Hi Rachel & David, shocked but not surprised but good to know this was remedied when you pushed further. Totally agree with you, a warranty should cover the owner for repairs such as these and you shouldn’t have to question them to get things remedied. I am sure these companies try to get out of warranty work because for every one person who will question it maybe 4 will just take them at their word and pay. Well done, great example for the rest of us. 😊👍
Thanks very much for the comment. It was great to get a resolution but such a shame it took the time it did and hassle to get there. Thanks again, really appreciated All the very best, David & Rachel 👍
Well done for making this public David. Social media is a powerful means of communication and some big companies are aware of this. We are soon moving from a caravan to a new campervan but after seeing your vlog and Bob Earnshaw’s problems with the air bag warning light we are also not confident with Fiat.
Thanks very much for the comment, I also saw Bob's on the airbag module and prior to getting the van, had seen some issues hence really wanting the extended warranty. A few folks have commented about issues with other brands too which is a good point - For me, there was variable service on this, some people got the issue fixed with no hassle, I wasn't one of them and they need to be consistent - if there's a problem, sort it. On a positive note, it's the only real problem I've had in the past 2 odd years and it didn't leave us stranded just wish they had simply sorted it without the push back initially, that's what I was so disappointed at - all the very best, David 👍
Hi David, sorry to hear about the poor service from Fiat. We had a similar bad experience. We bought a new Swift Compact in Dec 2021 and after 3 months the auxiliary water pump failed, the engine went into limp mode but we managed to get home. We called the Fiat breakdown service who said it was our responsibility to get the van to the dealer 20 miles away, costing £650! I argued our case and eventually it went to the dealer and was fixed but it took nearly 6 weeks 😩. We lost faith in the van and sold it a year later. We now have a Peugeot Consort Oslo and we’re very happy with it. Love your videos, cheers Rob
So sorry to hear that, you do lose faith with things like that don’t you. Such a shame. Pleased you are happy with the new Oslo, they look a nice conversion. Thanks very much, all the very best, David & Rachel 👍
Great you got your positive result in the end David, but you are so right in that you should never have been subject to that initial decision which ruined your weekend. Main dealers can be so smug, and a nightmare. A Mazda we owned went in for a service a few years back. On picking it up we were told it needed complete new brakes all round, and a brake caliper renewing. They quoted £880. I took it to a local private garage. After their assessment, I was told the brakes were easily good for another 12 thousand miles, and they charged £32 to free up the sticking caliper!
Excellent vlog! I too felt the service I received with my motorhome was ‘a bit sketchy’ to say the least. Just like you said, people buy new hoping for at least a period of worry free motorhoming. I found myself constantly disappointed. By either, in my opinion a refusal to accept responsibility or just a seemingly deliberate placing of hurdles in the way of getting things dealt with! And don’t get me started on build quality! Thanks for the vlog 👍
Thank you - yes, you're just hoping for some worry free motoring as you say, if something does go wrong, it just gets sorted with no hassle. Thanks again, really appreciate the comment, all the best, David 👍
David that is terrible customer service - especially when you had bought extended warranty and service plan so that you could feel confident if anything did go wrong. Promotor to detractor - great phrase and hits the nail on the head. I know you must have felt strongly about it to do this vlog. Good on you. Sending love and hugs to you both and Roxy xxx
Thank you - I did expect more given the extended warranty and service plan as it would be clear from that I wasn't expecting any nasty surprises wouldn't it. I held off doing it for a while but still felt strongly on it and it has made us think about other manufacturers so thought it worth sharing and interesting to see we don't seem to be the only ones who have had the issue. Thanks so much for the comment, hope you're both doing good and hope to catch you soon xx David x
Many years back I had a brand new Renault Espace and loved it, no real issues, and two years later I got another one, brand new and over the next two years had nothing but glow plug problems!
Hi Neil, it can be a bit hit and miss can't it with vehicles, I haven't ever had a glow plug issue with any vehicles before so a new one for me. Wonder if different batches perform differently. Pleased it got sorted but would have been better if they just fixed it rather than pushing back and wanting money first. Hope you're good and hope to catch you soon, All the best, David 👍
Hi David, your vlog was very interesting and as always very factual. We have had problems with our Fiat part of our CV20, the van was approximately a year old when we went to France on holiday. A day into the holiday and the cab air conditioning failed as did the reversing camera and reversing lights. As it was June in France it was very hot so luckily we always have a backup fan for the dash that was quite effective. On our return the Camper was booked into the dealership (Brown hills) and after much investigation they found a 'short' in the engine bay and fixed it Brown hills have been fantastic with us I understand your lack of confidence with your van but personally it hasn't changed our approach to ours. All the best Kay and Paul x
Thanks Kay and Paul - sounds like Brownhills did the right things and sort it out - really pleased it got sorted when you got back without hassle. My disappointment was more on being asked to pay for failed parts rather than a problem occurring as get things happen and need to be fixed but I wasn’t expecting them to ask me to foot the bill for the replacements. All in all, it is the only issue I’ve had and it’s sorted which is great and like you all things working as they should now. Its more brand confidence than van confidence that if anything else goes wrong they will try and charge for it 😳 Thanks again for the comment, All the very best, David 👍
Thank you for sharing your experience with Fiat assistance. I was understanding that it would be covered, after all we spent enough on the Fiat extended warranty.
Thank you - I also thought the same, sounds like some folks have had the issue and it’s been fixed without debate or asking for money - not sure why there’s the inconsistency as you said it should be covered. all the best, David & Rachel 👍
Interesting - we have a Fiat - based van and our service garage pointed out a glow plug issue (I'd probably ignored the dashboard warnings for a while), suggesting I should get the problem fixed under warranty. I booked the job in with Adams Morey at Portsmouth who were very helpful as we were right at the tail end of the 2 year warranty. The job was done - no charge but I was amazed to be told that 3 glow plugs had needed to be changed. Like you, I was really surprised bearing in mind the van mileage was only about 8k. Early on, shortly after getting the van, the exhaust sensor had to be replaced again under warranty!
Thanks very much - really appreciate the comment - I bought my extended warranty from Adams Morey in Portsmouth (we live no where near there but they were recommended - our local dealer said they didn't do them) - Not great is it failing so soon and interesting that you needed 3 doing. Pleased you didn't get any hassle when getting them sorted though - all the very best, David 👍
Had this problem last year on same van I had brought as second owner, took van back to original dealer ( Brown hills ) they fixed problem under warranty with no hassle. They change all plugs at same time to avoid further problems down the road! I believe things are getting very tight for dealers at present and they want to screw you at every opertunity!
Thank you - really pleased you got yours sorted without any hassle - still a worry that they are failing so soon but great you didn’t have any problems sorting! All the very best, David 👍
Hi David, Thanks for putting this out, it shows the typical customer service we get in this country, they try their luck to see if they can get money from people, well done for fighting. as for parts failing, yes this can happen and your right this wasn't the issue, my clutch hydraulics failed at 21000 miles.
Thanks for the comment - sorry to hear about your clutch hydraulics failing - hope you managed to get that sorted without too much hassle. All the very best, David 👍
David, helpful video. Our 2021 Ducato had a Nox sensor fail at 2,500 miles. The sensor was replaced under warranty and it is a very common fault that occurs around 2,000 miles - I believe that the ECU counts Nox incidents in a certain mileage , and if the total count is greater than the preset, the EML is illuminated. The mileage seems to beset around 2,000 miles! The Nox sensor issue was a faulty batch apparently. At 5,300 miles we got the 'Glow Plug' warning. Adams Moray Portsmouth replaced all 4 glow plugs under warranty with no issue. I assume that this was another faulty batch of components. AM Portsmouth are excellent to deal with. Finally, the scuttle leaks are a real risk to the injectors as you say. My scuttle and windscreen corners still leak even after sealing! I have sprayed our injectors with copper grease just in case water sits in the gulley where they go in to the head. I believe the glow plugs are further down the engine and not affected by water ingress.
