Fiat Grande Punto 1.2 Active

bought this car in october £4000 pound i paid and it has been quite good so far, just one problem in which the headlights are constantly switched on and the light stalk will not switch them off...everything else on there work indicators ect ect..its been to the garage 3 times and the conclusion is the whole stalk unit needs to be replaced...if not that then its the ecu...its a shame cause i love the car and its been no problem otherwise, so i would recommend...

Purchased this car in Dec 2007 and have had so many problems with it.

To date, the vehicle has only done 20,000 miles and has had the following problems:

- New breather hose (large hose)- 3 times

- New breather pipe (thin hose) - 2 times

- Horn does not work - constant problem - Fiat said they fixed it but haven't

- Noise when steering - 1 time

- Water leaking into rear jet wash

- Leaking radiator - 2 times

And the following MAJOR problem:

The gearbox has started making noises, suspected bearing problem. Fiat will not assist with this problem even though the vehicle has only done 20,000 miles! - A gearbox should not have any issue with such low mileage!

Dealers are rude and unhelpful - they are only interested in selling you a new car rather than looking after their existing customers!

I would not recommend this car (or any Fiat) to anyone!

I have owned just for 5 months, not a single problem. When I drive it I cannot stop smiling, it is totally smooth ,like driving on Air, Guys believe me when you sit and start driving it is like sitting in cockpit and driving a Hummer( Like a war tank) . And petrol is around 20 km on highways .

my fiat punto was good at first but 2 weeks later the inner wing had to be replaced due to clips breaking and it was fine for a year then the engine block had a hear line crack and had to go back to fiat to have a new block after 9000 miles after it came back from fiat it was fine for two months until the bearings in the gearbox went after 12000 since factory fitted and went back to fiat and they had to get one from italy and when they fitted the new one that was broken so we had another new gear box.

i now am trying to sell my fiat before the warrnty runs out and i would never have a fiat punto again due to these problems

A real Italian beauty- strong, sturdy,excellent feel while driving and gives a decent mileage- 12 km in city.Yet to get 1st service done-should give more after that.The interiors could have been made better especially with the quality of plastic used.By the way it has ben declared the car of the year 2009 by Zigwheels polling result.If you enjoy driving ( Not for Schumachers)then please go for it.

I've had two separte Punto hire cars for a few days each. Overall I liked it. The foot well seems very small, but once your going its ok. Mine had radio controls on the steering wheel, were very useful. The trip computer also very helpful. The rear window is too small for my liking, and the rear mirror also tiny. I never liked the brakes. Good equipment, 50+mpg, seems to go quite fast for 1.2, except when going up hill in 4th or 5th, then it needs pushing or changing to 3rd! I didn't like the brakes on either car, so it can't be a fault !. They seemed to be "feather touch", I was just touching them in the end.

I've had the Fiat Grande Punto 1.2 Active for 3 months now and am still in love with it.

Looks, Voice Recognition System (Blue&Me), Space, The ride is so smooth you could play marbles in the back. Apparently its a very safe car to crash in but I haven't tested that yet.

A little under powered but it's a 1.2 so I wasn't expecting the world. Menu systems (3) are a little unintuitive. Why when the MP3 player is on does the radio just say "MEDIA PLAYER" uselessly and not the track name and only being able to control Blue&Me via the dashboard isn't the safest option

The Fiat Grande Punto 1.2 Active is a beautiful Design, The Hub Caps featured on the early models are probably the most convincing ive ever seen, When clean they look like alloys.Handling and Gear changes are very smooth, The engine is very quiet. There is plenty of space in the boot and front seats. The Dash is quite stylish, .You get around 45mpg when doing 70mph on a motorway so fairly economical.

A lot of faults seemed to appear in the first few years, I have experienced Faulty Starting Motor (Car struggles to start without reving the engine in cold and damp weather) It has been repaired but still persists, Also my steering rack was knocking which was again repaired but a new creeking sound has taken over, The front plastic vents have popped out and warped so do not slot back in, The black on the wing mirrors has faded due to sunlight.

Overall this car is well worth getting,In my opinion It is a lot nicer than most 1.2 Hatchbacks. There may be a few problems that appear from time to time but the design and comfort make it worth it.

Looks good with Maserati influenced design. Large boot and plenty of room in the cabin. Average 50+ mpg on a motorway run. Good level of equipment as standard.

There is too much plastic inside which tends to creak over uneven surfaces. Ride quality is a little hard and steering lacks feeling. To many faults found during warranty period. I have been into the Dealer numerous times for parts to be replaced (water pump, drop links, 3x demister vent panels (due to warping through heat, still not sorted), drivers seat cover, ignition switch, gear selector mechanism + other niggly things.

A good car to drive though engine needs to be worked hard at times. Most faults should have been rectified with the series 2 cars available now.