DO NOT BUY A FIAT 500 BEFORE WATCHING THIS - CAR UK

[@StephenForster-gl5fc]

I bought my daughter a fiat 500 four years ago new,,she's never had a single problem with it,,great little cars

[@lionheart1916]

There's time being only 4 years old.....remember what Fiat stands for....

[@StephenForster-gl5fc]

@@lionheart1916 my daughter does less than two thousand miles a year,, services every year,,I've always found servicing regular and driving carefully makes a vehicle last year's,if you abuse and don't regularly service you get problems no matter if it's a Mercedes, BMW or a little fiat

[@martinryan5069]

I hope there are dealers like you in Dublin lreland I would definitely buy a car from you and drive away very happy that you sell cars as honestly as you can good on you hope you expand you deserve to 👍

[@mikeliv8827]

I do love your videos, such a refreshing change to see an 'Honest Dealer'. Well done Sir!

[@roryyoung6192]

Great review as always. I've had to fix a few of these faults on my daughters 500. You inspire a lot of confidence with your knowledge and professionalism and you must get excellent customer feedback and satisfaction.

[@carukchannel]

Thanks yes it works for us showing these vehicles warts and all

[@roryyoung6192]

@@carukchannel you don't see other dealers doing these kind of detailed reviews and sets you apart from everyone else. This kind of knowledge and service will guarantee people buying from you as you know you're getting a great car.

[@bantamNeil12]

Open, honest and super helpful as ever Lee...Great buyers guide which imo is a great start to a series of these buyers guides going forward...👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@jimmyrustle3784]

That's a comprehensive guide with a great deal of detail. Would definitely buy a car from you as you're honest and know your stuff.

[@architectofinfamy1587]

I'd also like to add (from personal experience) about checking the connections to the airbags in the seats. They are located under the seat and can give an intermittent air bag fault light, especially if damaged. This is an excellent video, very thorough and a great help to anyone buying a 500.

[@geoffwallis8588]

Really good detailed video Lee very insightful. Like the way you present the video honest and straightforward keep doing what you do 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@JohnBertram-t3h]

Bought a 1.2 Lounge for daughter 3 years ago(first car) only issues we have had are both door handles broke & pixels missing on display(only £50) and changed lcd myself.....very easy.Apart from that great car

[@system11yt]

Great little cars - I got my Twinair from Copart after the previous owner drove it into (as far as I can tell) the back of a council lorry. Rebuilt on driveway with parts mostly from breakers. £1500 on the road after everything, that was 5 years ago and it's still our runabout daily. Twinairs are tax free :) I did have to replace the clutch this year but it's a 2014 so I'm not going to complain too much. Strut top mounts usually go much sooner.

[@1978JonBullock]

Lee you definitely covered most of the common faults as my daughters 500 has spent many an hour on stands on my drive. Hopefully this video will help someone out. 👍

[@sharla82]

Really great details there. Many sellers would never mention the potential faults, so a refreshing change !

[@eksebro]

Great informative video. Thank you. 👍🏻

[@DnBPrkOvrRace]

Great video. Very informative would be great to see more of these kinds of videos 👍

[@DanielGallivan-qt3fz]

Nice video Lee, had 2 500s (just bought my 3rd) and a KA. Had a sump pan changed on 1, had to send the binnacle away for repair on another, but no major issues so far. Lovely little cars, bags of character, I really like them. Someone's getting a good one with that one you've got on the ramps 👍

[@dannyd.8753]

Wow. This is a very useful video! A lot of content about all the problems of the 500. Another one is the cables of the hatch that do break after some years and the groundstrap from chassis to engine that will break and cause voltage drop problems to for example power steering and abs... Thanks for your good work and HNY!

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Excellent, Lee, really informative. I've just bought a 2021 Hybrid, loving it! Many thanks.

[@greggbutler9344]

@@andyarmstrong1493 keep checking underneath for oil leaks

[@cw2126]

Another great watch there Lee 👍👍👍 1st car bought from Northwest car auction was a fiat500 🤣 bare issues with it so put it back inn 🤣 do not impulse buy guys 🤣🤣🤣

[@Cayres9]

Agree they are not good cars , if you want a cheap banger that will get you to work and back find a Mitsubishi Colt 1.1 manual version they are only like £900 quid on ebay or autotrader and will never break down.