Thank you - appreciate the comment - Pleased you got sorted without any hassle - Adams Morley seem really good, I bought my warranty from them - I need to have a look at my scuttle and try and make sure it’s sealed up properly to avoid the leak and see what I can do… thanks for flagging - all the best, David 👍
I have a T6, and the glow plug light came on. Went for the replacements, first 3 were £25 each......The 4th was £115, l smiled wryly, but looks like l got off lightly. I think dealerships have large forecourt windows, to see you coming.👍
Thanks for the comment, Yes that sounds very reasonable 😀 Wonder why the 4th was £115, perhaps harder to access? Still not too bad if you got the whole lot for under £200! Seems that way doesn’t it… all the very best, David 👍
We collected our new CV20 Vogue, ( mk8) some 3 months after you collected yours.We had 16 months of problems both Fiat and Elddis. The vehicle was off the road in total for 4 months, 2 months in one stretch. We perceived, loved the vehicle, but final straw was rust on roof panel sides.Fiat advised should have been picked up at PDI - yep. The local Fiat Pro - Adams Morrey were most supportive and helpful. My understanding, the mk8 was so good for late 21/22 that there is now a mk10
Really sorry to hear that, you don’t buy a van for it to be in the garage all the time do you - great to hear the dealer was helpful. Yes, there does seem to be a very rapid move in series, let’s hope they have resolved the issues now 🤞 all the very best, David 👍
Just like to share an experience I had with my 2019 Burstner, fiat ducato that i bought new. All motorhomes seem to be based on commercial vehicles and they have never struck me as hi end builds if I am honest , all share engines as far as I know. Not exactly the same problem , although I did get intermittent occasional messages regarding the Glow plugs. It went away and came back from time to time, never got to the bottom of it. Van was in its 3rd year and 9000 mile. I did manage to get a multimeter and check resistance and continuity on each glow plug, all checked out O.K also done the checks when the engine was hot and cold. Checked when the fault was present and when it wasnt........... I reckon changing the 4 would be as a precaution to be honest. Alot of work to get at the plugs is my opinion , so I would do the 4 whilst there. Anyway I never found a hard fault and it stayed off a long time. Checked fuse 50 etc in my fault finding, no issues. The other thing which is extremely hard to find was the glow plug module, easy when you know, they can be suspect so I bought another for £50 . Eventually found it on the passenger side , below the fuse box and between the outside of the chassie leg and the wing, absolute pig to find as I would never expect it to be there. Just in case someone is looking for it , take off the passenger wheel and the plastic arch liner, point a torch toward the front of the van and its pretty high up , its the easiest way to access it in my humble opinion. I changed it out but it never fixed the issue. It might work as they used to go in the pre face lift vans (pre 2014 ) . I would also like to add this comment. The same van with less than 3000 miles when I came home after a 60 mile trip , I parked on my drive overnight. Nothing strange there! The issue kicked off the next morning , when I went to start it to put it in store. It had rained heavy during the night! Started fine , then after a short time , the engine management light came on. Couldnt believe it. I had a look in the engine bay, what I found was the passenger side of the engine bay has the ECU multipin plug and a fuse box close by. It was very wet. As water and electrics really are not meant to be best buddies, I decided this may be the cause of my issue. Anyway , I called fiat professional , got a nice lady on reception. While i was booking it in for further checking , I just ran the scenario past her as she seemed a knowledgeable person. She could see the sense in my logic. Anyway van booked in , I then decided why the water found its way into the engine bay. With the bonnet open, I got my garden hose and sprayed the water onto the roof of the MH. The water ran off the roof down the glass on the passenger side of the windscreen. It hit the plastic scuttle and most of it ran away in the scuttle drain. However a fair bit went underneath the scuttle and straight into the engine bay , landing on the multipin plus. I had put a plastic bag over the plug before my test , but the issue for me was identified. I looked closely at the scuttle and they are very much a hit and miss kind of seal. I conjured up a plastic cover from a black lunch box that I managed to fit in place over the plug and the fuse box. I removed the passenger headlight to get it fitting nice and snug. I then done my hose test , The water done the same and it hit my cover which diverted the water out past the inside of the passenger wing , basically where fiat s drain from the scuttle goes. Back to the yellow light. We had a few dry days and as I was booked in to fiat professional , I started the van the day before i was due to drop off the van. No yellow light, started it several times that day , no issues. Phoned fiat, no point in taking it in mate is what I got, roll on another 9000 miles and no issue with the water bothering the electrics, or yellow light coming on. Final thoughts as of today. I feel (not proven) that the water running onto the multi pin plug a few years ago may have caused corrosion on the wires / electrical pins. Corrosion on an electrical connection can cause intermittent issues. Potentially causing my intermittent glow plug issue. To be fair the multipin plug does look a well sealed item and people may argue no water ingress is possible. I may have got lucky with my lunch box idea or the fault disappeared. It remains in place though . I dont know and havent checked if the wiring at the multipin plug goes to the glow plug module etc etc. On occasion in very cold weather the engine when started a rough start up, sounded like it was off a cylinder , other times in cold weather no issue. Apologys for hi jacking the thread , thats my story, I have traded the van after year 4 , still got a fiat truck , its an A class van this time even worse to work on , I must check with the hose test. Check your own van to see how tight the scuttle seals. My other advice would be vans that are in storage , I would make sure the van is on an incline so the rain runs off the roof away from the front screen if possible or down the drivers side of the van and avoid the chance of wet electrics if you dont like to fit an additional cover over multipin plugs. If anyone gets further with a resolution to this issue, i would love to hear what the fix was. Hopefully a proper root cause. Thank you.
Thank you for the very comprehensive insight and information. I think water getting into the engine bay could well have something to do with a number of issues as you mentioned, water and electric don't go and whilst an immediate issue may not occur it can cause corrosion and rust leading to future issues. Sounds like you put a lot of effort into locating and trying to resolve the issue and makes sense on doing all 4 plugs for that reason (all be it they should be more transparent as to why doing all 4) - appreciated and sounds like a great solution you came up with. All the very best, David 👍
and just to add to the above, the glow plugs are not just for warming the cylinders on cold mornings to aid starting, but also crucial for the DPF functionality. If you have glow plugs issue then the van won't be doing its re-gen cycle to burn the soot out of the DPF and then you'll have some big bills. Another thing worthy of note is that if you crack the driver side mirror and replace it, make sure the replacement is not a cheap pattern part as the mirror housing has an air speed sensor in it which controls when the DPF de-gen cycle happens. If you replace it with one that doesn't have the sensor in it, your DPF will never re-gen and will quickly block. Leaking injectors are very common in them. If you smell diesel coming through the vents when you have the cab hot air blower running, that's what it'll be. Indicator dash flasher running at 2x normal speed when all the exterior bulbs are fine means your ECU is failing and will cost you £4000 for a new one. Very common fault. If it's a 6 speed manual, the gearbox WILL break every 30k miles or so as the bearings are made of chocolate. Box out and recon bearings typically £800 bill. You will know it's going because it will jump out of gear randomly. The Comfortmatic semi-auto box is even worse btw.
Thank you - I wasn't sure on the details of that but it really makes sense ref the DPF functionality - thank you for explaining it also ref the mirror housing. Some concerning problems - I have the 9sp Auto so hopefully it may last a bit longer unless any specifics on that one? thanks again, super helpful
@@LeisureBit no experience with the latest 9sp auto but the lack of discussions about it online suggests that it's one of the things that actually works properly on them!
Unfortunately it is often the case that its the dealer that can make the difference. I have had instances where the dealer has really fought my case and gone out of their way to help and get the repair authorised. It would seem that your dealer was not one of those! I had a conversation once with the service manager at my local Vauxhall dealership. My car had failed the MOT (included in my service plan) due to brake discs and pads. They had quoted me a price which I thought was excessive and I was telling him that I would get them done elsewhere and bring the car back for retest. He immediately said for me not to do that and he would match the cheapest price I could find and of course the car would have genuine parts fitted. He said that on cars with a delaership service history he would always support the customer and provide the best service possible to loyal customers and was his way of supporting the brand. Anyway, pleased that you got it sorted but agree that these experiences can affect one's perception of a particular brand.
Thank you - really interesting point regarding the dealer and fighting your case, it's a great point - it definitely does impact your perception - Pleased you managed to get things sorted out with your scenario. All the very best, David 👍
We've got 4 2020 Fiat Ducato's as recovery trucks . They eat through brakes (probably through carrying cars) despite putting Brembos on to last longer than budget brands. Also the clutches are starting to need replacing...the 1st one took our commercial fitter took 2 days to replace...the whole front end has to be removed...bonnet , bumper, headlights, radiators, front panel , bumper beam , etc , etc to remove the engine/gearbox before even getting to the clutch....i would get rid as you'll find a key clause in your warranty will be numerous items not covered because of wear and tear. I'm surprised they covered your glowplugs and not put them down to wear and tear unless this was the reason for computer says no and Fiat over-rode that to keep you happy and go back for your next motorhome . Thanks for pointing out the mobile caravan service place which I take are NCCA approved to keep warranty intact? We are not far from Durham and are getting our caravan serviced on our driveway by a different mobile approved Caravan service centre for its 2nd service in the summer.Re service prices my Santa Fe just out of warranty cost £178 for a dealer service including ALL under bonnet filters , cabin filter , oil and sump plug, clutch and brake fluid , courtesy car during service and 12 months Hyundai breakdown cover and maintaining a dealer service history thanks to prebooking online only for this price.
Yes, they said it was wear and tear but seemed to be replacing peoples under warranty (that's why computer said no) - That's right ref the warranty all be it that's almost expired on the habitation part now anyway. Thanks for the comment and insight, most appreciated.
