Faults:
Fuel pump replaced at 75,000kms. - the problem was in bad fuel tank-to-pump connectors so the fuel leaked when revving or going up hill. It cost 2,5€, but the new fuel pump is around 20€ (it's mechanical).
Some interior plastic pieces broke (very hard to find an to replace). The low quality combined with drivers and co-drivers strenght an an 18 year old car is not a good combination.
Apart from that nothing went wrong, only I have problems with getting some replacement parts although there is less than 500 mils from Kragujevac, where these cars are still built.
The fabric radio installation is crap, an awful noise is coming from speakers while the radio (or cassette, or Cd) is turned on, but it's easy and cheap to make a new one.
Front lights came with R2 bulbs and got yellow very quick-really bad in the night, but you can find replacement ones (for fiat 126-they're the same) fitted with H4 bulbs-problem solved.
General Comments:
It very cheap to drive and maintain, not attractive to thieves. It's quite a small car, but I manage to go on a holiday every year with my family of 4. Don't ask where we put all the things.
It's not a big fuel consumer, but you have to be kind to a gas pedal. It's drinks about 6-6,5 liters per 100kms fully loaded on an open road (speed up to 90kms, average about 80kms). In a city it can drink up to 10 liters during the cold winters, but the advice is not to drive with choke on more than 1-2 minutes (it' hand controlled).
The suspension is OK for a small car, but it leans a lot during fast corners and hard stopping or fast starting. A few changes have been made since the car was bought, and it's time to replace shock absorbers. The chasity could be more rigid, you can fell it "breathing" in small sharp corners.
Regular service cost around 15€ (4 liters of engine oil, engine oil filter and air filter). The sparks (Super Bosnia FE 65 CPD) cost around 5€ (set of 4 pieces) etc., etc.
The seats are not comfy, but you can live with them. When the driver is taller then 180cm there is no place on the back seat except for small kids.
The transmission is reliable (it never broke, and I replaced the oil in it only twice for 18 yrs.) but it is difficult to put it in a right gear. During the years your learn how and where so there are no big problems.
The engine is good old fiat sohc code named 128A064 (made in Belgrade by the fiat licence), it goes and goes (and likes to rev a lot) and still doesn't make any problems. Only replace timing belt every 40,000kms and oil every 5,000kms.
The body is still in a good shape, small amounts of rust are there on the right door and back door, but it can be easily fixed. I think I was lucky because I saw very rusted models.
Ate the end I can say it never left down, for 18 years I fired it up millions of times and went where I wanted, never used road assistance or similar.