[@trevorcrook2565]

The 0.9 Twinair is worth considering, I had one. Must make sure its been serviced properly though, turbo and twinair system do rely on the proper oil. Chain cam so no belt replacement, much better performance than the 1.2.

[@jamesporter6302]

Earth strap rots causing starting problems but also electrical problems as well.

[@carukchannel]

Yes they do, should of mentioned that as we had this exact issue on a Ford ka we have on sale just a few weeks ago. Well said 👏👍👍

[@camping_guru_uk]

Thank you, ive been watching a number of your vids (liked and subscribed). Such a shame you guys are the other end of the country from myself or I'd be camped out waiting for a 500. Ive found a 2008 with 11 stamps in the book, no advisories on the mot that was done a month ago, looks great in the ad so im off to see it, nice and local. A bit over priced maybe at £1800 but the history etc makes me happier so im not too bothered. Im hoping it will connect to her phone (android) via a cable or Bluetooth as thats a deal breaker for her 😂😂😂 Again thank you so much for all the advice and i truly wish my money could of gone your way.

[@mikeman584]

Very comprehensive and well presented, you are a total pro at this Lee, appreciated.

[@celticdollface]

You're such a star, I wish your garage was near me in London

[@johnmcmahon4364]

Fantastic video again Lee great info for someone wanting a 500 or LA, very interesting

[@martin1125]

Great video, I know them like the back of my hand too, I had a spell where had loads with the ECU misfire. Also had quite a few with the Blue and Me module issue, it drains the battery very quickly, causes the mileage to flash too. They are a bit of a pain to get at as have to get back seat out to get the side panel off

[@ronaldlynnjohnson7589]

I bought a Fiat 500 in 2012 and have never had a maintinance problem with it. No engine issues, no soft issues, no nada really! Only issue has been the drivers seat belt doesn't retract anymore. I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

[@kevinhutchinson9437]

Brilliant! Informative reviews of cheaper cars. Keep it up, please.

[@carukchannel]

Thanks, will do!

[@jadams3427]

We've had many Fiats in my family. All good. Dad has the Panda which shares the same platform as the 500 and Ka. It is SOOO easy to work on. I have done the cam belt and replaced the EPS. The EPS supplier sent us a repaired one and a package to return our faulty one. The repair is just a replacement PCB. Both jobs easy. No rust on Dad's 2010 Panda, probably because Dad has used rust prevention systems. A mouse did try eating the fuel tank filler tube! Original clutch with no issues.

[@crypt0curr3ncynewsguy76]

Fiat 500 and Alfa mitos were my best sellers by a big margin when I was dealing a few years back. Generally parts are pretty cheap shop4parts etc

[@thatcheapguy525]

Li, terrific video as always mate. sounds like you enjoyed making it. kinda reminds me of the Ford Escort Mk1s & 2s. people absolutely loved them. they sold like hot cakes but they rotted in nasty places and loads went wrong with them. however, those Escorts were dead easy to work on and it seems the FIAT 500 has set a new low benchmark even for a FIAT!

[@MummaBear]

One of these for EVERY car would be invaluable 🎉

[@robinmoncrief2470]

Brilliant. The best review I have heard.

[@legendarycheekymonkey]

Superb detailed breakdown. We just started getting these in our garage and I have to say I quite like them. I had a Seicento a few years back and I loved it, these are quite similar although the Cento had independent rear arms, not sure why they changed that. Been doing a bit of research over the weekend and this video covers a lot about these fantastic little cars. Thanks for sharing.

[@carukchannel]

No probs 👍👍

[@minionofgozer7414]

I bought a newer Lounge model as I wanted to cut my car bills in half. Ive had over a year of use, nothing wrong so far and it's extremely economical. My plan is to regularly service and MOT it. I really enjoy it, and even though the engine isn't very powerful it's perfect for city driving. I have done long distance in it and it wasn't bad at all 🤷‍♂️ I can't fault them at all, id happily recommend one to someone.