Hi Rachel/David, nice Vlog and great to see your perseverance paid off, even though this shouldn’t happen, but unfortunately this is the world we live in. If you do sell your van will the extended 3 year warranty be changed over to the new owners or can you cancel it and retrieve some of the money back.
Thanks for the comment. Regarding the warranty - I believe you can transfer it to the new owner for a small re-registration fee, I don’t think you can get any money back on it though unfortunately. All the best, David 👍
Hi David, I had/I'm having a similar problem. We were just about to pick our new to us, 1.5 year old, 9.5k mile, 2021 Ducato based Campervan at the end of May last year when the supplying dealer said they had just seen a glow plug warning. They said they could take it to the FP dealer but there would be a delay in collecting it, I said yes OK please get it sorted. Apparently the FP dealer changed two glow plugs and I was told it had be been fixed. About 6 weeks ago the warning re-appeared occasionally and can't be investigated till the end of April when we will be away in the van. The first two glow plugs we fixed at no charge either by the supplying dealer's warranty or the FP warranty. The van is booked in for investigation in early May, it's done 2k miles since the last glow plugs, I'm not sure who is going to end up paying. It's not really good enough, but I do wonder to what extent the moisture problem and lack of use is a factor in all this. Did I also stumble across someone saying there had been a problem with a batch of glow plugs ?
Sorry to hear that - I wonder if they changed the two which were easily accessed and that cleared it - Sounds odd if it’s intermittent as you would expect them to fail I would assume - wonder if it’s connections or related to moisture - I did read up that it could be a number of things (plugs, wiring or control module) - I did wonder ref a problem batch as sounds like they aren’t isolated incidents, or whether something else could contribute such as type of fuel etc. Unfortunately you don’t get the parts to investigate. Hope you manage to get it sorted and permanently resolved. All the best, David 👍
Hi David, well done on not giving in and fighting for what should have been Fiat issue. Yet another "Fiat built in fault". Perhaps that's why convertors are ditching them for other chassis!
Thank you - appreciated - potentially could be - wonder what the comparative issues are with other makes and models - be interesting to see wouldn’t it. All the best, David 👍
whats the odds of all 4 glow plugs failing ////pretty remote i would say . Iwould have thought it was an electrical problem feeding the plugs or maybe somthing like that ... Anyway good to here its sorted .. I think its a one of and you were just unlucky ...another 100000 trouble free miles to come...A.T.B. Terry
Thanks for the comment - hope you're good :) Fingers crossed, I wondered the same but who knows but let's hope for no more problems. All the very best, David 👍
Glad you got sorted but as you say you shouldn't really have to chase. I made the mistake of our battery being a bit rubbish albeit the tracker does pull current all the time but didn't chase Fiat even though only about 6 months old from memory. When it started to play up more seriously after 2years I spoke to our local FP garage who said the batteries are rubbish and they don't keep them in stock. I when for a better one that will come off and the original will go back on when its traded in 😉. Cheers
Thanks Tim. Pleased it’s sorted and hopefully a better quality part was fitted as a replacement 🤞 Ref the battery, I’m thinking of changing mine (if I still have the van) just before the Winter as they seem to be good for about 3 years, noticed folks having problems with airbag module when batteries failing so thought it best to change as cheaper than sorting that if there was any warranty dispute again! Hope you’re good - enjoy the rest of the weekend, thanks again, David 👍
@@LeisureBit the battery will be available if you're interested - say no more 😉. Yes heard similar tale. Cancelled weekend again as both gone down with a flu type thing and feeling rough but soon be back at it. Hope you are all good to btw
Hi Rachel & David, you shouldn’t have to go through that getting warranty work done as fiat are happy taking money from us, so look after us or like you people will move on to another manufacturer. Wondering which garage you used for servicing. Love the videos and very interesting watching you fitting tech to the van. Thanks Mark
Hi Mark, thank very much, used SG Petch in Darlington for the servicing as it’s the local Fiat Professional dealer, also handy for work. Too true. All the very best, David 👍
It makes me wonder about the other vns in the Milan factory that build Fiats, Peugeots and Citroens. Do they have similar issues. There are differences I'm sure but there's also a lot of commonality. But I'm glad you got ti sorted.
Thank you - yes, I wondered about that too if they had the same components for things like this or different. Thanks very much, All the very best, David & Rachel 👍
Hi David and Rachel so sorry to hear you have had poor service from Fiat I would have expected glow plugs to be on the warranty and sound like faulty components as they last several thousand miles of use well done on challenging their decision and getting them to cover it in the end I’ve had exactly the same with Volkswagen and Peugeot and the worst was Ford who blamed a failed gearbox and dual mass flywheel at 13000 from new on my driving style but later after several examinations acknowledged it was a design and manufacturing fault! Agree with you it’s important to challenge and get things put right all the best Daniel
Thanks for the comment Daniel. Yes did sound like faulty components. That's not good ref the failed gearbox and DMF - bet you weren't happy when they said that. How cheeky. Pleased it got put right in the end but it could have been so much slicker as you said. All the very best, David 👍
Fiat would not warranty an exhaust sensor on our cv40 a few months back, 5,500 miles. A very common problem on these. But i'm within the 2 yr warranty period i explained, yes Fiat said you have 2 weeks of warranty left, but, we cannot book it in for a further 4 weeks to assess which sensor. Warranty out of date by 2 weeks i'm afraid. Unbelievable experience.
Sorry to hear that, you would expect them to honour from the day you flagged it and tried to book it in - not great at all! Crikey not good 😳. Thanks very much for the comment and all the very best, David 👍
Were they really faulty though? I got the same fault come up on my 13yr old Fiat Ducato. Glow plug warning and yellow light. Put it in for an MOT and told the garage about the fault. Anyway, to cut a long story short the van passed with no advisories and the garage also told me that it was the relay for the glow plugs that was faulty and causing the fault to come up on the dash. Replaced the relay at a fraction of the cost and everything as it should be. Other garages I contacted were all for renewing all 4 plugs. I was also warned that whilst replacing them they could break and add to my bill. Anyone else with the same error should get that relay checked.
Thanks for the comment. Makes sense, it could be connection, plugs, driver (relay) or other things couldn't it all could result in the same error. Thank you - all the best, David 👍
Glad you got things sorted, Fiat are the most widely used commercial van and widely used leisure vehicle, across Europe for good reason as they are the most reliable and parts are readily available. Unfortunately, your experience is common throughout the automotive/ leisure industry, Ford, VW, Sprinters, Citroen and Peugeot all have the same main dealer problems when issues arise. All these vans have significant reliability issues. If you check the time off road data, Fiat come out as the best ( I.e. less time off road). So I would suggest “ frying pan and fire “ should be considered.
Thanks very much for the comment, really useful insight and appreciate you flagging it. Beyond the service issues, I've not actually had any problems or break downs and the glow plugs didn't impact plans, more of an inconvenience having to mess on sorting it and go back in as they didn't have them in stock. Thanks again, really valid point will check it out - All the very best, David 👍
Garages always seem to want to find a way out. Looks a bad design if water can get to engine . I was always taught when I drove diesel vans and lorry’s etc to turn ignition then wait for glow plug light to got out then start…is this still the case as I see a lot of vanners just turn ignition all the way
Thanks Bob - it’s a really good point on waiting for the glow plug light to go out - I usually do as per driving vans since the 90s where I was taught to but on occasion I have turned all the way so not perfect at that - all the very best, David 👍
Hi David we have a brand new van fiat cv40 booked into fiat professional after waiting 3 weeks as earliest date they had took van in left with them rang up 3 days later asked if repairs have been done was told haven't even looked at it yet even though it was booked in asked when it would be looked at was told no idea as they were very busy but it was in the que, decided not to leave a 65k van in a gravel hgv yard indefinitely so went and picked it up service was rubbish still haven't got round to booking in else where, supplying dealer said they didn't have any booking available to sort the whale heating system out as it has problems van 3 months old I was told earliest they could look at it would be end of July that's service for you all the want to do is hab checks at £300 a time not warranty work. Once it's soldl they really don't want to know.
Sorry to hear that - Thats not good at all. It's quite difficult to get booked in, but you would expect it to be done when you do. What's the problem with the heating? is it not running on gas or electric? All the best, David 👍
Unbelievable you had to go through that experience.The best thing that has happened over the last 4 years is Fiat's stranglehold over the leisure market being broken.My extended warranty cost increased from the original quote only because they caused the delay in the vehicle being delivered! Totally get you've lost confidence but you could pay £000's and get the same elsewhere.
