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Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - Fiat500Lover

Hey all,

I'm going to view a Fiat 500 tomorrow, 2013 with 36000 on the clock, apart from obvious checks as tyres, fluid, test drive, brakes etc is there anything else I should look out for and ask about?

The guy is putting a new MOT on it tomorrow morning.

If all pans out ok tomorrow, I will be the owner of a Fiat 500, rather excited !!

Hope everyone is having a good day. any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - elekie&a/c doctor
Hopefully it’s a 1.2 petrol with a standard 5 speed manual gearbox . It would be nice if it has Aircon, they don’t all have it . 2 keys would be a bonus . Make sure the gear box is smooth with no bad noises . Also make sure all the electrical bits work , especially functions in the rear tailgate .
Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - Fiat500Lover
Hopefully it’s a 1.2 petrol with a standard 5 speed manual gearbox . It would be nice if it has Aircon, they don’t all have it . 2 keys would be a bonus . Make sure the gear box is smooth with no bad noises . Also make sure all the electrical bits work , especially functions in the rear tailgate .



Hi Elekie,



Yes it is a 1.2, 5 speed manual gearbox and also Aircon! I will definitely check everything you mentioned.



Thank you
Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - bazza

The back box is weak and doesn't last long but very cheap to replace. Also the drop links can get noisy, also very cheap to replace.

Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - bathtub tom

Do you know the registration number, if so do an MOT history check: www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - Big John

I'd second checking the gearbox for noises - wy wife has a 2006 Panda with the 1.2 and 5 speed box (same oily bits as the 500) that became noisy at 40k miles, we had it rebuilt by a fantastic local gearbox specialist - not too expensive considering. The 1.2 4 cylinder engine, whilst not that powerful, is simple, sweet and reliable.

Should be OK at this age but small Fiats whilst being pretty rust resistant these days can have some rust problems. it's still worth checking where suspension mounts are welded on to the body. There are also a few bad mud traps that if not cleaned out can cause issues (rear wheel arches especially towards sill, fuel tank filler neck and an openings in front inner wings near where brake pipes emerge). Check the rear suspension beam, probably OK with a 2013 but worth preserving. Also check the sump - this can rust - I preserved mine with Owatrol oil a few years ago.

Check power steering works well - can show up as a fail if the battery is on its way out - and if fitted with aircon / climate try to test if it's working. Our Panda has climate control and it's actually the best aircon system I've ever encountered in ANY car before - in the summer if you turn to "LO" it turns the interior into something that could be used as a meat locker!! Also check the heater works!

Good luck - these are generally good cars - and if you have issues they are usually cheap and easy to fix.

Edited by Big John on 19/02/2020 at 20:34

Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - Fiat500Lover

Hello all,

Thank you Bazza, Bathtub Tom & Big John,

Unfortunatley the guy let me down this morning and said no longer for sale, something about his son not wanting to sell but " I have a red one, same 2013"

Maybe a dealer type..just plucked another car out of thin air lol

Ahh well, on with the search.

Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - elekie&a/c doctor
Sounds like a trader working from home . Next time you look at one , checks who’s name is on the registration document .
Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - SLO76
Yup, trader pretending to be a private punter to avoid legal responsibilities. Read what you will what this means for the standard of car he’ll be pedalling.

First question to ask any private seller: Is the car registered in your name at your current address? If the answer is no then walk away. Accept no excuses here.

Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - Andrew-T
Read what you will what this means for the standard of car he’ll be pedalling.

If he's pedalling it, it must be a pedal-car :-))

Fiat 500 - Going to view a car tomorrow - SLO76
Read what you will what this means for the standard of car he’ll be pedalling.

If he's pedalling it, it must be a pedal-car :-))

Noddy car looks blighting my spelling.