[@MJ-YT-USR]

Such a knowledgeable and honest guy.

[@Paul-67]

Well done with that great insight into the fiat 500 and the ford Ka.

[@richardthomas7350]

The wife had a Ka, and it was abit of a lemon. She wanted to switch to a 500 but I persuaded her to go for a Panda 1.2. Seems to be a more reliable car than the other two despite being largely the same underneath.

[@phillipthebigj8971]

Hi Lee, Yes nailed all those common faults on these cars, l love these little motors also you got me exited with that thumb nail, what can l say lm a sucker for the yellow 500 😂

[@carukchannel]

Yes thought that might get some attention 😆👍

[@walriley48]

I had the 1.3 diesel that had previously been owned by a driving instructor. It loved clogging the DPF up. Felt like every other journey was in 3rd gear to regenerate it. Except for that, it would have been a lovely little car to own. My son now has a 1.2 Pop and it is extremely basic. Doesn’t even have air con and it’s needed the digital central display and battery replacing at only 45,000 miles (a 14 plate). Sourced a second hand display and now the mileage has doubled as it could not be set to the original reading.

[@juanjqo]

Hi @walriley48, do you recommend the 1.3 diesel? Is it a good car? Are there ways to prevent issues with the DPF?

[@onelovepeace65]

Top of the shock absorber gets very wet and corrodes. I wasn’t happy when I saw this on the car my daughter bought. Apparently it is common. Very difficult to remove top retaining nut without destroying it. I feel the main issues I am finding with this car is the suspension. Although you just mention this in passing at the end.

[@goaway7272]

Loved my white 2014pop only issues were handles came off but handy enough fix, just traded it for a 2024 black dolce vita plus and it's fab I love it ❤❤❤

[@Labgorilla]

Fell like I want to take the fiat 500 I’m about to buy to this guy to sort out everything

[@zzhughesd]

Lee Lee Lee, remember this one, fixed manyh a module on a Fiat ( 500 or Grande Punto/Evo ) Got Hill Holder Unavailable’ - ‘ESP Unavailable' Red EPS light failed hard steering - had it loads, but lovely steering feel this one, restart afer 2-3 miles never see problem messages or hard steering again Next day, back to hard steering Battery crank good Thinking chasing out an earthing problem I have classic codes for the Steering Column, C1001-49 But it's a lovely steer cannot believe the columb motor gone CHEERS

[@carukchannel]

Check the earths but I did have one doing exactly what your describing and it turned out to be the column. Sent off in the end to ECU testing who confirmed it and sorted it.

[@aladinfox4098]

Brilliant video 👍

[@hojo9115]

, I'm having to replace my old car which ive had for over 9 years and I'm shocked at the amount of pure crap out there. If my car wasn't almost 19 years old and completely shot I'd try to keep it but the sheer amount of rust makes it beyond repair

[@JelloTypeR]

The Panda Twin Air is a great little car and fun to drive. The engine sounds like it’s broken but that’s just how they sound. £0 road tax and with a peppy twin pot motor. Mrs Jello has had one for 11 years with no issues (touches mahogany and beechwood). The twin pot is a much better engine than the 1.2 and much cheaper to run although not as economical as you’d think for a 900cc engine with a little turbo bolted on.

[@richardsracingmad]

Who’s doing the review here?

[@delmilligan4584]

@@richardsracingmad 😂

[@richardtomkinson9951]

Top video Lee, very informative, great detail, thanks

[@alastairstaunton7081]

..."not the car to cut your hands on" 😂😂😂. Nice mechanic's motif there!

