[daretodream]

My Tuscan Wine Fiat Linea 1.3Multi-Jet Diesel(MJD) Emotion varian (Top end) bought in Jun-2012 has completed 11 years and is currently at 88000 KMs on odometer.
Back then in 2012, when I was not a Team-BHP member, I never could not start an ownership thread on this forum. I got membership only many years later.
So, instead of ownership thread, sharing few pointers from a long term review perspective in a FAQ format:
1. How much did it cost then? Can you show photos of then and now ?
It cost me 11.37Lakhs on road in Jun'12

Picture from Jun'2012:


After Puja


Picture from Jan'2023:

Yup, we have a larger family now. More on that later

Odometer just crossed 88K KMs. Its nothing compared to the distance other well known FIAT owners on this forum have covered (2L+ KMs).


2. How has been the usage/running over the past 11 years?
First 3 years - lot of highway runs (Bangalore-Chennai-Bangalore) and I averaged ~14K KMs annually. This is because my family was in Chennai.
Next 6 years: Once my family shifted to Bangalore, my running reduced to ~8K KMs per year.
Next 2 years: Since 2022, the usage reduced to ~3K KMs per year as we got a 2021 Crysta 2.4AT Z into our garage for highway duties.

So, over the 11year ownership period, I have averaged ~8K KMs/year.
Below graphs show the usage of annual running and cumulative running.



3. How has been the service cost over the past 11 years?
As with taxes, and inflation, the annual service cost has increased over the 11 years.
The annual service cost averaged ~13K for 1st-4th years, ~23K for 5th to 8th years, and ~30K for 9th-11th years.
Ofcourse, it have not been a linear increase each year. There are troughs and peaks as the maintenance schedule for some years(15K, 45K) are lighter than other years (30K and 60K service).
The graph below shows the annual service cost and cumulative service cost.



4. Okay, so how has been the service cost per km?
What I share below is very unique to me and should not be generalized.
My running in last 2 years are ~3K KM/year but the annual service charge for last 2 years are ~INR 35K. So, this is skewness in last 2 years of my ownership has changed the overall ownership numbers.

The graph below shows the service cost per kilometer for each of the year and cumulative.



5. How has been availability of spares after FIAT shut operations?
In my 11 years of ownership, for 9 years I used FIAT authorized service center in Bangalore (KHT- 3 years, Vecto-2 years and MPS-3 years).
I skipped 1 year in 2020 due to Covid and had low running.
In 2018, I used a BHPian's garage and then reverted back to Authorized Service Center due to lack of confidence inspiring work despite high word-of-moth marketing.
I have not had concern on availability of spares through FIAT Authorized Service Centers. Whenever my car goes for servicing, I request to share keep old spare parts in same boxes post replacement during servicing.
I observed that spare parts are, in general, fresh supplies (not ageing/very old inventory. Some of the important spare parts are imported across multiple countries (Turkey, France, Germany).

For example, I did my recent servicing on 7th July. I am attaching few pictures of spare parts which have import/packaging date- which are decently recent.
Pictures from my 2023 servicing done on 07-Jul-2023:
Belt Stretcher - Packed on 24-Jun


Filtering Element- Packed on 24-Jun


Trans Belt - Imported from France; Packed on 21-Jun


Timing Chain - Imported from Germany; Packed on 03-Apr


Sealing Gasket - Imported from Turkey; Packed on 02-May


Pad - Made in India; Packed on 23-Feb


Cabin Filter - Packed on 03-Sep-2022; Made in India



I do not have images from 2022, however, I had got the wiper blades changed and they were also from fresh stock:






6. Can you summarize all your annual servicing details in a table?

Sure, please find below:


7. What about the discretionary costs towards Tender Loving Care (TLC) for your car? What about Fuel?
Here you go-


8. What is your dirty laundry(things which you do not like and needs fixing) with Linea?
1. In 2018, When I did servicing with a BHPian's well known garage, they changed glow plugs. I am unsure of the quality because they went kaput within a year and despite all efforts from them and FIAT ASS, they are stuck and can't be taken out. The only way is to open the cylinder head to take them out. However, I am living with it as Bangalore weather is not so cold to need glow plugs. However, this error keeps flashing each time I start the car.

2. BlueandMe used to drain the battery. So, it is permanently disconnected. So, I miss ability to take calls on bluetooth. It takes me back by 2 decades.