Thanks very much for the comment, really appreciate your views. You're right regarding potentially getting the same of a different problem elsewhere, it's always a concern. Sorry to hear about your warranty going up while waiting for a delayed delivery - that's not great. All the very best, David 👍
Heather’s Kia glow plugs failed at 36k 4 years old, Kia replaced without quibbling and supplied a courtesy car. Fiat dealerships seem hit and miss. See you next week 👍
Great when there is no quibble isn't it - not sure why they quibbled and you're right seems to be hit and miss - pleased it got sorted. Catch you next week :)
I have a Wildax (2022) based on a Citroen Relay (which is the same as the Fiat etc). It's the cost that gets to me!! The service schedule is 28000 miles or 2 years. However, we had a change oil message appear on the dash at 12500 miles in Jan whilst in Spain. The van is 19 months old. No issue re: driving starting etc, but as the oil indicator had gone from 3-4 blobs on the dash it was clear DPF regeneration and oil dilution had raised its ugly head. So urgent oil change needed once home!! I thought I may as well get the first service done - cost £650!!! gobsmacked!!! Oh and given most of our travels are typically dash to where we are going and then slow touring we can expect 10000 mile oil change intervals because of forced DPF regeneration!! So my view they are trying to extract the max amount of cash they can (They being Stellantis!!).
Thank you - It’s very expensive for the service isn’t it - Crikey - £650 sounds very steep - assume that was just the service and included oil change but nothing incremental above the service? All the best, David 👍
The glow plugs will be the least of your worries on these. I'm a van dealer and these Ducato, Relay and Boxers spend more time in the garage than on the road. EVERYTHING goes wrong on them and the bills typically start at 4 figures. If you intend keeping it beyond the warranty period, make sure you have access to a good credit line as you'll need it. I've love to recommend you a reliable brand but they're all much of a muchness these days I'm afraid.
Thank you very much for the comment and the insight - always a worry isn't it without a warranty as you hear some really scary repair bills as you say. Interesting you find they all are much of the muchness these days - all the best, David 👍
and one more thing! You mention rusty injectors. I can save you a fortune on investigating that! It's caused by the renowned unsealed windscreen on the ducatos, boxers and relays. You'll need to remove all the exterior plastic shroud at the base of the windscreen, then remove the corner sections. The water runs in under the seal (which isn't glued properly) at the bottom left end and right end of the windscreen. If you put a hook tool in under the edge, you'll easily be able to lift up the rubber. Get a tube of black sealant from a DIY shed and run a bead along all that section and you'll be good. If you don't, the water runs down into your injectors and rusts them solid in the head meaning you'll need a new engine at £12000 and the water also runs down the inside of the bulkhead, through all the electrics and fills your motorhome with water. If it gets squidgy under the floor mats, that/s what it is, but it's probably too late to save it by then. Usually the heel area on the driver's side is first to go as your heel punctures through the soggy floor. About half of the vans have been patched up here, and it's usually from water ingress from the windscreen. One of the telltale signs of the water ingress is the inside of your windscreen literally running with water from condensation the morning after a cold-ish night, when the outside is mostly dry (it's usually the other way round if the vehicle interior is dry).
Thank you very much for this, really appreciated, it's on my urgent to-do list to make sure I get it sorted properly - you would have thought after all the issues in 2007/2008 era with Scuttlegate they would have sorted any water on the engine issues out by now wouldn't you! Didn't know about it getting inside also - especially with all the rain we have been having. Thanks so much for the info and help - all the very best, David 👍
@@LeisureBit Yes, you are absolutely right - it was an issue on the pre-facelift too. But really that's the only thing that changed - a more modern front end while the rest of the van from the bonnet backwards is unchanged structurally. Definitely still a problem with the facelifts though. I had it on mine - a 2020 model - and I know we've had several others coming back for warranty work for the same issue. The truth of it is that all these vans are Fiat's underneath and the Italians have never managed to build a solid and reliable vehicle, ever.
Merc engines are the same 2.1 that’s fitted to ford. My mate runs a garage and repairs all brands and will tell you they are all sub standard like plastic oil pumps in fiats at £800 each etc
tbh they change all four as if they only change one or two the others will be weaker than the new ones and it can effect the ecucomputer i would have thought they would have explaned that but all the extra warrentys you had they should have just changed them all the best donny
@@LeisureBit it would yes the only car company i ever found helpful for new and used cars parts ect was subaru in early 2000s seems these days they take your money and run
Hi, it sounds dodgy to me. In retrospect, you should have asked for the glowplugs to be given back to you. They were your property. And then had them checked out by a reputable diesel engineer. All four failing tells me the problem was not the plugs but an electrical fault. I don't believe for one minute that failure of all four plugs was the issue. And i would advise against using that particular Fiat dealer again.
Thanks very much for the comment and views - really appreciated - with them being replaced on the end under warranty not sure I could have had them - clearly if I had paid what was asked I would have asked for them to understand the cause of failure. Thanks again, all the best, David 👍
Exactly, no need for it - could have been such a different experience couldn’t it - Computer just says what its been told to - thanks for watching, all the very best, David 👍
The current Ducato 8/9 has that water dripping on the glow plugs issue sorted with a specific inlet to evacuate the water. Poor customer service from Fiat and well done for not accepting it.
These problems are down to manufacturers going with the lowest priced suppliers for parts, it’s a race to the bottom. Parts are bought on price not on quality !
Thank you for your comment. You are probably right. It’s funny you say it as I have just been recording my CCTV review and in there I bought a “bargain “ camera which turned out to be rubbish. And I actually say “buy cheap buy twice” Rachel & David
Thank you - really great point about changing as may end up with a different set of issues or similar, and appreciate you sharing it. All the best, David 👍
HI, That was terrible service from the dealer. Inside two years all parts should be covered by manufacturers warranty. I would speak to Fiat customer service.
Thank you - thankfully they sorted it in the end but not without complaining about the decision which was initially made not to cover it - you’re right. All the best, David 👍
Mate, your a nice guy but I suspect that you expressing "How dissapointed I was" was as frightening as having an very angry butterfly show its rage that it cant get out of an open window.
You might be right 😀 They certainly knew i wasn’t happy when they said about the cost and there wasn’t a Mr Nice Guy when they said it wasn’t covered 🤬 I’m sure they may have thought that up to that point though - Thanks for the comment, all the best, David 👍
My gut feeling is they will claim from Fiat, but charge you anyway and pocket the lot. Double payment…. Some nasty people disgustingly refer to a “motorhome tax”. Go elsewhere if you can, vote with your feet, your suspicions will be right. The difference a good dealer makes with decent honourable staff, thinking about the long term of their business. … further to this, it saves them diagnosing the fault if they replace all 4… I wonder if Fiat will pay them for all 4 or just ones that have failed which may be just one, or could a connector even have come lose. I’m very suspicious about it all, as you say the mileage plus all 4 I smell a rat, a massive one!
Thank you - yes, something didn't seem right, I'm a logical person and logic didn't seem to apply - I wondered ref all 4 being replaced if it was to save working out which one it is - some sense if you have it apart to do one you may as well do the lot if there's been a bad batch or something too as they aren't overly expensive. I wondered on the connector too - seems to be ok now but things will have been unplugged and plugged of course. All the very best, David 👍
Thanks for the very well explained video. I can completely understand your concern. It’s almost as if, being cynical here, they try it on and see what happens. There is a perception that folks that own MotorHomes have a lot of wealth. I can’t believe that is Fiat policy. Think the garage we’re seeing how far to go. No way to prove it though. You did well standing your ground but it does leave a bitter taste and I can imagine how you felt that whole weekend. I took out the extended warranty but so far not needed it. If I do need it I will remember t try his story. Thanks for the video and bringing everyone’s attention to it. 🐶🐶🐶🚐🧙♂️👍
Thank you - I was totally taken aback that they would try it on as you don’t expect it do you. Certainly has left a bad taste - really surprised how many other folks have had issues though but also those who have things just sorted so interesting to see the variation on experience- some good tips on preventative too - all the very best, David 👍
Hi Rachel & David, shocked but not surprised but good to know this was remedied when you pushed further. Totally agree with you, a warranty should cover the owner for repairs such as these and you shouldn’t have to question them to get things remedied. I am sure these companies try to get out of warranty work because for every one person who will question it maybe 4 will just take them at their word and pay. Well done, great example for the rest of us. 😊👍
Thanks very much for the comment. It was great to get a resolution but such a shame it took the time it did and hassle to get there. Thanks again, really appreciated All the very best, David & Rachel 👍
Well done for making this public David. Social media is a powerful means of communication and some big companies are aware of this. We are soon moving from a caravan to a new campervan but after seeing your vlog and Bob Earnshaw’s problems with the air bag warning light we are also not confident with Fiat.