[@paulb9871]

Absolutely fantastic video Lee 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@pauljeffries]

Great video Lee, the ' FIRE' engine was also fitted in the old panda's

[@carukchannel]

Yes it was

[@byronmills5952]

The 'FIRE' engined debuted in the MK1 facelift Panda back in 1985 👍

[@Cayres9]

Yes but the problem is Fiat being Fiat scammed us as they fitted Multi valve injection to the modern version of the Fire engine so if the cambelt snaps its goodbye engine! where as the old Punto engine from the 90s did not have VVTI so if the belt snapped no interference , I learnt this when my mechanic serviced mine and he advised me to sell it as the bels gonna go soon , £390 to replace cambelt and water pump not cheap

[@EoinFe]

​@@byronmills5952 the lancia y10 was the first car to use the fire engine, the Uno was the first fiat to use it

[@legendarycheekymonkey]

And Cinquecento/Seicento

[@kenmoore589]

Cracking video, covers all the bases.

[@delwalker6336]

Brilliant thank you 😊

[@Cayres9]

Ive got one its awful lol paid £3400 for a 2013 lounge version dealer never told me the gearbox bearing was broken so had to pay £800 to fix that but dealer did give me £400 back under warranty , also the door handle i had to glue back on , rear subframe is rotten so that will need replacing ,only good thing is the 1.2 engine is reliable but ive only owned it 5 months now and its lost £1600 in value , best offer was £1850 from Motorpoint , I want to get shot of it and get a cheap old Hyundai i10 as the i10 is much more reliable and you can get a good i10 from say 2011 for like £1500

[@roverchap]

The other issue with these is the tailgate wiring loom. The rubber conduit wears through and the wires chafe, leading to electrical faults with the tail gate lock, wiper, and any lights mounted on the tailgate itself. Very common problem but fairly cheap to fix with aftermarket loom.

[@ianeccles111]

EXCELLENT VIDEO PER USUAL, KEEP IT UP, THANKS.

[@williamfence566]

Who needs a Haynes manual when we've got Lee 🤣( shows my age I know ). Thanks as always for the insights

[@JRGray33]

Another cracking and informative video 👍🏾

[@lloydyboy8829]

You missed the 1.4 engine Lee, not common but they do exist. Great content as always!

[@rolandkovacs3936]

Those were only in the 500's in the beginning of the production KA never had those engines unfortunately

[@lloydyboy8829]

@@rolandkovacs3936 That’s true, but the same can be said for the twinair

[@Cayres9]

Head gasket always seems to go on the 1.4 , the Abarth 1.4 turbo is the best one to get as its not a Fiat engine lol

[@rolandkovacs3936]

@@lloydyboy8829 Which was a wise move from ford not to adapt that engine into the KA by the way the KA has a much stiffer and sportier suspension than the 500

[@rolandkovacs3936]

@@Cayres9 It is a T-Jet Fiat engine with a bigger turbo

[@TonyM444]

Great useful guide Lee, would be good to do it on other small cars when you have them in

[@Vivian-g1h]

LED lights are multi-plexed. The camera electronic shutter produces the flashing effect on the CCD. Filament lamps are analogue and are illuminated constantly and do not produce the flashing effect by camera shutter.

[@anthonybrown4874]

Good looking sister to the Panda not a spactical being 3dr but plenty about no dpf on the 2005-2011 diesel Panda but EGRs clog every 36k even with good motorwsy runs but reliable and strong otherwise. Power steering can appear to fail but its root cause can be low battery voltage so a new battery is a chesp fix. 1.4 petrol a bit of a hoot for 50p & Panda. The 1.2 thetmostst housing has plastic pipe fittings screwed into it which can fracture and spit its coolant out sometimes they engineer out too much cost/ weight out of components.

[@jameschapman4824]

Some very good information here for the uninitiated Thanks

[@volt8684]

Freddie dobbs a motorcycle channel on here has a 1.2 with 220k on it. Same engine and clutch but plenty of maintenance bills

[@Cayres9]

@@volt8684 Yeah he's basically rebuilt that car and cannot sell it as it's only worth like a grand lol 😂

[@handymattadventures]

Hold-on, Freddie doesn't do maintenance, the clock doesn't even have the time set and is flashing away on the dash in every video. I'm sure he's had a few unavoidable safety related bills though for MOTs.

