11th Apr 2001, 14:36

Mine is a 1999 60S Team with 18'000 miles on the clock. Clutch release bearing has just gone and the gearbox is showing early signs of the "common" gear wear. Dealers are awful, these faults at low mileage are unacceptable by anyones standards. This car is on its way before it gets any of the other known faults you can read about in these reviews. If you are thinking about buying one DON'T!

23rd Jun 2002, 08:50

I bought a new 60S in August 2000.

On the plus side it has great styling and looks.

The price was competitive, £6295 with metallic paint.

It’s comfortable and roomy for its size. It has a very smooth engine and gearbox and returns around 45 mpg. It’s no slow coach either, unless you have a full load.

On the negative side some of the rubbers seals on the doors have had to be replaced. Both of the headlight units have been replaced as they were suffering from internal condensation. In the recent wet weather I discovered that it was taken in water on the drivers side at an alarming rate. So much so, that water was oozing out of the carpet when you stepped in. Definitely not what you expect from a car of this age and initially the dealer did not want to know as the warranty had expired. However after lots of protest they have repaired it. Apparently the water was coming in through the windscreen wiper joints.

The service charges are also horrendous for a small car….£95 for the 12k and £195 for the 24k mile service. Oh yes….did someone mention creaks and rattles….yeah these seam to be developing as time goes on.

3rd Jul 2002, 01:30

I most definitely agree with these comments. I have a 1994 Punto 55S which I have owned since 1997, the car has had one problem after another, to date a total of £2,579.00 has been spent on repairs and servicing to keep the vehicle on the road. Unfortunately I am not in a position to change the car at present so have to accept these constant repairs just to keep it on the road.

If anyone is thinking of buying a Punto, think again they will only drain every bit of money you have from your bank account and as for rattles, don't even get me on that subject.

To conclude, the Punto is a substandard product with high repair costs and total unreliability and rattles like marbles in a tin can.

DON'T BUY ONE.

26th Sep 2002, 10:14

I bought a Fiat Punto Mia in Feb 01. Mine also started taking in water at an alarming rate and the front interior had to be removed to fix the leak.

Three months later the leak returned in exactly the same place, drivers side floor at the front. I had it repaired again and refused to pay the cost. My car came back with rattly air conditioning and the temperature dial for the air won't go round to cold anymore! My brakes were also screeching.

Two months after this the leak returned! After the 3rd repair my car now had a broken door which took 2 attempts to fix. The temp dial still doesn't work and the steering wheel came back out of line.

I have a meeting with Fiat and the dealer next week, but have been treated disgustingly!!

I would never recommend a punto to anyone unless you want constant hassle and unhelpful fiat reps! I really wish I'd never bought it.

20th Jan 2004, 16:00

I have a 1997 FiatPunto 55S. I've never had any trouble with this car. the mileage is about 100.000.

To conclude, the Punto is a good car if you avoid to purchase the first models (1994)

BUY SMART.

12th Mar 2007, 17:38

My dad bought me a Fiat Punto 75SX in June 06' for my birthday. Yes it was a fantastic car to start off with until slowly the 'creaks, bangs and clangs' started to begin. It a 98' R plate. As it is a oldish car I did expect there to be problems with it, but nothing like the problems I had! I definatly would not recommend anyone at all to buy a Punto, and would search around the market for cars the same price. That why I have just changed mine for a new clio :)

So Peeps, really avoid the old' Punto's.

12th Nov 2008, 09:46

Got a 60 Selecta. I hadn't realised they were a CVT until after we got it. its been really reliable. People are easily put off. what looked like a bad oil leak in the head was solved with a 50p o ring.

Just had a load of water leaking at the front passenger footwell and through the fan - was steaming up instead of demisting. Was easily fixed by finding some blocked drains underneath the wiper motor cover.

If you're slightly handy, these are really good value.

15th Mar 2009, 06:32

Punto is not so bad a car. We had a Punto 55 from 1994 to 2005, 170.000km, and except for rear arms at 120.000km and alternator bearings at 150.000km, there was nothing else wrong. It never broke down.

11th Mar 2010, 10:08

I have a Fiat Punto and will NEVER purchase another. Unfortunately it was involved in an accident 3 months after purchase, it was off the road for 4 months due to parts not being available. This was 4 years ago - it blew its head gasket 2 months ago, and once again off the road for another month. I was able to drive it for a full day before having to return it due to a pipe near the radiator that blew... and hello one week later, everything was over heating once again, and was in for repair for another 4 days. The thermostat was stuck and causing havoc.

I now have the car back, and have a constant wet puddle on the passenger front floor. I GIVE UP! My bank account has not been able to keep up with the repairs, and it amazes me how unhelpful everyone has been through the process.

12th Feb 2015, 15:29

My Fiat was bought last year. It's a 2004 model automatic Speedgear (in fact it's a year old this week) and I think it is excellent value. It cost me a couple of hundred pounds because it needed cosmetic repairs, which were as follows:

One piece of black trim on the front bumper missing. A replacement was found at a local scrapyard for £2.

Rear driver's side light array broken and letting in water... local scrapyard again, £4.

Petrol flap had fallen off. Just bent the spring back and re-fitted; now it looks and runs great.

I only do 5000 miles a year, but so far I can only recommend it as it currently stands me at £210 in total... not bad for a car only just over 10 years old.