable driving position.

Lots of power for an 1.6 liter engine (from those years).

Excellent steering system.

A ratio of 3:1 for driving / repair time.