[@theBodger]

Great Cars Cheap Parts Never had anything wrong with mine

[@Cayres9]

I hate mine , it drives ok on a motorway and sounds sporty but is so slow and falls to bits £1000 gone over last 5 months , I used to own an I10 Hyundai from 2011 a way better vehicle solid and reliable , I only traded in for a 500 as i wanted a prettier car , stupid i know lol

[@henrykravitz468]

Another great video Lee

[@jacquelinebarr8520]

Great informative video thank you

[@ronnieright4935]

We have 2 500's in the family, great content i enjoy the insight, you looked at the potential problems with these cars, the cups on top of the suspension legs rotting, can you just change the top mount..cups or is it the whole suspension leg ? as our older one has a crusty one near side, many thanks Ron.

[@peteward3990]

Freddie Dobbs the bike blogger has a first edition one that’s done 200,000 miles with no trouble and he’s driven it all over Europe towing a triumph bonneville on a trailer with the car loaded up to the max, excellent car the fiat, I had an uno 900cc in the 80‘s and that did 140,000 plus miles and didn’t spend a penny on it 😂

[@GODLIKE99KINGZ]

I bought 10y old with 13k and it has gridind noise. It gets louder when driving above 30mph. It's loud when 50-70mph. Sounds like wheel bearing front offside. I can hear it better when placing head between steering wheel and fan.

[@simoncoulson9643]

superb review,

[@paulhill1379]

Good video and good advice.

[@boejoss]

I'm £800 in on my £2700 Arbath 500c (cheapest one I could find on eBay) and that's with me doing all the work. Keep finding problem after problem. You've covered the main ones, but as you say, they can eat your wallet!

[@davidbennett906]

That was excellent Lee. If you don't mind a quick question, does the same apply clutch and gearbox wise to the Panda and Punto as well (1200 engine)?

[@josephbarker5883]

Wounderful ❤️👍

[@owensteele1645]

I recently had the rear-spring-cup failure on my work van, a 2015 Vauxhall Combo (re-badged Fiat Doblo). £400 to supply and fit, ouch.

[@eddiereed5025]

Great content Lee looking forward to more of the same

[@myownmash]

How is your experience with the twinair engine? I've had no issues what so ever, but I do notice that they don't sell as quickly as the other engine. And one question in particular; you are talking about crunches in the gearbox. Mine doesn't crunch, but doesn't always smoothly shifts from the 5th to the 6th gear. You have to make sure you are not putting any pressure horizontally on the gearbox, because otherwise it gets stuck. No issue with it otherwise in the last 10.000 miles, but it does feel quite strange.

[@keithjackson8076]

This is great insight into the 500. Only question. Why bother with this rubbish ?

[@Phillip-dh9pl]

We had an 1800 zetec focus and a1300 ka, around 2005. The focus was far better mpg in our area because of the hilly area. The focus had the power to drive in higher gears most of the time. No idea what newer models performance is now. I loved both cars but the wife said the ka seat uncomfortable.

[@byronmills5952]

@@Phillip-dh9pl The Ka your referring to is the original MK1. A totally different animal the the 2008 onwards Fiat based car.

[@Andybtcc]

Used to work for lookers fiat stockport main thing was when you indicated you could also get the other cluster lights flashing which was warranty. Also on cold they would run a bit rough that was a sensor in the inlet manifold that would absorb oil bit an easy fix. We had a brand new one as a demo and it would blow a plug lead under load especially going uphill. And the door handles fail due to Ellie and molly not unlocking the car at the trafford centre then yanking the handle 7 times before realising it is locked.

[@michaeltaylor8954]

Surprised you didn’t mention front top mounts and the boot wiring harness

[@Cayres9]

He did mention the top mounts go back and watch when he had it on the ramp , Also i have a 2013 version of a 500 i do not like it , its driving ok now after a grand of work was put into it but i need rid of it , going to take a huge loss , car should be worth £2500 to £3 grand but best i can get at moment is £1850 so yeah not a good investment

[@jonathandeeley6276]

Great video and a funky looking car but after watching the video they sound like a complete money pit. I understand that wiring harnesses around the top of the tailgate are also a common failure. I owned 2 ot the KA versions snd both were a pile of poo. First one I rejected due to a sticking valve which put the car off the road for two months and the second one had that many water leaks into the interior floor it ruined two sets of carpets. This model was known also for poor build quality, dash rattles, exhaust rattles and overfuelling when cold (smokey exhaust). Gave up in the end and swapped it for a Skoda Citigo. Far better quality.👍

[@Ronick-Q-46]

We had a KA in the family, soon found out it was a rust bucket.