Thanks very much for the comment, I also saw Bob's on the airbag module and prior to getting the van, had seen some issues hence really wanting the extended warranty. A few folks have commented about issues with other brands too which is a good point - For me, there was variable service on this, some people got the issue fixed with no hassle, I wasn't one of them and they need to be consistent - if there's a problem, sort it. On a positive note, it's the only real problem I've had in the past 2 odd years and it didn't leave us stranded just wish they had simply sorted it without the push back initially, that's what I was so disappointed at - all the very best, David 👍
After a lifetime in the motor trade my mantra is don’t buy anything Italian unless it comes in a bottle !👍🏻🇬🇧
Hi David, sorry to hear about the poor service from Fiat. We had a similar bad experience. We bought a new Swift Compact in Dec 2021 and after 3 months the auxiliary water pump failed, the engine went into limp mode but we managed to get home. We called the Fiat breakdown service who said it was our responsibility to get the van to the dealer 20 miles away, costing £650! I argued our case and eventually it went to the dealer and was fixed but it took nearly 6 weeks 😩. We lost faith in the van and sold it a year later. We now have a Peugeot Consort Oslo and we’re very happy with it. Love your videos, cheers Rob
So sorry to hear that, you do lose faith with things like that don’t you. Such a shame. Pleased you are happy with the new Oslo, they look a nice conversion. Thanks very much, all the very best, David & Rachel 👍
Great you got your positive result in the end David, but you are so right in that you should never have been subject to that initial decision which ruined your weekend.
Main dealers can be so smug, and a nightmare. A Mazda we owned went in for a service a few years back. On picking it up we were told it needed complete new brakes all round, and a brake caliper renewing. They quoted £880. I took it to a local private garage. After their assessment, I was told the brakes were easily good for another 12 thousand miles, and they charged £32 to free up the sticking caliper!
Thank you - crikey - £880 what a shocker that would have been for you - £848 saving for you not getting it done also! All the very best, David 👍
Excellent vlog! I too felt the service I received with my motorhome was ‘a bit sketchy’ to say the least. Just like you said, people buy new hoping for at least a period of worry free motorhoming. I found myself constantly disappointed. By either, in my opinion a refusal to accept responsibility or just a seemingly deliberate placing of hurdles in the way of getting things dealt with!
And don’t get me started on build quality!
Thanks for the vlog 👍
Thank you - yes, you're just hoping for some worry free motoring as you say, if something does go wrong, it just gets sorted with no hassle. Thanks again, really appreciate the comment, all the best, David 👍
David that is terrible customer service - especially when you had bought extended warranty and service plan so that you could feel confident if anything did go wrong. Promotor to detractor - great phrase and hits the nail on the head. I know you must have felt strongly about it to do this vlog. Good on you. Sending love and hugs to you both and Roxy xxx
Thank you - I did expect more given the extended warranty and service plan as it would be clear from that I wasn't expecting any nasty surprises wouldn't it. I held off doing it for a while but still felt strongly on it and it has made us think about other manufacturers so thought it worth sharing and interesting to see we don't seem to be the only ones who have had the issue. Thanks so much for the comment, hope you're both doing good and hope to catch you soon xx David x
Many years back I had a brand new Renault Espace and loved it, no real issues, and two years later I got another one, brand new and over the next two years had nothing but glow plug problems!
Hi Neil, it can be a bit hit and miss can't it with vehicles, I haven't ever had a glow plug issue with any vehicles before so a new one for me. Wonder if different batches perform differently. Pleased it got sorted but would have been better if they just fixed it rather than pushing back and wanting money first. Hope you're good and hope to catch you soon, All the best, David 👍
Hi David, your vlog was very interesting and as always very factual. We have had problems with our Fiat part of our CV20, the van was approximately a year old when we went to France on holiday. A day into the holiday and the cab air conditioning failed as did the reversing camera and reversing lights. As it was June in France it was very hot so luckily we always have a backup fan for the dash that was quite effective.
On our return the Camper was booked into the dealership (Brown hills) and after much investigation they found a 'short' in the engine bay and fixed it Brown hills have been fantastic with us
I understand your lack of confidence with your van but personally it hasn't changed our approach to ours.
All the best Kay and Paul x
Thanks Kay and Paul - sounds like Brownhills did the right things and sort it out - really pleased it got sorted when you got back without hassle.
My disappointment was more on being asked to pay for failed parts rather than a problem occurring as get things happen and need to be fixed but I wasn’t expecting them to ask me to foot the bill for the replacements.
All in all, it is the only issue I’ve had and it’s sorted which is great and like you all things working as they should now. Its more brand confidence than van confidence that if anything else goes wrong they will try and charge for it 😳
Thanks again for the comment, All the very best, David 👍
Thank you for sharing your experience with Fiat assistance. I was understanding that it would be covered, after all we spent enough on the Fiat extended warranty.
Thank you - I also thought the same, sounds like some folks have had the issue and it’s been fixed without debate or asking for money - not sure why there’s the inconsistency as you said it should be covered. all the best, David & Rachel 👍
Interesting - we have a Fiat - based van and our service garage pointed out a glow plug issue (I'd probably ignored the dashboard warnings for a while), suggesting I should get the problem fixed under warranty. I booked the job in with Adams Morey at Portsmouth who were very helpful as we were right at the tail end of the 2 year warranty. The job was done - no charge but I was amazed to be told that 3 glow plugs had needed to be changed. Like you, I was really surprised bearing in mind the van mileage was only about 8k. Early on, shortly after getting the van, the exhaust sensor had to be replaced again under warranty!
Thanks very much - really appreciate the comment - I bought my extended warranty from Adams Morey in Portsmouth (we live no where near there but they were recommended - our local dealer said they didn't do them) - Not great is it failing so soon and interesting that you needed 3 doing. Pleased you didn't get any hassle when getting them sorted though - all the very best, David 👍
Had this problem last year on same van I had brought as second owner, took van back to original dealer ( Brown hills ) they fixed problem under warranty with no hassle. They change all plugs at same time to avoid further problems down the road! I believe things are getting very tight for dealers at present and they want to screw you at every opertunity!
Thank you - really pleased you got yours sorted without any hassle - still a worry that they are failing so soon but great you didn’t have any problems sorting! All the very best, David 👍
Hi David, Thanks for putting this out, it shows the typical customer service we get in this country, they try their luck to see if they can get money from people, well done for fighting. as for parts failing, yes this can happen and your right this wasn't the issue, my clutch hydraulics failed at 21000 miles.
Thanks for the comment - sorry to hear about your clutch hydraulics failing - hope you managed to get that sorted without too much hassle. All the very best, David 👍
David, helpful video.
Our 2021 Ducato had a Nox sensor fail at 2,500 miles. The sensor was replaced under warranty and it is a very common fault that occurs around 2,000 miles - I believe that the ECU counts Nox incidents in a certain mileage , and if the total count is greater than the preset, the EML is illuminated. The mileage seems to beset around 2,000 miles! The Nox sensor issue was a faulty batch apparently.
At 5,300 miles we got the 'Glow Plug' warning. Adams Moray Portsmouth replaced all 4 glow plugs under warranty with no issue. I assume that this was another faulty batch of components.
AM Portsmouth are excellent to deal with.
Finally, the scuttle leaks are a real risk to the injectors as you say. My scuttle and windscreen corners still leak even after sealing! I have sprayed our injectors with copper grease just in case water sits in the gulley where they go in to the head. I believe the glow plugs are further down the engine and not affected by water ingress.
Thank you - appreciate the comment - Pleased you got sorted without any hassle - Adams Morley seem really good, I bought my warranty from them - I need to have a look at my scuttle and try and make sure it’s sealed up properly to avoid the leak and see what I can do… thanks for flagging - all the best, David 👍
I have a T6, and the glow plug light came on.
Went for the replacements, first 3 were £25 each......The 4th was £115, l smiled wryly, but looks like l got off lightly.
I think dealerships have large forecourt windows, to see you coming.👍
Thanks for the comment, Yes that sounds very reasonable 😀 Wonder why the 4th was £115, perhaps harder to access? Still not too bad if you got the whole lot for under £200! Seems that way doesn’t it… all the very best, David 👍
We collected our new CV20 Vogue, ( mk8) some 3 months after you collected yours.We had 16 months of problems both Fiat and Elddis.
The vehicle was off the road in total for 4 months, 2 months in one stretch.
We perceived, loved the vehicle, but final straw was rust on roof panel sides.Fiat advised should have been picked up at PDI - yep.
The local Fiat Pro - Adams Morrey were most supportive and helpful.
