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Technical Breather pipe again.

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Technical Breather pipe again.

RUI

RUI

Get Your Own Tile
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I had another breather pipe split on me today so I called Thames Fiat in Slough and they quoted me £98 to fix it! even though the last one they fixed only lasted a year.
I asked to talk to the sales manager as I have just brought a panda for the wife from him, I asked him if he could see what he could do..he got very angry and told me no..he said where does it stop you will want us to service the bloody car for free next.
I told him to calm down and said all I want is a bit of discount on buying the part or maybe a free one...again he just went mental.

I ended up just buying the part for £28 and fitted it myself in 5 mins.
I love the way Thames Fiat look after customers it really makes me want to go back and buy another car..

6818398814_89a8035fa0_b.jpg
 
I've bought a couple of cars from Thames in the past, but only on price. I hated actually buying from them.

Their attitude was very much (and this is a quote) "do you want it or don't you". Will you buy it today etc etc., if not then **** off.
 
RUI said:
I had another breather pipe split on me today so I called Thames Fiat in Slough and they quoted me £98 to fix it! even though the last one they fixed only lasted a year.
I asked to talk to the sales manager as I have just brought a panda for the wife from him, I asked him if he could see what he could do..he got very angry and told me no..he said where does it stop you will want us to service the bloody car for free next.
I told him to calm down and said all I want is a bit of discount on buying the part or maybe a free one...again he just went mental.

I ended up just buying the part for £28 and fitted it myself in 5 mins.
I love the way Thames Fiat look after customers it really makes me want to go back and buy another car..

6818398814_89a8035fa0_b.jpg
Click to expand...
If they'd fitted the right part in the first place it wouldn't have broken again. Tossers.
 
Andy Monty said:
if mine ever goes im going to get some oil resistant or even hydraulic hose of the same inner bore got fed up on the last GP of changing it and got a length of oil resistant hose from indi motorfactors for 50p lol
Click to expand...
Well, I've got the updated silicone hose and it's been on for nearly a year now and all is good :)
 
I've just been out to check ours. It looks like it is a silicone hose. No seam running along its length and it is in very good clean condition. I'm assuming as the car is a 2011 model, it was fitted with the uprated hose from the start.

£28 for a new hose does seem a tad expensive when new uprated hoses are available on ebay for £13.
 
frupi said:
I've just been out to check ours. It looks like it is a silicone hose. No seam running along its length and it is in very good clean condition. I'm assuming as the car is a 2011 model, it was fitted with the uprated hose from the start.

£28 for a new hose does seem a tad expensive when new uprated hoses are available on ebay for £13.
Click to expand...
and I'd be very surprised if you ever had any issues with it. Can't remember if I had 2 or 3 hoses replaced until I got the right one.
 
If you havn't already picked up the Panda, i'd tell him to stick it up his ar*e. How dare a company speak to customers like that.

As Maxi said, if the uprated part had been fitted in the first place it shouldn't have broken again anyway, and personally i don't see why anyone should pay anything for a part that's broken because of Fiat's pi*s poor quality control with component suppliers. £98 to fit a part that should've been right in the first place - i'd have had to ask what position they'd like me in while they shaft my rear end.

Phone Fiat UK & give them hell, or i will. 00800 3428 0000.
 
We have the panda and I can't be bothered calling the muppets at fiat to see what they are going to do. I made the mistake of buying another fiat after they messed me about with the last warranty claim but I won't again.
I will go back to more premium brands, fiat make a cool car but it is let down by the local dealer.
My 500 is 3 years old in October so a change may be coming, I was thinking about a new 500 but now they would have to give it away to get me to have one from them.
 
RUI said:
I had another breather pipe split on me today so I called Thames Fiat in Slough and they quoted me £98 to fix it! even though the last one they fixed only lasted a year.
I asked to talk to the sales manager as I have just brought a panda for the wife from him, I asked him if he could see what he could do..he got very angry and told me no..he said where does it stop you will want us to service the bloody car for free next.
I told him to calm down and said all I want is a bit of discount on buying the part or maybe a free one...again he just went mental.

I ended up just buying the part for £28 and fitted it myself in 5 mins.
I love the way Thames Fiat look after customers it really makes me want to go back and buy another car..

6818398814_89a8035fa0_b.jpg
Click to expand...