3. There are some scratches on the Right real wheel arch which I need to tend to.

4. The bulb holder for Front Right headlight low beam has an issue due to which that bulb's focus is very close to the car (like within 12-15 meters from bumper). Service center says that we need to change the headlight assembly. I told them to leave it as-is thinking headlight assembly would be very costly my usage is very low.

5. I changed the tyres to Michelin Primacy in 2015 (at 3 year mark when I crossed 45K KMs). Since then I am on same tyres and Odo is at 88K KMs. So, I have done 43K KMs on Michelin but it is 8 years now. While tread marks are great, I know the rubber is old. I am yet to take a call on this as it is a significant cost. Please refer last FAQ 9 and 10.

6. Last 2 years, the maintenance cost has increased very significantly. I never had any breakdown but over past 2-3 years, each time car went for service, many parts needed change(old age of components) which added to the overall service cost. These parts are across timing belt, water pump, suspension, mounts etc.

9. Alright, so, 11 years 2 months+ done with your Linea? What is your
outlook?
My office commute has shrunk post Covid due to WFH option. On days when I must goto office, I use my Scooter (Suzuki Access 125) as I have to travel from Bellandur to Rajajinagar. I do take Linea at times depending on weather - rains or too hot or too cold.

I got Linea when I was in my early 30s. Now I am in my early 40s. I amd my family have grown with the car. My family has grown from 2 to 4 in the last decade and our kids have also grown. Son is 10 now and daughter is 5. So, we found travelling with other family members (Mother In Law, other relatives) difficult with our children sitting in their laps- meaning both the children and adults not comfortable any more during long highway rides. So, in 2021, we decided to get a 7 seater. The decision was to be made between getting a SUV or a MUV.
We evaluated Fortuner, Endeavour, Carnival and Crysta. While I wanted Fortuner or Endeavour, everyone else in the family wanted Crysta post back to back test rides across all these models. So, In Aug'21, we brought home facelifted Innova Crysta 2.4AT ZX (Pearl White) under my wife's company lease and it has taken over the highway duties since then.
Crysta was a large upgrade in all possible ways - especially the engine(1.3L to 2.4L), power(~100bhp to 143bhp), torque(209NM to 343NM), seats(5 to 7), electronics (BlueandMe to Apple CarPlay with many other electronics aids), safety (2 Airbags to 7 Airbags), Transmission(MT to AT), light (Halogen to LEDs).. you get the jist - every possible way.

Family's head is with Innova and heart is with Linea. So, Linea is ALWAYS preferred by each member of the family for city duties while Crysta is preferred for practicality for highways and that effortless fast comfortable cruising. Given a choice, even from driving pleasure perspective, I would prefer Crysta even when travelling alone because of the Torque, Power, AT, road presence(other vehicles give way). It is at a different level altogether.

However, there is something classic and romantic about Linea which is missing in Crysta. May be because its our first car or we are just non rational human beings getting attached to material possessions.

10. So, coming back to the question - what is the ownership outlook on Linea?
The car has excellent build quality of a tank, the ride quality of a train and superb handling, steering feedback and braking- I doubt I will get the same mix of these factors in sedans today available in the market. I must admit that I have not checked out the offerings in the market.

I will continue to own Linea atleast until 2024. With some major maintenance and large number of parts replaced in last 2-3 years, I feel Linea is relatively new from mechanicals perspective.

Next year this time as the lease gets over, we will transfer Crysta from company name to our name. At that point of time we will be eligible for a new lease. That time we will have all options are open- from not buying any car and continuing with Linea to getting a luxury car. On one hand heart says you live only once, go for luxury car. On another hand head says cars will be depreciation disaster and continue using Linea, our first love.

So, we are not getting ahead of ourselves at the moment- we are enjoying and loving our Tuscan Wine Fiat Linea.

[meples]

Sweet! The Linea in Tuscan Wine is a headturner. I drive a Linea of similar vintage, a Tjet, with just 32K on the odo.

Congratulations on keeping the car for so long. Only proves that if you take care of it, it will take care of you.

Btw, which authorised service center do you visit in Bangalore nowadays? I have been searching for one (I shifted from NCR) as the FNG I visit has detoriarated in quality.

[UD17]

Originally Posted by daretodream

My Tuscan Wine Fiat Linea 1.3Multi-Jet Diesel(MJD) Emotion varian (Top end) bought in Jun-2012 has completed 11 years and is currently at 88000 KMs on odometer.