My understanding, the mk8 was so good for late 21/22 that there is now a mk10
Really sorry to hear that, you don’t buy a van for it to be in the garage all the time do you - great to hear the dealer was helpful. Yes, there does seem to be a very rapid move in series, let’s hope they have resolved the issues now 🤞 all the very best, David 👍
Just like to share an experience I had with my 2019 Burstner, fiat ducato that i bought new. All motorhomes seem to be based on commercial vehicles and they have never struck me as hi end builds if I am honest , all share engines as far as I know. Not exactly the same problem , although I did get intermittent occasional messages regarding the Glow plugs. It went away and came back from time to time, never got to the bottom of it. Van was in its 3rd year and 9000 mile. I did manage to get a multimeter and check resistance and continuity on each glow plug, all checked out O.K also done the checks when the engine was hot and cold. Checked when the fault was present and when it wasnt........... I reckon changing the 4 would be as a precaution to be honest. Alot of work to get at the plugs is my opinion , so I would do the 4 whilst there. Anyway I never found a hard fault and it stayed off a long time. Checked fuse 50 etc in my fault finding, no issues. The other thing which is extremely hard to find was the glow plug module, easy when you know, they can be suspect so I bought another for £50 . Eventually found it on the passenger side , below the fuse box and between the outside of the chassie leg and the wing, absolute pig to find as I would never expect it to be there. Just in case someone is looking for it , take off the passenger wheel and the plastic arch liner, point a torch toward the front of the van and its pretty high up , its the easiest way to access it in my humble opinion. I changed it out but it never fixed the issue. It might work as they used to go in the pre face lift vans (pre 2014 ) .
I would also like to add this comment. The same van with less than 3000 miles when I came home after a 60 mile trip , I parked on my drive overnight. Nothing strange there! The issue kicked off the next morning , when I went to start it to put it in store. It had rained heavy during the night! Started fine , then after a short time , the engine management light came on. Couldnt believe it. I had a look in the engine bay, what I found was the passenger side of the engine bay has the ECU multipin plug and a fuse box close by. It was very wet. As water and electrics really are not meant to be best buddies, I decided this may be the cause of my issue. Anyway , I called fiat professional , got a nice lady on reception. While i was booking it in for further checking , I just ran the scenario past her as she seemed a knowledgeable person. She could see the sense in my logic. Anyway van booked in , I then decided why the water found its way into the engine bay. With the bonnet open, I got my garden hose and sprayed the water onto the roof of the MH. The water ran off the roof down the glass on the passenger side of the windscreen. It hit the plastic scuttle and most of it ran away in the scuttle drain. However a fair bit went underneath the scuttle and straight into the engine bay , landing on the multipin plus. I had put a plastic bag over the plug before my test , but the issue for me was identified. I looked closely at the scuttle and they are very much a hit and miss kind of seal. I conjured up a plastic cover from a black lunch box that I managed to fit in place over the plug and the fuse box. I removed the passenger headlight to get it fitting nice and snug. I then done my hose test , The water done the same and it hit my cover which diverted the water out past the inside of the passenger wing , basically where fiat s drain from the scuttle goes. Back to the yellow light. We had a few dry days and as I was booked in to fiat professional , I started the van the day before i was due to drop off the van. No yellow light, started it several times that day , no issues. Phoned fiat, no point in taking it in mate is what I got, roll on another 9000 miles and no issue with the water bothering the electrics, or yellow light coming on.
Final thoughts as of today. I feel (not proven) that the water running onto the multi pin plug a few years ago may have caused corrosion on the wires / electrical pins. Corrosion on an electrical connection can cause intermittent issues. Potentially causing my intermittent glow plug issue. To be fair the multipin plug does look a well sealed item and people may argue no water ingress is possible. I may have got lucky with my lunch box idea or the fault disappeared. It remains in place though . I dont know and havent checked if the wiring at the multipin plug goes to the glow plug module etc etc. On occasion in very cold weather the engine when started a rough start up, sounded like it was off a cylinder , other times in cold weather no issue.
Apologys for hi jacking the thread , thats my story, I have traded the van after year 4 , still got a fiat truck , its an A class van this time even worse to work on , I must check with the hose test. Check your own van to see how tight the scuttle seals. My other advice would be vans that are in storage , I would make sure the van is on an incline so the rain runs off the roof away from the front screen if possible or down the drivers side of the van and avoid the chance of wet electrics if you dont like to fit an additional cover over multipin plugs. If anyone gets further with a resolution to this issue, i would love to hear what the fix was. Hopefully a proper root cause. Thank you.
Thank you for the very comprehensive insight and information. I think water getting into the engine bay could well have something to do with a number of issues as you mentioned, water and electric don't go and whilst an immediate issue may not occur it can cause corrosion and rust leading to future issues. Sounds like you put a lot of effort into locating and trying to resolve the issue and makes sense on doing all 4 plugs for that reason (all be it they should be more transparent as to why doing all 4) - appreciated and sounds like a great solution you came up with. All the very best, David 👍
and just to add to the above, the glow plugs are not just for warming the cylinders on cold mornings to aid starting, but also crucial for the DPF functionality. If you have glow plugs issue then the van won't be doing its re-gen cycle to burn the soot out of the DPF and then you'll have some big bills. Another thing worthy of note is that if you crack the driver side mirror and replace it, make sure the replacement is not a cheap pattern part as the mirror housing has an air speed sensor in it which controls when the DPF de-gen cycle happens. If you replace it with one that doesn't have the sensor in it, your DPF will never re-gen and will quickly block.
Leaking injectors are very common in them. If you smell diesel coming through the vents when you have the cab hot air blower running, that's what it'll be.
Indicator dash flasher running at 2x normal speed when all the exterior bulbs are fine means your ECU is failing and will cost you £4000 for a new one. Very common fault.
If it's a 6 speed manual, the gearbox WILL break every 30k miles or so as the bearings are made of chocolate. Box out and recon bearings typically £800 bill. You will know it's going because it will jump out of gear randomly. The Comfortmatic semi-auto box is even worse btw.
Thank you - I wasn't sure on the details of that but it really makes sense ref the DPF functionality - thank you for explaining it also ref the mirror housing. Some concerning problems - I have the 9sp Auto so hopefully it may last a bit longer unless any specifics on that one? thanks again, super helpful
@@LeisureBit no experience with the latest 9sp auto but the lack of discussions about it online suggests that it's one of the things that actually works properly on them!
Unfortunately it is often the case that its the dealer that can make the difference. I have had instances where the dealer has really fought my case and gone out of their way to help and get the repair authorised. It would seem that your dealer was not one of those! I had a conversation once with the service manager at my local Vauxhall dealership. My car had failed the MOT (included in my service plan) due to brake discs and pads. They had quoted me a price which I thought was excessive and I was telling him that I would get them done elsewhere and bring the car back for retest. He immediately said for me not to do that and he would match the cheapest price I could find and of course the car would have genuine parts fitted. He said that on cars with a delaership service history he would always support the customer and provide the best service possible to loyal customers and was his way of supporting the brand.
Anyway, pleased that you got it sorted but agree that these experiences can affect one's perception of a particular brand.
Thank you - really interesting point regarding the dealer and fighting your case, it's a great point - it definitely does impact your perception - Pleased you managed to get things sorted out with your scenario. All the very best, David 👍
We've got 4 2020 Fiat Ducato's as recovery trucks . They eat through brakes (probably through carrying cars) despite putting Brembos on to last longer than budget brands. Also the clutches are starting to need replacing...the 1st one took our commercial fitter took 2 days to replace...the whole front end has to be removed...bonnet , bumper, headlights, radiators, front panel , bumper beam , etc , etc to remove the engine/gearbox before even getting to the clutch....i would get rid as you'll find a key clause in your warranty will be numerous items not covered because of wear and tear. I'm surprised they covered your glowplugs and not put them down to wear and tear unless this was the reason for computer says no and Fiat over-rode that to keep you happy and go back for your next motorhome .
Thanks for pointing out the mobile caravan service place which I take are NCCA approved to keep warranty intact? We are not far from Durham and are getting our caravan serviced on our driveway by a different mobile approved Caravan service centre for its 2nd service in the summer.Re service prices my Santa Fe just out of warranty cost £178 for a dealer service including ALL under bonnet filters , cabin filter , oil and sump plug, clutch and brake fluid , courtesy car during service and 12 months Hyundai breakdown cover and maintaining a dealer service history thanks to prebooking online only for this price.
Yes, they said it was wear and tear but seemed to be replacing peoples under warranty (that's why computer said no) - That's right ref the warranty all be it that's almost expired on the habitation part now anyway. Thanks for the comment and insight, most appreciated.
Hi Rachel/David, nice Vlog and great to see your perseverance paid off, even though this shouldn’t happen, but unfortunately this is the world we live in.
If you do sell your van will the extended 3 year warranty be changed over to the new owners or can you cancel it and retrieve some of the money back.