Hi Rui

I've bought one off ebay to do this weekend do you have any tips as the only guide I could find on you tube was for a Fiat that may have been a Punto. Mine came without any clips are they supposed to be re-used and how are they released as they don't look like jubilee type ones??
 
RUI said:
We have the panda and I can't be bothered calling the muppets at fiat to see what they are going to do. I made the mistake of buying another fiat after they messed me about with the last warranty claim but I won't again.
I will go back to more premium brands, fiat make a cool car but it is let down by the local dealer.
My 500 is 3 years old in October so a change may be coming, I was thinking about a new 500 but now they would have to give it away to get me to have one from them.
Click to expand...

It's a shame as like you say they make some cool cars, but i don't blame you for steering clear in future. Incompetence is one thing, but that sortof blatant rudeness takes things to another level. Personally i'd speak to Fiat UK, but i can understand why you think it's not worth the effort.

I hope we don't encounter this sortof service with the Parents new 500. My experience of Fiat dealers (not Thames) and Fiat UK has been really good, hence the Parents purchase of a new 500, but if they get treated badly with what's their first 'new' new car for 13 years then future new Fiats (for me or them) will be unlikely. The family are gradually desserting Vauxhall for poor service so i don't really fancy the same happening to Fiat!
 
JTD_Liam said:
if the uprated part had been fitted in the first place it shouldn't have broken again anyway
Click to expand...

To be fair it was probably renewed before the modified material (silicon type?) was used.

RUI said:
fiat make a cool car but it is let down by the local dealer.
Click to expand...

Is that your local dealer or dealers in general, there are loads of good ones across the country.

mylovely500 said:
Hi Rui

I've bought one off ebay to do this weekend do you have any tips as the only guide I could find on you tube was for a Fiat that may have been a Punto. Mine came without any clips are they supposed to be re-used and how are they released as they don't look like jubilee type ones??
Click to expand...

You need dedicated type pliers to refit the clips all you can use side cutters to close the clips. Some people just fit jubilee clips instead.
 
mylovely500 said:
Hi Rui

I've bought one off ebay to do this weekend do you have any tips as the only guide I could find on you tube was for a Fiat that may have been a Punto. Mine came without any clips are they supposed to be re-used and how are they released as they don't look like jubilee type ones??
Click to expand...

You need the tool below to take the clips off and to refit them
http://www.lasertools.co.uk/item.aspx?cat=67&item=1144

You need to take the airbox off it is a 10mm bolt two at the front and one at the back. Just unclip the the pipe and refit the new one. It really is a 5 min job.

If you are local I can do it for £98..... It is the going rate.
 
T14086 said:
Is that your local dealer or dealers in general, there are loads of good ones across the country.
Click to expand...

I have only used the one dealer, I am sure other dealers are ok but it is a hell of a lot easier buying a car from a dealer that is local. Fiats are great but not worth all the hassle with a local bad dealer.
 
RUI said:
I have only used the one dealer, I am sure other dealers are ok but it is a hell of a lot easier buying a car from a dealer that is local. Fiats are great but not worth all the hassle with a local bad dealer.
Click to expand...

I travelled 330 miles to buy my new Cadillac and 330 miles back. Now that was a long day I can tell you!
 
RUI said:
We have the panda and I can't be bothered calling the muppets at fiat to see what they are going to do. I made the mistake of buying another fiat after they messed me about with the last warranty claim but I won't again.
I will go back to more premium brands, fiat make a cool car but it is let down by the local dealer.
My 500 is 3 years old in October so a change may be coming, I was thinking about a new 500 but now they would have to give it away to get me to have one from them.
Click to expand...


Funnily enough I have been to Thames Slough to test drive a grande punto as i was deciding whether that or the Audi A2 (chose the audi a2 instead) for my first car. They were quite nice to me.
However, after what you have explained and if you havent paid for the new panda i'd literally refuse to pay for it and tell them keep your car.
Why dont you keep your current 500 until it dies especially if you bought it cash? (i dont know if you did just assuming). I dont see a reason to change your car every 3 years unless you do those 3 year plans hire and purchase.

I told a friend of mine to get the Alfa Giulietta as we both concluded the Golf is simply too boring. Luckily for him he leased it on his company so reliability doesnt really bother him as he isnt paying for anything going wrong and gets a definate courtesy car if it lets him down.
 
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