Are the new Fiat Puntos (01 - 05) that bad??

Trotter

Im driving a 98 punto, 1.2 16v, and apart from the exhaust needing to be changed, I havent had any trouble in the 2 years that I own it. It only cost me €2500 so I dont think it owes me anything.

Ive been thinking of changing it recently, and Ive spotted some really nice, relatively new Fiat Puntos around. Anytime I mention the word punto though, people cringe!! Is that something thats been tagged to them for years or is it really a reflection of the car in general. Have I been lucky with mine maybe?

A good friend of mine reckons if I stay with 16v ELX models then Id be grand because they are manufactured with a lot more care than the others. I know they dont hold their value but I really like the road handling and nippyness of the punto!!


Any thoughts? Id be interested to see the opinions of the local motor experts here.

Stephen

I'm no expert, but puntos have a reputation for eating head gaskets like sweeties after about 40k miles. That coupled with the general bad reputation fiat has for reliability is probably what makes them dirty words!

Bartonprince

My GF had a 00 Punto she bought second hand (it's the new old shape if you know what i mean). she clocked up 79k miles on it. No problems at all. Head gasket never went.

TempestSabre

They are pretty cheap alright, but you don't see many with big mileage. I've heard they can give lots of small problems which can be annoying to get fixed and fiat garages and parts are expensive. Might buy one myself.

useeme

Avoid.

Trotter

TempestSabre wrote:

They are pretty cheap alright, but you don't see many with big mileage. I've heard they can give lots of small problems which can be annoying to get fixed and fiat garages and parts are expensive. Might buy one myself.

Mine's up to 81000 now.. NCT is next week so its a big time for my little rocket. Its due a service so I delayed that and Im just going to let it fail the NCT and then give the list of what needs fixing to the mechanic and see what he says.

If its any more than 400 or 500 then Ive a decision to make!

Trotter

General Motors wrote:

Avoid.

Any elaboration?? I have one for the past 2 years... WHY do I need to avoid?

TempestSabre

Trotter wrote:

Mine's up to 81000 now.. NCT is next week so its a big time for my little rocket. Its due a service so I delayed that and Im just going to let it fail the NCT and then give the list of what needs fixing to the mechanic and see what he says.

If its any more than 400 or 500 then Ive a decision to make!

By high mileage I meant over 100K...:D

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=311104
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=334079

TempestSabre

General Motors wrote:

Avoid.

Can you report people for drivel? :rolleyes:

Trotter

TempestSabre wrote:

By high mileage I meant over 100K...:D

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=311104
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=334079

Ah yeah but 81k is pretty steep for a 98 punto!

useeme

My GF bought one as her first car (Before we met).

It was brand new, an unwanted prize.

For the first year it was ok, then the problems started:

Windscreen wipers stopped one day in heavy rain, due to a piece of linkage falling off.
Head gasket gone at 24,000 miles.
Electrics causing bulbs to blow frequently.
Light fittings leaking also causing bulbs to blow.
Clutch failed at 18,000 miles.

At 3 years old, and 30,000 miles, i had a pain in my arse getting calls regarding the punto, and demanded that she replace it with a toyota corolla.
Went around the toyota dealers with GF. Trying to trade in a fiat is like being told you have a terminal disease. Eventually we found on dealer who would take it as a trade in. GF got 2,500 as an allowance for it of a 2 year old corolla.

So avoid like the plague, otherwise you are sucked in to fiats for life unless you can afford to cut your losses.

useeme

TempestSabre wrote:

Can you report people for drivel? :rolleyes:

The OP requested advice, which i gave. If you dont like my replies, F**k off somewhere else.

TempestSabre

General Motors wrote:

The OP requested advice, which i gave. If you dont like my replies, F**k off somewhere else.

LOL at least you're consistent.

Trotter wrote:

Ah yeah but 81k is pretty steep for a 98 punto!

We've a '91 fiesta with 100k. Obviously it has a few "issues". You just don't see many fiats with big mileages. Maybe at that point owners just keep him till they quit. Anyone I know with fiats had very little trouble with them. Mind you none of them would be driving all that hard. I reckon fiats don't take well to a ham fisted driving, hard driving or neglect.

colm_mcm

THe thing with Puntos is that they're unbelievibly inconsistent. I have heard (and suffered) all the horror stories. Just remember that they're very cheap. you'll pick up a 01 punto for a few grand. You'll spend an awful lot more on the equivelant Yaris or Polo. The punto'll usually be better equipped and nicer to drive. the downside is that if you uget a bad one, it'll break your heart. not just the obvious stuff like head gasket failure or gearboxes going, you're talking really annoying stuff like one of the doors not locking or warning lights coming on for no apparent reason. The 01-05 punto feels very solid and is very spacious, but if you're anyway frightened by the potential big repair bills, try something less fashionable like a Starlet Micra or Swift.

mike65

General Motors wrote:

The OP requested advice, which i gave. If you dont like my replies, F**k off somewhere else.

And a Happy New Year to you Sir!

Banned!:mad:

Mike.