Complaint Rating:

Last year (February 2005) we bought a brand new Fiat Palio Go! (The old shape) and was very excited because it was our first new car we bought as a family. Two weeks after we had to send back the car with minor problems like a squeak here and a rattle there, and one of the complaints was that the steering wheel had ?Play? on. Later that day the workshop manager phoned me to tell me that they have to replace the steering rack because it was faulty. A week after all of this happened, I accidentally scratched the car on the fender and had it re-sprayed at a panel-beater. One of the workers who worked on my car there showed me that the car was re-sprayed at the back on the boot, the paint is pealing off and the boot door is not aligned properly. I took it up with IC Fiat in Kempton Park and they said that I will have to wait for the Factory Manager to have a look, I never saw him! One month later I noted that there was a wining noise and clucking noise at the engine and that I thought it was the gearbox so we took it back again to discuss the matter about the boot and the noise and the car jerked badly. The workshop manager assured me that it was nothing bad but the steering rack was loose so they just tightened the bolts and clean out the throttle body, regarding the boot issue, he just told me that they are still waiting for the factory manager to sort it out (He never looked at my car). About three months later the wining noise got bad and we had to take it back again, the Clutch packed up so we had to replace it (Luckily it is still under Warranty) and the workshop manager explained to me that if they would have to re-spray the boot it would take too long and we will be without a car for at least a week or two and we have no other vehicle, so we had no choice but to have left the matter there. In December I had to take the car back because it was jerking and they cleaned out the throttle body again and replaced a CV boot that came loose and did a minor serbice. I also told them that the CV joint won?t last long and they assured me that there is nothing wrong with the CV joint; 3Months later they had to replace the CV joint! Even after I spoke to Fiat South Africa twice in last year and twice in January and March this year they assured me that the National after sales manager would get back to me and ?Test drive? my car, but they never phoned me back, a consultant at Fiat SA told me that the car is still under warranty so why not just send it in the whole time so after a while they would have replaced the whole car by then, I did not think that was funny! At the beginning of June the Fiat after sales manager, Dino, phoned me to tell me that he has spoken to Fiat Boksburg and arranged for my vehicle to go in for repairs (Replace the Clutch again!). At that stage we could not go because they cannot accommodate us with a courtesy car or at the time we have to be at work, he then told me that I have to phone him back after my holiday in Nelspruit to confirm with him that we have to take the car in but for the last two weeks his phone just goes on to voice mail and he never returns any of my calls. There is a bad rattle noise in front at the steering and there is a lot of play on the steering wheel, my wife and 5 month old baby drives in that car every day and if something would happen to them, I will sue Fiat SA for everything they have!!! I insist on a new or at least give us a deposit for a new/better/reliable car. I do not care if the car is older then one year and has 34000km on the clock, I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW AND A WEEK AFTER WE HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING RACK ALREADY!! Within one year and four months our car was in the workshop for over eighteen times now and I kept all the job-cards to prove it... We are fed up and when our Warranty expires next year Feb, who will have to pay for the repairs then?! Fiat, pack your bags because I think you?re in for a downfall, go back to Europe!!