Congratulations. Wonderfully maintained car and Linea always felt like a tank.

On the other hand, the maintenance cost is quite high. I know its diesel car still as compared to my Honda city 1.5NA (with similar age and 35K more mileage) the cost seems to be on higher side. I was shortlisting a sedan in 2012, and i choose Honda city for obvious reasons of reliability and low maintenance and it has proven to be so.

[car-dent]

Its a great Car. I had bought one in 2010. Drove it for more than 2 lakh kms in 8 years before i sold it off.
Have lovely memories of it.

[Sumedik]

Originally Posted by daretodream

So, we are not getting ahead of ourselves at the moment- we are enjoying and loving our Tuscan Wine Fiat Linea.

Lovely ownership thread ! we had a Linea (same color) in the extended family and the relative who owned it said he bought it as he loved its drivability. However towards the end, it was next to impossible to get replacement parts.

A general query: Had Fiat launched any automatic cars in India?

[GTO]

Thanks for sharing, daretodream ! Moving your post out to a new thread. A new thread means 100X the views & 100X the visibility in search engines, including Google. Your post was on our homepage yesterday .

@ BHPians, if you should spot any good post in an existing thread that deserves its own new thread, please report the post and we'll move it out for greater visibility.

Thank you!

[JohnKT777]

It was nice to read this article. Very detailed. I did notice that you car was parked in a garage like space with a roof overhead. My Linea Classic (P) is 69K Kms on ODO with 8 years and 8 months age. Rusting is the major problem, since I park it in an open space. Rust is not visible outside, but has crept into most of the interior structural elements.

[daretodream]

Originally Posted by meples

Sweet! The Linea in Tuscan Wine is a headturner. I drive a Linea of similar vintage, a Tjet, with just 32K on the odo.

Congratulations on keeping the car for so long. Only proves that if you take care of it, it will take care of you.

Btw, which authorised service center do you visit in Bangalore nowadays? I have been searching for one (I shifted from NCR) as the FNG I visit has detoriarated in quality.

Thank you. As you can see, except 1 year, each year I have used FIAT Authorized Service Center. My current one is MPS motors on Hosur Road (on left side when going towards Electronic City). While it is Citroen Showroom, the attached service center caters to Fiat, Jeep and Citroens.

In terms of private garage, I am afraid I do not have good knowledge. I had used a BHPian's FNG garage which has a strong word of mouth in this forum. While it was definitely cheaper, I was not happy with the quality of workmanship. I saw that garage has churn in employees and skill set varies. I would rather go to Fiat Authorized Service Center for peace of mind, genuine spares - albeit it is costly.

[mrdexter]

Subject:Fiat linea emotion1.3-2016 model- PY01CL8777-Battery Subject:Fiat linea emotion1.3-2016 model- PY01CL8777-Battery drain issue-regarding..
------------
This is for my friend

Warm greetings,
The above-mentioned carat 63000kms of motoring, faced battery drain problem when the car was parked idle for 5-7 consecutive days.
Yet the car was in good running conditions with no other issues if used regularly.
Also the instrument cluster is displaying some errors such as check engine lights,ABS unavailable and so on.


Kindly tell about
1.what type of problem is this?
2.How to solve the problem?

Kindly guide me and do the needful.drain issue-regarding..

Dear Sir,

Warm greetings,
The above-mentioned carat 63000kms of motoring, faced battery drain problem when the car was parked idle for 5-7 consecutive days.
Yet the car was in good running conditions with no other issues if used regularly.
Also the instrument cluster is displaying some errors such as check engine lights,ABS unavailable and so on.


Kindly tell about
1.what type of problem is this?
2.How to solve the problem?

Kindly guide me and do the needful.

[master uio]

Hello, I see a lot of discussions on the Linea here. I own a 2009 Linea 1.4 Fire. I am trying to acquire a 1.3 MJD of 2015. Anyone having an Invoice Copy will be of great help to me to register my car in Hyderabad. The local Service Center is unable to download the same.

Originally Posted by daretodream

My Tuscan Wine Fiat Linea 1.3Multi-Jet Diesel(MJD) Emotion varian (Top end) bought in Jun-2012 has completed 11 years and is currently at 88000 KMs on odometer.

Back then in 2012, when I was not a Team-BHP member, I never could not start an ownership thread on this forum. I got membership only many years later.
So, instead of ownership thread, sharing few pointers from a long term review perspective in a FAQ format.