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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How long should a new car last?

84 replies

CrossPanda · 28/07/2018 11:51

Hello All, I am an old timer (even made it into the first book!). I have set up a new profile, as today we are going public with our car troubles.

I have owned my Fiat Panda Cross for three and a half years and it has been one issue after another. Am I being unreasonable to think that a new car should last more than three and a half years and that a car with this service history is not fit for purpose?

The basic service history is below and the Q code is on fb and Twitter.

Right now my husband is sat outside the local Fiat garage with the car and signs (with Q code) in the window.

We have a twitter account

twitter.com/whyismypandacr1

And a Facebook Page

m.facebook.com/CrossPanda

www.honestjohn.co.uk Is always worth a look too.

This car’s service history:
When 7 months old, rear differential replaced.
Since then, this car has had two engine control units replaced, the turbo refurbished, two sets of wheel bearings replaced and a boot repaint due to an incorrect part being fitted prior to sale as new.
Now, after fewer than 60K miles, and 7 months after warranty expired the gear box is grinding and struggling to go into gear.

So trusty Mumsnet, am I being unreasonable to think this car is not fit for purpose?

OP posts:
Bluelady · 28/07/2018 13:08

Toyota are great. Do check out their hybrids, OP. They'll take your car in part exchange without even looking at it. Everything goes to auction so they don't care.

Original poster
CrossPanda · 28/07/2018 13:15

Do they give a decent pex? We still have the remaining finance and end payment to cover if we go in that direction.

OP posts:
Malbecfan · 28/07/2018 14:08

Sorry OP, you have a dud car. I've never been a fan of Fiat. DH has an Alfa (same garage and I think same company) and it has been back & forth with issues. He bought his Alfa a couple of months after I bought a VW Touran. The VW did 120k miles in 7 years and all I bought were brake pads and tyres. The only reason I sold it on was because my dad decided to buy me a new car (kind man that he is!) The Alfa has had squeaks and rattles and needs coaxing to get through its MOT.

Toyota has a great reputation for reliability and I am really impressed by VW too. I have had Renault in the past and a number of issues so I wouldn't recommend them either.

trevthecat · 28/07/2018 14:15

I have a Ford kuga 9 years old and other than maintenance it's been a dream. No problems at all

Floralnomad · 28/07/2018 14:17

I don’t think expensive necessarily means better and expensive also generally means expensive parts / repairs . We have an 8 yo Kia Soul , from new it’s done 100,000 Miles and apart from brakes and tyres the only repair was a new air conditioning unit and it had that done under the 7yr / 100k warranty . My sister has a similar aged Kio Rio that has done more miles and never had any major repairs .

21stCenturyMrsBennett · 28/07/2018 14:28

I have a 20 year old little toyota that was 3rd hand when I bought it 8 years back, and I've hardly had to spend a penny on it.

NicoAndTheNiners · 28/07/2018 14:34

I have a 9yo Ford with 55,000 miles on the clock which the garage said at the last mot was like new. I’ve had new tyres on it and some new brake pads and that’s been it so far (touch wood). I honestly think I will keep it until it dies.

stevie69 · 28/07/2018 14:42

Mine's 20: totally reliable and absolutely stunning to behold Blush

Original poster
CrossPanda · 28/07/2018 14:44

It's been serviced by Fiat themselves right through, has all season tyres and has been looked after well, because I love it.

At first I did high mileage due to my job and so it was contracted at 20k a year. However it spent so long in the garage and then I changed jobs to one where I don't commute, that it actually has less than 58k on it compared to the expected 70k by now. It was only arounds 15 months old when the turbo started failing, but they didn't fix that until around 18 months later, as it was intermittent and I couldn't evidence it in front of them.

OP posts:
TruffleShuffles · 28/07/2018 15:47

My Fiat 500 arbarth came with a faulty clutch that had to be replaced. They did sort it out quickly as it was under warranty but it’s a bit annoying having to sort out repairs on a brand new car. It’s four years old now and hasn’t had another problem since though.

WaxOnFeckOff · 28/07/2018 15:53

That is shocking and haven't even read the links yet.

Definitely not fit for purpose. DH and I do very low mileage, but his Octavia estate is nearly 9 years old, 45k on the clock and all it's cost us is a new set of tyres and just recently needed new brake pads. Passed every mot first time. We like Skoda so much that we now have 2 citigos and I have to say i'm loving them, they drive so much nicer than every other car i've ever had and at the time I thought I loved those! (Clio and a Note).

topcat2014 · 28/07/2018 15:59

My Skoda Fabia is 13 years old (had since new) with no faults. 95k

Had a Corsa for 17 years and 100k.