Thanks for the comment. Regarding the warranty - I believe you can transfer it to the new owner for a small re-registration fee, I don’t think you can get any money back on it though unfortunately. All the best, David 👍
Hear hear. All well said as usual. Nothing to add 👏
Thanks very much - really appreciated - all the best, David 👍
Hi David, I had/I'm having a similar problem. We were just about to pick our new to us, 1.5 year old, 9.5k mile, 2021 Ducato based Campervan at the end of May last year when the supplying dealer said they had just seen a glow plug warning. They said they could take it to the FP dealer but there would be a delay in collecting it, I said yes OK please get it sorted. Apparently the FP dealer changed two glow plugs and I was told it had be been fixed. About 6 weeks ago the warning re-appeared occasionally and can't be investigated till the end of April when we will be away in the van. The first two glow plugs we fixed at no charge either by the supplying dealer's warranty or the FP warranty. The van is booked in for investigation in early May, it's done 2k miles since the last glow plugs, I'm not sure who is going to end up paying. It's not really good enough, but I do wonder to what extent the moisture problem and lack of use is a factor in all this. Did I also stumble across someone saying there had been a problem with a batch of glow plugs ?
Sorry to hear that - I wonder if they changed the two which were easily accessed and that cleared it - Sounds odd if it’s intermittent as you would expect them to fail I would assume - wonder if it’s connections or related to moisture - I did read up that it could be a number of things (plugs, wiring or control module) - I did wonder ref a problem batch as sounds like they aren’t isolated incidents, or whether something else could contribute such as type of fuel etc. Unfortunately you don’t get the parts to investigate. Hope you manage to get it sorted and permanently resolved. All the best, David 👍
Hi David, well done on not giving in and fighting for what should have been Fiat issue. Yet another "Fiat built in fault". Perhaps that's why convertors are ditching them for other chassis!
Thank you - appreciated - potentially could be - wonder what the comparative issues are with other makes and models - be interesting to see wouldn’t it. All the best, David 👍
whats the odds of all 4 glow plugs failing ////pretty remote i would say . Iwould have thought it was an electrical problem feeding the plugs or maybe somthing like that ... Anyway good to here its sorted .. I think its a one of and you were just unlucky ...another 100000 trouble free miles to come...A.T.B. Terry
Thanks for the comment - hope you're good :) Fingers crossed, I wondered the same but who knows but let's hope for no more problems. All the very best, David 👍
Glad you got sorted but as you say you shouldn't really have to chase. I made the mistake of our battery being a bit rubbish albeit the tracker does pull current all the time but didn't chase Fiat even though only about 6 months old from memory. When it started to play up more seriously after 2years I spoke to our local FP garage who said the batteries are rubbish and they don't keep them in stock. I when for a better one that will come off and the original will go back on when its traded in 😉. Cheers
Thanks Tim. Pleased it’s sorted and hopefully a better quality part was fitted as a replacement 🤞 Ref the battery, I’m thinking of changing mine (if I still have the van) just before the Winter as they seem to be good for about 3 years, noticed folks having problems with airbag module when batteries failing so thought it best to change as cheaper than sorting that if there was any warranty dispute again!
Hope you’re good - enjoy the rest of the weekend, thanks again, David 👍
@@LeisureBit the battery will be available if you're interested - say no more 😉. Yes heard similar tale. Cancelled weekend again as both gone down with a flu type thing and feeling rough but soon be back at it. Hope you are all good to btw
Hi Rachel & David, you shouldn’t have to go through that getting warranty work done as fiat are happy taking money from us, so look after us or like you people will move on to another manufacturer. Wondering which garage you used for servicing. Love the videos and very interesting watching you fitting tech to the van. Thanks Mark
Hi Mark, thank very much, used SG Petch in Darlington for the servicing as it’s the local Fiat Professional dealer, also handy for work. Too true. All the very best, David 👍
It makes me wonder about the other vns in the Milan factory that build Fiats, Peugeots and Citroens. Do they have similar issues. There are differences I'm sure but there's also a lot of commonality. But I'm glad you got ti sorted.
Thank you - yes, I wondered about that too if they had the same components for things like this or different. Thanks very much, All the very best, David & Rachel 👍
Hi David and Rachel so sorry to hear you have had poor service from Fiat I would have expected glow plugs to be on the warranty and sound like faulty components as they last several thousand miles of use well done on challenging their decision and getting them to cover it in the end I’ve had exactly the same with Volkswagen and Peugeot and the worst was Ford who blamed a failed gearbox and dual mass flywheel at 13000 from new on my driving style but later after several examinations acknowledged it was a design and manufacturing fault! Agree with you it’s important to challenge and get things put right all the best Daniel
Thanks for the comment Daniel. Yes did sound like faulty components. That's not good ref the failed gearbox and DMF - bet you weren't happy when they said that. How cheeky. Pleased it got put right in the end but it could have been so much slicker as you said. All the very best, David 👍
Fiat would not warranty an exhaust sensor on our cv40 a few months back, 5,500 miles. A very common problem on these. But i'm within the 2 yr warranty period i explained, yes Fiat said you have 2 weeks of warranty left, but, we cannot book it in for a further 4 weeks to assess which sensor. Warranty out of date by 2 weeks i'm afraid. Unbelievable experience.
Sorry to hear that, you would expect them to honour from the day you flagged it and tried to book it in - not great at all! Crikey not good 😳. Thanks very much for the comment and all the very best, David 👍
That’s shocking! 😮
Fiat Professional Cardiff, £600!
Were they really faulty though? I got the same fault come up on my 13yr old Fiat Ducato. Glow plug warning and yellow light. Put it in for an MOT and told the garage about the fault. Anyway, to cut a long story short the van passed with no advisories and the garage also told me that it was the relay for the glow plugs that was faulty and causing the fault to come up on the dash. Replaced the relay at a fraction of the cost and everything as it should be. Other garages I contacted were all for renewing all 4 plugs. I was also warned that whilst replacing them they could break and add to my bill. Anyone else with the same error should get that relay checked.
Thanks for the comment. Makes sense, it could be connection, plugs, driver (relay) or other things couldn't it all could result in the same error. Thank you - all the best, David 👍
Glad you got things sorted, Fiat are the most widely used commercial van and widely used leisure vehicle, across Europe for good reason as they are the most reliable and parts are readily available. Unfortunately, your experience is common throughout the automotive/ leisure industry, Ford, VW, Sprinters, Citroen and Peugeot all have the same main dealer problems when issues arise. All these vans have significant reliability issues. If you check the time off road data, Fiat come out as the best ( I.e. less time off road). So I would suggest “ frying pan and fire “ should be considered.
Thanks very much for the comment, really useful insight and appreciate you flagging it. Beyond the service issues, I've not actually had any problems or break downs and the glow plugs didn't impact plans, more of an inconvenience having to mess on sorting it and go back in as they didn't have them in stock. Thanks again, really valid point will check it out - All the very best, David 👍
I’ve had Fiat Vans for a number of years, in many guises, only had one issue with a sensor failure after less than 20 miles from new.
Garages always seem to want to find a way out.
Looks a bad design if water can get to engine .
I was always taught when I drove diesel vans and lorry’s etc to turn ignition then wait for glow plug light to got out then start…is this still the case as I see a lot of vanners just turn ignition all the way
Thanks Bob - it’s a really good point on waiting for the glow plug light to go out - I usually do as per driving vans since the 90s where I was taught to but on occasion I have turned all the way so not perfect at that - all the very best, David 👍
Hi David we have a brand new van fiat cv40 booked into fiat professional after waiting 3 weeks as earliest date they had took van in left with them rang up 3 days later asked if repairs have been done was told haven't even looked at it yet even though it was booked in asked when it would be looked at was told no idea as they were very busy but it was in the que, decided not to leave a 65k van in a gravel hgv yard indefinitely so went and picked it up service was rubbish still haven't got round to booking in else where, supplying dealer said they didn't have any booking available to sort the whale heating system out as it has problems van 3 months old I was told earliest they could look at it would be end of July that's service for you all the want to do is hab checks at £300 a time not warranty work. Once it's soldl they really don't want to know.
Sorry to hear that - Thats not good at all. It's quite difficult to get booked in, but you would expect it to be done when you do. What's the problem with the heating? is it not running on gas or electric? All the best, David 👍
Unbelievable you had to go through that experience.The best thing that has happened over the last 4 years is Fiat's stranglehold over the leisure market being broken.My extended warranty cost increased from the original quote only because they caused the delay in the vehicle being delivered! Totally get you've lost confidence but you could pay £000's and get the same elsewhere.
Thanks very much for the comment, really appreciate your views. You're right regarding potentially getting the same of a different problem elsewhere, it's always a concern. Sorry to hear about your warranty going up while waiting for a delayed delivery - that's not great. All the very best, David 👍
Heather’s Kia glow plugs failed at 36k 4 years old, Kia replaced without quibbling and supplied a courtesy car. Fiat dealerships seem hit and miss. See you next week 👍
Great when there is no quibble isn't it - not sure why they quibbled and you're right seems to be hit and miss - pleased it got sorted. Catch you next week :)
I have a Wildax (2022) based on a Citroen Relay (which is the same as the Fiat etc). It's the cost that gets to me!! The service schedule is 28000 miles or 2 years. However, we had a change oil message appear on the dash at 12500 miles in Jan whilst in Spain. The van is 19 months old. No issue re: driving starting etc, but as the oil indicator had gone from 3-4 blobs on the dash it was clear DPF regeneration and oil dilution had raised its ugly head. So urgent oil change needed once home!! I thought I may as well get the first service done - cost £650!!! gobsmacked!!! Oh and given most of our travels are typically dash to where we are going and then slow touring we can expect 10000 mile oil change intervals because of forced DPF regeneration!! So my view they are trying to extract the max amount of cash they can (They being Stellantis!!).
