Fiat Service intervals to keep warranty

[Airstream]

Re prev posts on 1st and 2nd year warranty I read through my service and owners handbooks

Owners Hadbook states service every 45,000kms - no mention of a yearly or every two years etc

 

Service and warranty booklet (valid from September 2007) states evry 28,000 miles - however it qualifies this on page 15 with a "low mileage annual service " and a NOTE that all vehicles must be serviced with full service every 2 years

 

Now the GOOD bit

 

Service and Warranty booklet (valid from July 2008) states service every 28,000 miles with NO qualification re low miles service at 12 months and NO mention of any yearly service requirement

 

So if you have a valid from July 2008 service book its service every 28,000 miles - no wonder Fiat are confused

 

Can anyone out there with a "valid from July 2008 service & warranty booklet" please read through and confirm my reading as I am sure we would all go for servicing every 28,000

Regards Ray

[Brian Kirby]

Yours may be the exception that proves the rule, but most motorhomes do somewhat less that 6,000 miles per year.  At that annual rate, it will take in the order of 4/5 years to get to 28,000 miles.  You may, but I wouldn't, wish to drive a vehicle that hasn't seen the inside of a garage in 4 years!  I don't know how much your van cost, but in relationship to that, is the cost of an annual service really worth avoiding?  I'm afraid this seems to me a wildly false economy, let alone a potential safety issue.  I think an annual service is the least any vehicle should have.

[lennyhb]

The intervals in the service book differ depending which country the vehicle was originally supplied. We brought ours in Belgium and there is not annual requirement for a service just every 45000 Km.

 

Even without an annual service requirement there are items that need replacing on a time basis e.g. brake fluid every 2 years, cam belt 4 years etc.

 

 

[Airstream]

Hi,

The point of the post is to ascertain the actual contractual requirement between Fiat and the purchaser regarding warranty conditions for low mileage users

Fiat in early service and warranty books require a low miles service at 12 months and a full service at two years

in later editions of the booklet these two conditions are deleted and the only requirement being a full service every 28,000 miles

In my own case I had the low miles service at a cost of £208 at 7,000

miles

I am now due a 2nd year service but at only 11,000 miles thats 5,000 miles since the last one - This is on a van that only needs a service every 28,000 miles

It is not only question of cost but waste - Its Fiat that now state 28,000 miles as part of being more environmentally friendly in reducing the amount of our dwindling resources used in the enjoyment of our hobby

 

As for vehicles not seeing the inside of a garage for x years most vehicles over three years old or out of warranty only see a franchise garage for the MOT if that, My Fiat garage charges £100 per hour so its mainly DIY or local garage once the warranty expires - I wont even go into service standards and quality at main dealer servive centers

 

Surely there are more out there with Aug 2008 service books or comercial users who I am sure would not waste time and money on unnecessary servicing

And to get back to my question if the handbook now states 28,000 miles between services without qualification is this the minimum required to keep the warranty valid - what I or others decide re actual servicing is not relevent to the question

Regards Ray

[Brian Kirby]

OK Ray, you've made your point!  If you want to know definitively how Fiat will interpret their own warranty terms, you have only one option.  Write to Fiat Customer Services and ask them.  Then keep a copy of their reply with your service record booklet in case a warranty issue arises within the stated period.  It is Fiat's warranty and, whatever anyone on here may say, Fiat's writ will run.

There is no actual contractual relationship between you and Fiat.  Your only contractual relationship is with the dealer who sold you your van.  The Fiat warranty is additional to that contract, and it is theoretically possible to bring a court case against the warrantor under the Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2003.  However, my advice from Trading Standards is that this is far from straightforward because it is you who would to prove they had failed to deliver on some aspect of whatever the warranty promises.

Because the warranty is non-contractual (whereas aspects of contract law would require reasonableness to be applied to interpretation of a contract) it is not open to liberal interpretation.  It will either say it covers all aspects of the goods against labour and materials defects (usually), with certain items/components excepted, or it will say it covers only certain items/components under certain conditions.  My advice from TS was that what it says is exactly what you are entitled to: no more, and no less.  So, if you want to know which way they will jump, you just have to ask them.

[david lloyd]

It is also true that the service periods are, in the main, created with commercial users in mind.

 

I would have thought the majority are going to cover at least 28,000 miles per year so the saving for them is that now they may only have to service once a year instead of twice.

 

I rang my Fiat service agent with a similar query and he felt it was still interpreted as 28,000 mile/one year whichever comes first as the lack of use is just as much a concern as over use.

 

I will still be having an annual service - not necessarily because of maintaining the warranty requirement (which does seem a bit of a grey area in this respect) but to ensure lubricants, filters etc are all still in tip top condition and to maintain resale value.

 

David

 

[DJP]

I dropped fiat an email to ask the question. This is their reply:-

 

Thank you for contacting the Fiat Information Centre

 

In regards to your query, it is recommended that the Fiat Ducato 2008

chassis model have a full service every 28,000 miles.

 

As it states in your service and warranty handbook, there are various

checks that will need to be carried out more frequently.

 

I hope this information has been helpful. If you have any other questions

or need further advice, we invite you to contact us by replying to this

email or calling on our international freephone number, 00800 3428 0000

(choosing option 2). We are here to help Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.

 

Alternatively, our website is packed full of useful information detailing

our range of products and services. I have included the web address below

for your convenience.

 

Kind regards,

====================================================

This bit is still confusing

As it states in your service and warranty handbook, there are various

checks that will need to be carried out more frequently.

 

They do not say if these checks are simple fluid level checks by the owner or refer to low mileage service/checks by dealer. I have asked for clarification.

I still had mine serviced (oil and filter changed) at 12 months. For the sake of just over £100 it was worth some peace of mind. (Not by a Fiat garage, but genuine Fiat parts used to keep the warranty validated.)

==================================================

 

Fiats reply to my second email

 

Thank you for contacting the Fiat Information Centre.

 

There are certain checks we recommend are carried out on an annual basis by

a dealer.

 

Amongst other things this annual inspection involves checking the wear and

tear of tyres and maintaining fluid levels. It is important for the

continued wellbeing of the vehicle and it's occupants to ensure completion

of this annual inspection.

 

I hope this information has been helpful. If you have any other questions

or need further advice, we invite you to contact us by replying to this

email or calling on our international freephone number, 00800 3428 0000

(choosing option 2). We are here to help Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.

 

Alternatively, our website is packed full of useful information detailing

our range of products and services. I have included the web address below

for your convenience.

 

Kind regards,

 

They only mention an annual inspection NOT an annual SERVICE!