Faults:

Door lock disintegrated the day after I got it home. Taken to the local Fiat dealer (driving whilst holding the door shut is not an experience I would like to repeat).

Alternator packed up.

EGR valve broke in January 2013. New one became clogged and 'sooted up' within 4-5 months, and had to be taken to pieces and cleaned to stop strange kangarooing and twitchy driving style.

Alloy wheels corroded (water gets behind the lacquer on the polished rims). A well known fault on the early models.

Engine computer says to check spark plugs - then changed its mind and said 'check engine'.

Battery fuse blown - engine management light is now on continually.

Door sills have now 'moved' or perished as there seems to be a blowing noise at anything over 40mph.

Engine has a rather agricultural sound when idle/cold, and can take a while to quieten down.

General Comments:

Even though things have gone wrong with this car, it hasn't been a money pit or suffered many of the hideous problems that I read about before buying. I still enjoy driving it, and like getting into it every day.

It's punchy and quick, and has lots of pull in all gears. Economical too; my daily commute is a mixture of A & B roads with a small blip of dual carriageway, and it returns over 40 MPG all the time. A more recent long haul trip, loaded to hilt, including the dog, and it still returned 54 MPG.

Was great in the snow too, leave it in 3rd gear, take your time and it would go anywhere.

It's easy to park and the 'city button' is handy in some of the tight UK multi story car parks.

The styling is fantastic and I love the look of it. Mine is chemical grey, which has a deep shine when polished and was the colour I wanted it in.

Seats are very comfortable, supportive and everyone comments on the quirky 'bubbles' that make up the pattern. Bolsters have so far suffered no signs of wear and the seats look like new.

Interior is a nice place to be and there are no rattles or squeaks (apart from the boot lid), but nothing from the dash.

Chunky leather steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake make for nice touches.

Blue & Me system - whilst it can be a touch temperamental and doesn't play anything other than MP3, it's a good piece of technology, and the pairing of the phone and voice controls work well.

Overall the car drives very well and I've been very happy with it.

I like the look and the styling, and the fact that you don't see lots of Sporting's on the road. It's something a little bit different.

Faults:

Power steering motor failed at 18,000 miles (£640).

Seat belt mechanism jammed.

Brakes constantly squeak.

Door locks failed.

Water in rear tail gate.

The horn is so hard to operate, it is not worth having.

General Comments:

The Punto Grande is a typical Fiat; cheap materials, poorly built, and built to a low cost.

If the car had spent an extra hour in the factory and a week in design, it could have been a great little car.

Fiat must make more money selling steering motors than selling whole cars. As this fault has been a Fiat trade mark for decades (come on Fiat!!!).

The main selling point of the car is its looks. My advice would be to look at your neighbour's Fiat, and buy something better built.

Faults:

Engine is leaking oil.

Metallic paint is peeling off.

Constant problems with the front axle and suspension.

Original Blaupunkt stereo ate my CD and refuses to give it back.

Engine is so weak, and the gearbox doesn't work as well as it should do.

The door seals ain't weatherproof, so when it's raining or snowing, too much moisture comes in the cockpit, and mold starts having fun.

And if you drive it more than 30 km, you better bring your earplugs with you, because the road noise inside the car is just awful.

General Comments:

Beside the problems that it has, I still recommend it. It's ergonomic (except the trunk lid opening button), it has a big trunk for a car of its size, it handles very well, and the parts are quite cheap.