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Now then! There was me confidently thinking that restrictive practices on servicing, repairing and warranty work on motor vehicles, had been ‘knocked on the head’ by the previous lot of rogues who inhabited Westminster. That is until yesterday, when I took my Chausson along to my local Fiat dealer for its second year service. Now, this dealer has been doing servicing on motor homes and commercial vehicles, alongside his car business for very many years, and has all the facilities - with high roof workshops, big lifts and does commercial van MoT’s etc. He also has been used by one of the larger Motor-home dealers in the country for their servicing work. I’ve trusted him with my motor homes over the last seven years and never had any issues, and the fact that he is about five miles from here means I can get there and back for about a half gallon of diesel!
So what’s the problem? I mentioned that the headlights on my Ducato Maxi base unit mist up – the nearside one particularly badly and was this a warranty issue? He agreed that it was, and Fiat should sort it. That was the good bit! Sadly, he followed this up with the news that Fiat had taken away their ‘Commercial Warranty Licence’ so he could not order the parts for me – or do the work! Apparently the nearest people who could do the work were about 40 miles away as far as he was aware. He put an advice notice (saying the lights were defective and should be replaced under Warranty), on the service sheet, and wished me luck! Remember this is a Fiat Service Manager of many years experience used to dealing with all Fiat vehicles. Now the hassle began!
I rang the suggested dealer, and their service manager said that the vehicle would have to be taken there for assessment, despite me pointing out that the units had been dried out that morning and that there was therefore nothing to see, and also that I had got a note a couple of hours previously from a splendidly qualified Fiat service manager stating what the problem was. I also pointed out that taking the vehicle to him, for them to see nothing, was going to cost me around four gallons of diesel and that about 70% of this would go to Cameron’ revenue highwaymen, and my pension was not really up to this! He then suggested I phoned Fiat’s Customer Service, as he could do nothing, (until he had actually seen what there was now nothing to see), at his premises.
I rang said department – has anybody tried this? Get the kettle on first and swallow a few Prozac tablets! At this point, and being of the opinion that a reasonably bright 10 year old could take a light unit out of a Ducato I was categorically told that ONLY a Fiat Commercial Licensed franchise could do this job and that it would have to be taken to one for assessment – (despite my further protestations that following the morning service there was now nothing to see). The words Jobsworth’s and Restrictive Practice now came very forward in my mind. Resigning myself to the inevitable, I eventually asked him for the location of nearest dealers who could do the work. He quoted three within a fifty mile radius, and then told me that a garage four miles away dealt with Fiat commercials according to his list, and that I should contact them. This took another two hours or so to get to the service manager who was ‘with a customer’, only to be told, (Guess What), yes we do commercials but haven’t got a Fiat Warranty Licence for them! I was well pleased with the Fiat system by now, as one could imagine. This guy did tell me of another company within about 20 miles and relatively easy to get to, that now did Fiat Commercial work , (pity the bloke in Fiat’s customer service dept didn’t apparently know about them). I now contacted this company and guess what - they needed to see the vehicle, despite me saying there was nothing to see now etc).
However, this morning I drove along and saw them, and sat and watched TV for an hour or so, so that they could assess the problem. It appears that Fiat have a cheapo fix for misting headlights, and that they now have a different back cap which can be fitted to, hopefully, stop the problem. Also they need a couple of drain holes drilled in the channel above the lights to let water out ,(and probably rust the channel out where they have been drilled). Have you got these parts I ask hopefully? No they have to be ordered! So we are now up to the four gallons of diesel when I take it back to have the bits fitted, whenever they arrive.
Now for the icing on the cake! Last year on returning from a Habitation Service which apparently had to be done 100 miles or so from here, I had a stone smash the windscreen! Guess what! Coming home this morning a split started appearing down the windscreen and reached 5” by the time I got here. So now add a £75 windscreen excess to the bill for an, (in my opinion), totally unnecessary journey and I might as well have bought a new light unit off Ebay for £80, saved the change, fitted it myself, and got a better job done. Apparently misted lights, eventually discolour both the reflectors and bulbs and can result in MoT failure.
There really must be a better way of getting Fiat to do something for their customers. Why on earth is it necessary to have a Commercial Vehicle Warranty Licence to do a simple job, and why does the vehicle have to be driven all over the country in order to get it done? Wouldn’t it be cheaper and easier to put a couple of bits in the post and have the local Fiat man fit them. Am I a little aggravated – You Bet!
For interest, I asked these various dealerships what they had done about the reverse gear shudder problem, (my 3 litre has trouble with this too). I was told by two of these dealerships that both had done three vehicles each, and in all cases they changed engine mountings. Don’t hold your breath if your clutch or gearbox is a pile of scrap under the motor, as it doesn’t seem that there is much movement on this front from Fiat. Perhaps making a big sign to hold up in the windscreen to oncoming HGV’s stating that “This vehicle does not do reverse on hills”, when meeting them on narrow roads would be a good move. Even better – Fiat could supply them to new motor-home owners who are beguiled by the adverts stating how good their Chassis cabs are for conversion!?
I agree with you, I think Fiat as company are rubbish at after care, the last time I had work carried out at a Fiat service centre called Dragon truck and van in Cardiff which is a 50 mile round trip for me had too leave the MH for four days to carry out a miner recall as I was driving home about 10 miles for the house I noticed that the air bag light add come on the dash so as soon as I got in I phoned bearing in mind it was ok until they had worked on it, spook to the service manager he said you’ll have to bring it back to us I can book you in for there week next Tuesday .
When I managed to scrap my self off the ceiling I replied my on my holidays with the MH the day after tomorrow he said ho dear, leave it with me and I’ll ring around and see if I can get you sorted by another dealership for tomorrow I said ok and hug up.
Two hours later he did ring me back and said I’ve wound you a slot I said great wait for it yes it’s in Maidstone Kent I thought I’d miss heard I replied could you repeat that please It’s Maidstone Kent.
I said thanks but no thanks and you won’t see me again.
Anyway I was told by a local garage that because the air bag light was orange not red that it would not work anyway so it was safe to drive, after we had setoff on our holidays I had only drove to our local Tosco’s for fuel and when I got back in the van the light was off and never came back on.
How far away is the peugeot/ ford/mercedes/VW dealer from you as a matter of interest, as my nearest Fiat commercial dealer is 40 miles away,however I knew this when I bought my motorhome.
The dealer I bought from is 70 miles away.
where I take it for servicing is 32 miles away.
but it is only once a year that I have it serviced so consider it reasonable.
cabby
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Germany
