I found some build quality faults on my 23 reg. FIAT Panda 4x4 Wild bought with low mileage early Aug. 23 from A. Clark, FIAT.
It took until the end of Nov. 24 ! to get these rectified under warranty : Gaping wheel arch trims. Film on door pillar poorly fitted
and cracking at edge of door.
In the last couple of months, I have found that water accumulates inside the boot lid when it rains over night.
When lifting the boot lid, I hear the water rushing inside the lid to the top. When booking the car in at A. Clark, FIAT,
for repairs under warranty, I was told that I would have to register a payment of approx. £150 for diagnostics in case
the work was not covered by warranty. I did not agree with this, and I have stalled the repair. I was told that the repair
would surely be covered by warranty, but the £150 was just in case - contradictory. I suggested that rather than take
the car in and starting dismantling, they should put a hoze on the car, and the diagnosis would be water ingress in the tailgate.
How could this be other than warranty work ? Drain holes at base of tailgate appear open.
Taking all fittings of the tailgate : high level brake light, handle etc., may not show up an ill fitting seal, but putting these
correctly back might cure the fault. The AA Technical department was sceptical to the dealer's request for the £150.
FIAT / Stellantis said they were not technically trained butthat the dealer's approach was correct.
When the tyre pressure light went on, I checked an adjusted the tyre pressures but was not able to turn the light off.
Instruction manual is very thin and poor, but have since found a fuller manual exists on line.
I took the car to a different A. Clark, FIAT, dealer from the above one, and asked if they could please turn the light off as
the tyre pressures were correct. They said I would have to book the car in, pay the diagnostic fee, and they would check
the tyre pressures and turn of the light off ! The light was eventually turned off when the car was in for a service.
This same dealer as aboved had asked me to pay the fee for adjusting the handbreak which was very slack and could not hold the car,
just after the car was delivered. I took the car to another A. Clark, FIAT dealer who adjusted this.
I recall previous FIAT warranties some years back when I looked forward to be out of the warranties. FIAT relied on the
knowledge of the dealerships. In one case, years ago, I managed to use the rare visit by a FIAT technician, who agreed with me
that diesel injectors in a FIAT Tipo were faulty giving only intermittent high revs when idling. The dealer found no faults.
There were no talk of diagnostic fees.
I wish there were more FIAT dealerships in Scotland.
It took until the end of Nov. 24 ! to get these rectified under warranty : Gaping wheel arch trims. Film on door pillar poorly fitted
and cracking at edge of door.
In the last couple of months, I have found that water accumulates inside the boot lid when it rains over night.
When lifting the boot lid, I hear the water rushing inside the lid to the top. When booking the car in at A. Clark, FIAT,
for repairs under warranty, I was told that I would have to register a payment of approx. £150 for diagnostics in case
the work was not covered by warranty. I did not agree with this, and I have stalled the repair. I was told that the repair
would surely be covered by warranty, but the £150 was just in case - contradictory. I suggested that rather than take
the car in and starting dismantling, they should put a hoze on the car, and the diagnosis would be water ingress in the tailgate.
How could this be other than warranty work ? Drain holes at base of tailgate appear open.
Taking all fittings of the tailgate : high level brake light, handle etc., may not show up an ill fitting seal, but putting these
correctly back might cure the fault. The AA Technical department was sceptical to the dealer's request for the £150.
FIAT / Stellantis said they were not technically trained butthat the dealer's approach was correct.
When the tyre pressure light went on, I checked an adjusted the tyre pressures but was not able to turn the light off.
Instruction manual is very thin and poor, but have since found a fuller manual exists on line.
I took the car to a different A. Clark, FIAT, dealer from the above one, and asked if they could please turn the light off as
the tyre pressures were correct. They said I would have to book the car in, pay the diagnostic fee, and they would check
the tyre pressures and turn of the light off ! The light was eventually turned off when the car was in for a service.
This same dealer as aboved had asked me to pay the fee for adjusting the handbreak which was very slack and could not hold the car,
just after the car was delivered. I took the car to another A. Clark, FIAT dealer who adjusted this.
I recall previous FIAT warranties some years back when I looked forward to be out of the warranties. FIAT relied on the
knowledge of the dealerships. In one case, years ago, I managed to use the rare visit by a FIAT technician, who agreed with me
that diesel injectors in a FIAT Tipo were faulty giving only intermittent high revs when idling. The dealer found no faults.
There were no talk of diagnostic fees.
I wish there were more FIAT dealerships in Scotland.