Dacia is 4 years old and on 45k.

So, 10 years, 100k minimum I reckon.

lidoshuffle · 28/07/2018 16:02

I'm repeating what PPs have said really, but my Toyota's 12 years old with nothing replaced but tyres and battery. I had a Vauxhall which I couldn't wait to get rid of after three years - something went wrong every couple of months, inc. 4 new window motors.

Spanglybangles · 28/07/2018 19:39

Fiats are not known to be great cars really, but that’s shocking. I have an Audi A3 that I’ve had since new. Will be 10 years old in a couple of months, done nearly 130k miles and needed nothing major done other than the usual maintenance like tyres, brakes, timing belt etc and never broken down except one occasion it wouldn’t start and I was informed that the 9 year old original battery really should be replaced. When I get a new car, I shall have another German one I think, or a Volvo.

Pompom42 · 28/07/2018 19:59

I've got a Ford didn't buy it from new but it's now 16 years old. I've had it around 6 years and not had any problems apart from tyres and brakes in order to get through MOT
Do around 8,000 - 10,000 miles per year

Chinnyreckoning · 28/07/2018 20:02

according to Peugeot...3 years and 9 wks. 28k on the clock... fully serviced. Timing belt went and destroyed the engine... all 16 valves of it. 2.5k to fix it. Wept.

WelshPooch · 28/07/2018 20:06

14 year old Honda - 124,000 miles.

Still going strong, only wear ard tear type issues, and that only in the last year or so. Honda again, all the way

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 28/07/2018 20:29

My Landrover Freelander is nearly 8 years old and has done nearly 90k and has never let me down. Only had to replace brakes and tyres through wear and tear. I know Landrover are pricey but I wouldn’t drive anything else now.

Sorry, no real advice on the Fiat but there are some great cars out there.

ChristmasFluff · 28/07/2018 20:33

Old Vauxhall Nova was dying at 8 years old, Corsa lasted 18 years before becoming uneconomical. Have had a Vauxhall Adam for 5 years with nowt going wrong, touch wood. If it had, then the parts are covered on the Vauxhall lifetime guarantee, which isn't worth it now (it ties you to only using Vauxhall repairers, which isn't cost-effective after you need an MOT), but would have helped in your case, as you'd have had no time to go anywhere else!

JaceLancs · 28/07/2018 20:39

I have a 15 year old VW Passat with nearly 250,000 miles on clock, which I bought nearly 11 years ago - small things starting to go wrong so passed on to my DP and replaced it with a 4 year old VW Passat, which I hope to keep for a long time
DD has a VW polo and DS a VW Golf both have only ever had usual wear and tear repairs needed
DP does service them all regularly though which I think helps

SprogletsMum · 28/07/2018 20:43

My ford focus is 15 years old and has done around 120000 miles. I've replaced the fan belt and battery and it flew through its last mot. A 3 year old car should not be dying.

NT53NJT · 28/07/2018 20:46

Depends how many miles you do. How many services it's had. The type of driving. The type of roads. Too many variables to determine how long it "should " last

xyzandabc · 28/07/2018 20:49

A 3 yr old car should still be pretty shiney and new, definitely not breaking down. Our 10 yr old Toyota is about to hit 100k miles this week and just had it's 1st ever problem, a power steering fluid leak. Apart from that, just tyres, oil etc.

Someaddedsugar · 28/07/2018 20:53

I don’t think the brand has much to do with it - we bought a high spec Audi second hand (three years old at time of purchase). In the eight months we’ve had it it’s had approx £5k of work done to it (clutch and turbo plus other work). Thanks to Honest John’s advice we fought for the dealer to pay for the repairs with an agreement that we would contribute £1k towards the repairs. I’ve since sought legal advice and have been informed we shouldn’t have paid anything under the 2015 act and so we’re going to go through the small claims court. I’d recommend doing this online as there are lesser fees.

Seniorschoolmum · 28/07/2018 20:53

OP it sounds awful.

I bought a Saab 93 in 2009 and it hasn’t had a problem yet (touch wood). But it’s getting on and I have no idea what to get next. Volkswagen Audi can’t be trusted. I was thinking Fiat or Peugeot. Or Toyota. No idea whether petrol or diesel. None of my friends seem to be any clearer.