[@JohnAdams-kc8wx]

Brilliant video. Is the panda very similar too ??

[@carukchannel]

Yes mostly the same issues

[@davidcook5954]

Great to watch my daughter wants one to learn to drive but automatic any tips to look out for in automatic

[@byronmills5952]

@@davidcook5954 The auto is very much best avoided .

[@rorypower544]

great video Lee

[@carukchannel]

Thanks 👍

[@aeroclouds]

Without a doubt the Most attractive little car in the world, copied by nobody, not even the mini

[@Revolver-Ocelot]

I've heard that the post 2015 axles are a lot better and fit perfectly.

[@MadSniper553]

just get a Mazda 2, much more reliable. amazing vid as always

[@Cayres9]

or a little i10 as they never break either

[@carukchannel]

Mazda 2 are decent but do suffer terribly with corrosion 10-12 years onwards

[@byronmills5952]

​@@Cayres9Plenty of problems occur with i10s and their Picanto cousins.

[@Cayres9]

@@carukchannel Mitsubishi Colt is better its made in the Netherlands so you get European build quality with JDM reliability , I used to own a 2007 version a 1.1 model it will last longer than most humans seriously i owned it for 7 years never even serviced it only replaced the brake pads and disks in that time , it went from 70 thousand to 135 thousand miles and was still going strong when sadly it got wrote off but guess what? even after the whole car was wrecked the engine still somehow started up when the recovery guy took it to be scrapped , he even said ASM the scrap company will probably sell the engine on ebay as it was still good.

[@jeremywentworth1833]

​@@Cayres9it was built in Holland at Nedcar until 2013 when Nedcar started building BMW Mini convertible, Countryman, Clubman, paceman - X1. Mitsubishi Colt stopped as soon as they changed to mini . Latest Colt is a rebadged Renault Clio it looks great. Reason I know as we've owned minis & a Colt Czc.

[@steveclack1131]

This is brilliant, can you do the Nissan Juke

[@stewartsnelling2049]

Would you buy an auto fiat 500. Good or bad????

[@wingedhussar1016]

The twinair is much better than the 1.2, much faster and more economical once you understand how to drive it effectively. Only thing is the engine requires a specific grade of oil and regularly servicing as it's a much more advanced modern engine.

[@bmwman1981]

The twin air is gutless I’d rather own the 1.2

[@Gary-Seven-and-Isis-in-1968]

Would the same issues with the back axel also apply to the Fiat Panda 1.2 L Is it the same back axel?

[@05gt99]

Cheers Lee

[@ibrahimoussifi5544]

Nice video Lee What do you think of toyota yaris mark1 (1999-2005) especially 1.3 petrol automatic ? Could you make a similar video on them ?

[@jonobaywindow]

One of the best old cars you can buy provided serious rust hasn't taken hold of the front strut tops or rear axle mounts. Nissan K11 Micra also excellent.

[@speakerboy4425]

My stepsister had a 2012 Fiat 500,it was fsh,well looked after but 3 months after she bought it the engine blew up. Garage said it they couldn't find out why it went bang but she switched to a Kia in the end so...

[@davewhittles]

i had a KA for while no issues with mine

[@UnusSedLeo-w5l]

No 1.4 around in the UK? The 100HP version was offered in the Netherlands the first couple of years. 😊

[@carukchannel]

They did run the 1.4 but its really rare.

[@TheGremm]

Hi, would you buy a 2015 Lounge that has 109k miles but has full service history and is in great condition inside and out. Timing belt just changed. Thanks......

[@carukchannel]

yes if it’s priced right but check out the items mentioned In this video when buying

[@mikeliv8827]

Have you done any videos on VW Golfs, ie, Water ingress issues etc?