1.2 Lounge 3dr Hatchback

Triumph of form over function

Very pretty but shoddy workmanship and poor quality parts. After I bought it I noticed a strong smell of fumes in the cabin and, after a bit of research, discovered that this was a known problem caused by perished breather hoses (both of mine had gone) which had been wrongly specified for the job. (Fiat later made them of different rubber.) The perishing/stiffening of the rear breather hose which attaches to the rear of the air filter had caused the nipple of the air filter casing to shear off: total bill £96.80 for 2 breather pipes paid by Fiat + £152.05 for the air filter case. It has now just failed its 2nd MOT due to deterioration of the n/s suspension arm ball joint dust cover with advisories for the o/s one and the fact that the casing of the rear silencer is completely corroded and falling off. Bill £287.30 for each dust cover and £243.50 for the exhaust. I am wondering if the dust covers are made of similarly wrongly-specified materials not fit for purpose. This is on a 31K car which has only done 1.5k in the last year. Aside from my consequent total lack of trust in the vehicle, it is noisy, I agree with another reviewer that the water-based paint is insubstantial and chips very easily (cha cha cha blue), the driver's seat is uncomfortable, the driver's door handle doesn't fully retract into position without a shove and the gearstick knob is loose.

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