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Originally Posted by Ryuu
Is FIAT worth going for after all the things it has been through (Keeping in mind the price)? |
Absolutely, if you ask me. Especially at a sweet price point like 8 L on road.
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I heard there were some updates done to the engine parts post 2012 upgrade which supposedly made it more "reliable". Is this any true?
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Sorry, no idea about it. My Punto is pre 2012 (the lower GC model).
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On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate Punto EVO on the reliability factor? And how would you rate the other two cars?
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My Punto have never given me any headaches, zilch warranty claims, zilch issues.
Have a Jazz in the family, same story - Zilch headaches, Zilch issues.
Have no i20, but have a Santro in the family and coupld of close friends have santros, i10s and i20s - never heard any reliability issues.
So, I would rate all of them at same level.
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Has there been any improvement in the spare part availability post 2014 announcement that they will stock up spare parts to improve customer experience?
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I have never faced any spare parts availability issues. I have seen the spare parts department of Vecto and KHT and they looked pretty well stocked to me. I think most of the spare parts are readily available.
We have faced spare parts issue with our Jazz, but since it was a low volume seller and it was roughly at the time when their plant abroad was flooded, we write it off as a one time issue. Similarly, my friend was asked to pay a deposit and confirm in advance if a particular part was to be brought for his i20 (the ASC said they don't have it in stock, but can get it within 2-3 days, if he pay an advance). Again, this is a one off case and no one else who I know have faced issues with Hyundai spares.
So, to answer your query, I Fiat don't have spare parts procurement issues, but if you are unfortunate, you can have issues in any brand.
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How about the cost of spares of all the cars? Who's the cheapest to maintain?
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Fiat spares are not costly. No first hand idea about the spare parts of other two.
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What is probability of it giving me hard surprises like breaking down on the road? And what about the other two cars? (Given that I maintain them enthusiastically)
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Given that you do take care of your car well (timely services, checking the general health once in a while etc), I would say, the chances are nil.
On the other hand, chances of Fiat plastering a huge grin on your face during a long drive is more - be it on highways or mountains. Also, please note that Fiat comes with a proper full metal engine guard - for our pothole filled roads, this is a much required accessory.
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Is FIAT is bad as it is made out to be on the forum when it comes to it's niggles with car or aftersales? Or is it just that the issues are blown out of proportions? Could it be because of the greater number of FIAT owners being on the forum or smaller portion of the actual Honda or Hyundai owners being on the forum?
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Sorry - no answer to this. Fiat have its own share of passionate lovers and haters and any post \ thread does become heavily emotion leaden. From my own 4+ year experience and my experience across multiple FIAT ASCs, i would say, I have never faced any issues and they have always been proactive for even the smallest of my doubts. So, I have no qualms in recommending Fiat.
Two small anecdotes from my service:
Last Year:
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The call was attended promptly and I got the service booked on the desired date. I was asked to come between 9 to 9.30 and I reached KHT at 9 today, but the SA was yet to come (he was stuck in traffic - completely understandable because the traffic was bad today morning). While waiting, the lady at the reception showed me the accessories catalogue and politely enquired about my interests in any of the items shown in the catalogue (a very nice gesture). I wanted to buy a pair of neck restraints and she promptly showed me the details in her computer ans assured me that it will be delivered when I take the car after the service.
Instead of waiting for SA to come, the gentleman who sits in the glass cabin opposite to the reception (sorry sir, forgot your name) came and took the inventory. By that time the SA (Sateesh) came and the file was handed over to him.
He went through the history and explained to me what all needs to be done as a part of the 4th service. Other than the routine tasks, I opted for AC cleaning and coolant replacement (I foolishly mixed two different brand of coolant some time back). I was promised the delivery by 5 PM.
Got a call by 3.45 from SA - the car was ready. Went to collect the car by 4.30 and the car was ready. The billing took another 10-15 minutes (going over the bill, explanation of all work done, payment etc). All the changed spares where kept in boot and the SA came and showed me the oil and coolant levels, after the change. He also asked me to get in touch with him if I face any issues. The car was really clean, and all the works where done before the promised time.
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This year:
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While giving the estimate, SA told me that the service charge will be 1900 plus tax, which was higher than what Vecto (another FIAt ASS) charges for the same. I shot a mail to the owner of KHT ASS, asking about this and within minutes, I got his replay asking his service manager to look into this. I got a call from two guys (the Service Manager and the Relationship (or something similar) manager), asking me in detail about the issues. The Service manager promised me that any irregularities will be taken care and he will meet me in person when I will come to take the delivery. True to his word, he was waiting for me when I went to take the delivery and answered all my questions patiently. The disparity was because, the Vector price was without tax and the SA at KHT gave me the amount including tax, but since he did not mention it explicitly, i assumed the rate is without tax. So, at the end, it was not at all an issue, but a misunderstanding from my side. But, I was really blown over by the care they took to answer my queries and the effort they took to make sure that I had a good experience. |
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Clearly I have a lot of doubts. Kindly bear with me. It would be great if I get this points cleared. And I kindly request you to be as factual as possible keeping out your love/hate for all things FIAT.
Thank you in advance!!
Regards,
Ryuu
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I hope I have answered your questions as objectively as possible. Now, it is over to you. Happy if I have been of any help.
--Anoop