Abarth 500 high mileage ability?

[irish boy]

Hi guys need a but of advice.....

Wife bought a new abarth 500 last August but ended up having to travel more with work than she thought. It's now a year old and has covered 25k.

I reckon it's worth £11k. The question is do we sell it now when it's worth good money and either buy another new/low milage one and keep refreshing them every year, or run it for 4years till 100k looking after it well.

Anyone else run one to high miles?

[RedTrident]

My mrs has one with 36,000 on it. Trying to convince her to sell and upgrade for a new one. It's been very good. Excellent little car.

[vito]

Hi

I have a 1 year old 500 Abarth I have done 10860 miles first year.

I would run your the car to 40000 miles and trade in for new 500

Also can I ask you at what miles did you do front tyres and rear pads as my dealer is saying I need them now at 10860 miles

Thanks

Vito

[irish boy]

We got 18k out of the front tyres and 22k from the rear. Wife wouldn't be too hard on it and I rarely drive it.

Pads are all still grand all round....there was a problem with some of these cars where the rear brakes would stick, sounds like this happened yours and has prematurely worn out the pads.

[jacklewisno1]

Mines 4 yrs old with 43k on it and still going strong. Feels as tight as a drum. With regards to the pads problem i switched to EBC Greenstuff pads and the squealing noise when reversing disappeared. But you would know if the pads need replacing as a sensor will be activated and a light will show on the dash, and as for the tyres you can check those yourself. Which dealer are you with?

[vito]

irish boy said:

We got 18k out of the front tyres and 22k from the rear. Wife wouldn't be too hard on it and I rarely drive it.

Pads are all still grand all round....there was a problem with some of these cars where the rear brakes would stick, sounds like this happened yours and has prematurely worn out the pads.

Hi Irish Boy

Thanks for your reply. My wife and I share the 500 and I do drive harder than her. With the wheel alignment out I suppose 11000 miles is fair enough for the front tyres. Yes I did have the problem with the pads sticking at about 3500 miles and my dealer fixed the problem at no cost at the time I did say would this not shorten the life of my pads and I was told NO. Do you think I could get a warranty claim or at least some good will.

Regards

Vito

[vito]

jacklewisno1 said:

Mines 4 yrs old with 43k on it and still going strong. Feels as tight as a drum. With regards to the pads problem i switched to EBC Greenstuff pads and the squealing noise when reversing disappeared. But you would know if the pads need replacing as a sensor will be activated and a light will show on the dash, and as for the tyres you can check those yourself. Which dealer are you with?

Hi Jacklewisno

Thanks for your reply. My dealer is Arnold Clark Glasgow Springburn . I asked the service guy if my car had a brake pad sensor and he said NO I did find this odd.

Regards

Vito

[jacklewisno1]

vito said:

Hi Jacklewisno

Thanks for your reply. My dealer is Arnold Clark Glasgow Springburn . I asked the service guy if my car had a brake pad sensor and he said NO I did find this odd.

Regards

Vito

Hmmm thats nonsense, when my pads were changed i was there to watch it and the mechanic told me they had sensors, plus i could see them!!

[TallTom]

Hi guys, I have my Abarth Grande Punto up in Edinburgh currently, need to get the cambelts done soonish.

Do you rate the Arnold Clark dealers at all?

Sorry to thread Hijack!

[irish boy]

Sorry can't help you with that one....wrong side of the English channel.

Hopefully someone else will chip in.

[vito]

TallTom said:

Hi guys, I have my Abarth Grande Punto up in Edinburgh currently, need to get the cambelts done soonish.

Do you rate the Arnold Clark dealers at all?

Sorry to thread Hijack!

Hi Tom

Not much choice if you want the Abarth stamp in the book as I think Arnold Clark are the only Abarth dealer in Scotland. But to be fair they are doing my rear pads under warranty as they only lasted less than 11000 miles. They they have done other warranty work for me and one service so far they get 7 out of 10.

Regards

Vito

[johnycarrera]

Most I've ever had from front tyres is 10K but its not a motorway car.

Keep your punto in Edinburgh, don't go near Springburn, they are idiots!

Most people say the engine is a reliable unit although mine cracked a piston at 19K and its got an easy life most of the time. Granted when I push it hard it gets tested but I've never hit the limiter. Fun wee cars to drive all the same.

[Exoticaholic]

I am on my second Abarth 500c which I had since Feb 2012. Due to me starting a new job, my commute has taken a hike upwards to 1200 miles a month minimum. It is now at 25,000 ish miles and so far, I have not had any problems apart from the right tailight bulb that blew three times. A new wiring loom was fitted under warranty.

I wish Abarth could do extended warranties - mine is only 3 years and due to expire in Feb 2015. Alfa Romeo warranties their models for five years so why can't Abarth do the same? After all, both brands are part of FGA.

[johnycarrera]

They do, Fiat will offer to extend your warranty for a further two years as will the dealer depending who they are.

I negotiated a 5 year warranty including breakdown and 3 years free servicing for £350 when I bought mine new

[TallTom]

vito said:

Hi Tom

Not much choice if you want the Abarth stamp in the book as I think Arnold Clark are the only Abarth dealer in Scotland. But to be fair they are doing my rear pads under warranty as they only lasted less than 11000 miles. They they have done other warranty work for me and one service so far they get 7 out of 10.

Regards

Vito

Cheers for the feedback, I was thinking that and I could drive it back to London but thinking cheaper labour...... Will have to see what I fancy doing at the end of the month when the belts are 5 yrs old.

[jacklewisno1]

TallTom said:

Cheers for the feedback, I was thinking that and I could drive it back to London but thinking cheaper labour...... Will have to see what I fancy doing at the end of the month when the belts are 5 yrs old.

Arent the belts every 4 years?? They definitely are for the 500.

[TallTom]

jacklewisno1 said:

Arent the belts every 4 years?? They definitely are for the 500.

4/5 years depending on the type of use or dependant upon mileage to my knowledge, and multiple AGP are getting their belts changed on the forum now so its that sort of time, when they first came into production.