1999 Fiat Punto 60S Team 1.2 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Really good value for money

Faults:

No faults apart from minor electrical problems, e.g. the speedometer would occasionally stop working for perhaps seconds or at most a few minutes.

General Comments:

This was a cheap car bought at auction for £3800 and was an excellent buy. The 8 valve engine is smooth and lively and has never given any trouble whatsoever. The seats are comfortable and my only grumbles were the absence of electric windows and power steering, but then it was cheap and has kept me cheerful.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th April, 2003

1999 Fiat Punto S 1.2 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Good looking, but unreliable

Faults:

The rear brake drums needed replaced before I had done 24,000 miles.

I now need a new gear box less than three years after purchase.

General Comments:

Despite now giving a three year warranty with all new cars, Fiat UK have refused to contribute towards a new gearbox. Presumably they only expect them to last a year.

Very keen to get my money and servicing business, but unhelpful when things have gone wrong.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 23rd November, 2002

1999 Fiat Punto 1.2 petrol from Estonia

Summary:

Good car

Faults:

Nothing except one light bulb and a stereo button (but that was a child's fault)

General Comments:

I like the styling of the car and it's fun to drive too. Also has got lots of space and is fast enough for me. The best thing is, this car has got character, something that was not found in my previous vw.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th November, 2002

1999 Fiat Punto 60SX 1.2 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Not a bad little car, shame about the technicalities!

Faults:

The heater never worked. It always blew out cold air. Eventually traced to debris in the heater matrix.

The clutch cable snapped twice within 750 miles and 3 weeks of ownership. Fixed under warranty.

Often refused to start on cold or damp mornings. This was later rectified by a new ECU.

Within a space of 3 years and 31000 miles, the life of each head gasket was roughly about 10,000 miles.

General Comments:

I have now got rid of the car due to yet another head gasket failure. I was told the head was too warped to survive any more.

Plus, it was due for an MOT which I expected it to fail.

Overall, it wasn't a bad car when it was running correctly, plagued with rattles and squeaks though.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 22nd July, 2002

1st Jan 2009, 10:32

I bought my 1998 Punto SX60 on November 5th 2008, it had 88,000 miles on the clock and worked fine.

There was a fuel problem a week into owning it where I ran out of fuel and it wouldn't start again, I just took it to the garage and they said they had cleared an air pressure problem in the fuel lines, ever since I've had no troubles with it.. great car!!

1999 Fiat Punto 60 Cult 1.2 LPG from France

Summary:

A really good daily cruiser

Faults:

The rear gear broke at 7000 km.

The direction indicator command broke at 26000 km.

General Comments:

This car is very comfortable for the city and highways. It's not on poor roads (too "weak").

Very pleasant to drive every day and cheap.

The only bad point is that it's too damn slow!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st October, 2001

1999 Fiat Punto 1.25 16v from Greece

Summary:

Great car in its class!

Faults:

Well, nothing serious till now, but it appears that there is a small problem when changing from 1st to 2nd gear. Although the gearbox works fine, the change from 1st to 2nd does not feel right.

General Comments:

I have the PUNTO HLX (new) and in general I am very satisfied with the car. The build quality is very good, the materials used inside may not be the best, but they are good and they feel nice to the touch.

It handles very well, and even if you push it to the limits it's still predictable.

It's roomy (I can even compare it with the next class), practical, well designed, but the front seats need more support.

Its safety is top class according to the EuroNCAP, but I do feel the need to add an ABS for the brakes for better control.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th July, 2001

1999 Fiat Punto GT 1.4 turbo from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A temperamental pile of crap, but good fun if it works!

Faults:

Driver's side electric window stuck. Required extra lubrication. Dealer repaired quickly.

Valve cracked after 9 months. Car was off the road for 3 months waiting for new cylinder head to be delivered from Italy. Courtesy car was only supplied after 3 weeks. I requested a new engine. Fiat would not oblige.

After the head rebuild, poor workmanship resulted in large oil leak from the turbo. Fixed quickly.

Throttle potentiometer stuck open. Engine management thought the car was being floored all the time.

Car developed misfire. Plugs needed changing because of fouling.

Car developed a misfire again today. Changed plugs again. Misfire still happening. Car only serviced 4 months ago. Going to the dealer tomorrow!

General Comments:

This has got to be the most frustrating car I have ever owned. Amazing fun when working.

I have never been able to drive the car properly since the valve cracked, as the engine has always seemed so much more fragile.

I tried taking my complaint through the Fiat customer support channels, but didn't really get anywhere.

I am possibly considering legal action if this is not resolved!

NEVER BUY A GT! Go for the more robust 1.2 Sporting, or a new HGT if you have plenty of cash.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 14th May, 2001

20th Sep 2001, 06:09

Sounds like you've been unlucky. We've run ours since 95 and now selling it with 66,000 miles. Apart from a flat battery, its been extremely reliable - more so than our 'new' VW Passat. But that's another story.