Are Fiats Good Cars? What To Know
Some people buy cars based on exterior styling, while for some, performance gets top billing when shopping for a new car. Regardless of personal preferences, one of the first things car shoppers consider is the brand or make of the vehicle. With that said, we have another brand highlight for you, and this time it’s for the Italian Fiat.
Are Fiats good cars?
Fiat is the largest car manufacturer in Italy and one of the world’s oldest brands, with over a century of history under its belt. Although Fiat is a very popular brand in Europe, it never quite found its footing in the United States.
Thus, if you’re looking into Fiat cars, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’ll look at Fiat and determine if it’s a good brand to invest your automotive budget in.
Build Quality
To be clear, build quality doesn’t necessarily mean reliability (repairs, maintenance, etc.). When talking about build quality, it means that the car was built well and with a purpose. A vehicle with good build quality means all the parts and body fit correctly, and you’ll be less likely to hear squeaking and rattling due to loose bits.
Having said that, Fiats are known to have the tank-like build quality, and numerous models have been labeled “workhorses.” However, like most brands, build quality may vary from one model to another. According to a certified master auto technician in Quora, Fiat-Chrysler has a component quality issue. He claimed that he serviced numerous Fiat vehicles with faulty rubber and plastic parts, HVAC housing components, loose driveshaft bolts, etc.
Are Fiats good cars? Let’s look at their reliability ratings.
In terms of reliability, Fiat has a rating of 3.5 out of 5.0 as per RepairPal. It’s not bottom of the barrel reliability score, but it’s still below average, and we wished it could be better. The Italian carmaker ranked 18th out of 32 car brands across 345 models.
Furthermore, RepairPal listed that Fiat vehicles have an average annual repair cost of $538 per year, way below the general average of $652 across all models. This is good news for would-be buyers, which means they can expect to spend less on scheduled maintenance and unscheduled repairs.
The frequency of repairs is also good for Fiat owners because the average number of shop visits per year is 0.2. It’s a lot less than the average across all models at 0.4 times per year. Conversely, 17% of shop visits with a Fiat involve a significant problem – a higher percentage than the average across all models, which is 12%.
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Common Issues With Fiat-Chrysler Vehicles
Are Fiats good cars? Fiat has had its fair share of reliability woes over the years, and many of them shouldn’t go unnoticed by potential buyers like you. Here are some of the most common issues with Fiat vehicles:
- In-car technology issues - The more in-car technology a vehicle has, the more components that can go wrong. This is the case with many Fiat models. For example, Fiat had to recall Fiat 500e models from 2013 to 2016 because the power inverter module (PIM) may experience voltage spikes and malfunction, which increases the risk of a crash.
- Suspension problems - According to frustrated Fiat 500 owners, their vehicles have suspension issues like clunking noises and bucking wildly after going over potholes. When their cars were brought to a mechanic, they found out that their shocks needed to be replaced to fix this problem.
- Electrical issues - Owners of the Fiat 500x reported several electrical problems that can range from annoying to downright unsafe. Several owners have reported that their warning lights would go on and off on their own. In some cases, the car’s internal clock system would run fast and fail to keep an accurate time. Many of these electrical issues can be fixed with software updates and system resets, but that doesn’t make them less annoying.
- Premature ball joint wear - Several owners of the 2012 Fiat 500 reported having premature wear with the ball joints. The ball joints were prone to premature wear because they were not pushed snugly into the lower control arms. A common fix is to replace the ball joints or the upper control arms.
Affordability and Value
Are Fiat good cars when it comes to pricing and value?
Although the Italian automaker has struggled in America, the brand sells some of the most affordable vehicles in the market, especially when you buy used ones. As of this writing, only the Fiat 500x SUV can be purchased in the states, starting at $26,000+. Unfortunately, the 500x isn’t making a good case about Fiat’s affordability and value proposition.
The 500x does have a unique look, but that may not be enough to justify the price point. At that price point, it’s hard to recommend the newest Fiat 500x models because many subcompact SUVs are simply better. The subcompact SUV segment is notoriously competitive, and the 500x would have to try harder to compete with the likes of the Mazda CX-30, Kia Soul, Hyundai Kona, and more.
However, if you’re looking to buy a used Fiat, you may get plenty of value from your purchase. In this case, we recommend looking into the popular (but now discontinued) Fiat 500. The small car is relatively affordable in the used market, and these are for recent models as well. If you don’t mind the 500’s small stature, you’ll have an affordable small car with plenty of modern features as well.
THE BEST USED SUVS UNDER $10,000
We looked into price, reliability, features, and more to create this list of the best used SUVs under $10k on the market today. Take a look - some of the best used SUVs have gone mostly overlooked or forgotten.
Should You Buy a Fiat?
Like all car brands, Fiats have pros and cons. For most people, Fiat vehicles are a niche of their own. They have their own identity and charm, but they’re pretty problematic as well.
For now, we can’t recommend the only model that’s available in the states, the Fiat 500x. The Fiat SUV doesn’t bring enough to justify the price tag, especially when there are so many better alternatives.
The Fiat 500 and Abarth are worth buying as used since they’re priced well in the market. If you’re in an EV, the 500e is also worth looking into for its excellent MPG, provided that you’re only planning to use it as a city driver. It simply doesn’t have enough power to go anywhere else.
THE BEST USED LUXURY CARS ON THE MARKET
Buying a used or CPO luxury car is one of the smartest buys you can make - you can get a lot of car for not much money. You can pick up a three-year-old luxury car for about half of what you’d pay new. Check out this list of the best used luxury cars on the market to find the best deals.
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