Thank you - It’s very expensive for the service isn’t it - Crikey - £650 sounds very steep - assume that was just the service and included oil change but nothing incremental above the service?
All the best, David 👍
@@LeisureBit Yes just the service - no issues at all - Citroen menu pricing!!
Our FIAT garage was a nightmare when our DPF failed. So expensive, very unhelpful.
It seems to be a reoccurring theme 😬 thank you for sharing your experience too x
Rachel & David
The glow plugs will be the least of your worries on these. I'm a van dealer and these Ducato, Relay and Boxers spend more time in the garage than on the road. EVERYTHING goes wrong on them and the bills typically start at 4 figures. If you intend keeping it beyond the warranty period, make sure you have access to a good credit line as you'll need it. I've love to recommend you a reliable brand but they're all much of a muchness these days I'm afraid.
Thank you very much for the comment and the insight - always a worry isn't it without a warranty as you hear some really scary repair bills as you say. Interesting you find they all are much of the muchness these days - all the best, David 👍
Always seems to be the same, get your money ,then it's difficult to get problems sorted.
A little bit more care and they would likely get money in the future eh - thanks for the comment and for watching, all the very best, David & Rachel 👍
and one more thing! You mention rusty injectors. I can save you a fortune on investigating that! It's caused by the renowned unsealed windscreen on the ducatos, boxers and relays. You'll need to remove all the exterior plastic shroud at the base of the windscreen, then remove the corner sections. The water runs in under the seal (which isn't glued properly) at the bottom left end and right end of the windscreen. If you put a hook tool in under the edge, you'll easily be able to lift up the rubber. Get a tube of black sealant from a DIY shed and run a bead along all that section and you'll be good. If you don't, the water runs down into your injectors and rusts them solid in the head meaning you'll need a new engine at £12000 and the water also runs down the inside of the bulkhead, through all the electrics and fills your motorhome with water. If it gets squidgy under the floor mats, that/s what it is, but it's probably too late to save it by then. Usually the heel area on the driver's side is first to go as your heel punctures through the soggy floor. About half of the vans have been patched up here, and it's usually from water ingress from the windscreen. One of the telltale signs of the water ingress is the inside of your windscreen literally running with water from condensation the morning after a cold-ish night, when the outside is mostly dry (it's usually the other way round if the vehicle interior is dry).
Thank you very much for this, really appreciated, it's on my urgent to-do list to make sure I get it sorted properly - you would have thought after all the issues in 2007/2008 era with Scuttlegate they would have sorted any water on the engine issues out by now wouldn't you! Didn't know about it getting inside also - especially with all the rain we have been having. Thanks so much for the info and help - all the very best, David 👍
@@LeisureBit Yes, you are absolutely right - it was an issue on the pre-facelift too. But really that's the only thing that changed - a more modern front end while the rest of the van from the bonnet backwards is unchanged structurally. Definitely still a problem with the facelifts though. I had it on mine - a 2020 model - and I know we've had several others coming back for warranty work for the same issue.
The truth of it is that all these vans are Fiat's underneath and the Italians have never managed to build a solid and reliable vehicle, ever.
Merc engines are the same 2.1 that’s fitted to ford. My mate runs a garage and repairs all brands and will tell you they are all sub standard like plastic oil pumps in fiats at £800 each etc
Thanks very much, sounds like each brand has it's quirks. Really appreciate the comment, all the very best, David 👍
tbh they change all four as if they only change one or two the others will be weaker than the new ones and it can effect the ecucomputer i would have thought they would have explaned that but all the extra warrentys you had they should have just changed them all the best donny
Thank you - Makes sense - would have been nice if they had just done it without the quibble eh. All the best, David 👍
@@LeisureBit it would yes the only car company i ever found helpful for new and used cars parts ect was subaru in early 2000s seems these days they take your money and run
Hi, it sounds dodgy to me. In retrospect, you should have asked for the glowplugs to be given back to you. They were your property.
And then had them checked out by a reputable diesel engineer.
All four failing tells me the problem was not the plugs but an electrical fault.
I don't believe for one minute that failure of all four plugs was the issue.
And i would advise against using that particular Fiat dealer again.
Thanks very much for the comment and views - really appreciated - with them being replaced on the end under warranty not sure I could have had them - clearly if I had paid what was asked I would have asked for them to understand the cause of failure. Thanks again, all the best, David 👍
It is the computer says NO bit that annoys me.
Exactly, no need for it - could have been such a different experience couldn’t it - Computer just says what its been told to - thanks for watching, all the very best, David 👍
We had our two year service done £720 the fiat done just under 3000 miles so yes not happy
Crikey, that's a lot - I think the base cost of mine was £525. Was that just for the service or extra work also? All the best, David 👍
The current Ducato 8/9 has that water dripping on the glow plugs issue sorted with a specific inlet to evacuate the water. Poor customer service from Fiat and well done for not accepting it.
That’s great to hear that it’s sorted out - appreciate the comment - all the best, David 👍
These problems are down to manufacturers going with the lowest priced suppliers for parts, it’s a race to the bottom.
Parts are bought on price not on quality !
Thank you for your comment. You are probably right. It’s funny you say it as I have just been recording my CCTV review and in there I bought a “bargain “ camera which turned out to be rubbish. And I actually say “buy cheap buy twice”
Rachel & David
@@LeisureBit Of course there’s the element luck involved too ! 👍🏻🇬🇧
Plus they drive much better than the Ducato. Cheaper spares than the VW equivalent.😮
Thank you - appreciated.
Forgot to say think all new makes are the same so don’t just jump ship, fords are just as bad VW the same
Thank you - really great point about changing as may end up with a different set of issues or similar, and appreciate you sharing it. All the best, David 👍
HI, That was terrible service from the dealer. Inside two years all parts should be covered by manufacturers warranty. I would speak to Fiat customer service.
Thank you - thankfully they sorted it in the end but not without complaining about the decision which was initially made not to cover it - you’re right. All the best, David 👍
Mate, your a nice guy but I suspect that you expressing "How dissapointed I was" was as frightening as having an very angry butterfly show its rage that it cant get out of an open window.
You might be right 😀 They certainly knew i wasn’t happy when they said about the cost and there wasn’t a Mr Nice Guy when they said it wasn’t covered 🤬 I’m sure they may have thought that up to that point though - Thanks for the comment, all the best, David 👍
My gut feeling is they will claim from Fiat, but charge you anyway and pocket the lot. Double payment…. Some nasty people disgustingly refer to a “motorhome tax”. Go elsewhere if you can, vote with your feet, your suspicions will be right. The difference a good dealer makes with decent honourable staff, thinking about the long term of their business. … further to this, it saves them diagnosing the fault if they replace all 4… I wonder if Fiat will pay them for all 4 or just ones that have failed which may be just one, or could a connector even have come lose. I’m very suspicious about it all, as you say the mileage plus all 4 I smell a rat, a massive one!
Thank you - yes, something didn't seem right, I'm a logical person and logic didn't seem to apply - I wondered ref all 4 being replaced if it was to save working out which one it is - some sense if you have it apart to do one you may as well do the lot if there's been a bad batch or something too as they aren't overly expensive.
I wondered on the connector too - seems to be ok now but things will have been unplugged and plugged of course. All the very best, David 👍
No worries, hopefully if you use them again they will realise you won’t let them get away with it (so just sort it fairly, no messing!!)
No chance I would be paying that.
I was pleased it got sorted in the end without needing to pay - thanks for the comment - all the best, David 👍
Thanks for the very well explained video. I can completely understand your concern. It’s almost as if, being cynical here, they try it on and see what happens. There is a perception that folks that own MotorHomes have a lot of wealth. I can’t believe that is Fiat policy. Think the garage we’re seeing how far to go. No way to prove it though. You did well standing your ground but it does leave a bitter taste and I can imagine how you felt that whole weekend. I took out the extended warranty but so far not needed it. If I do need it I will remember t try his story. Thanks for the video and bringing everyone’s attention to it. 🐶🐶🐶🚐🧙♂️👍
Thank you - I was totally taken aback that they would try it on as you don’t expect it do you. Certainly has left a bad taste - really surprised how many other folks have had issues though but also those who have things just sorted so interesting to see the variation on experience- some good tips on preventative too - all the very best, David 👍
Go MAN 24 hour service as they support MAN trucks.
Thank you - I was looking at MAN as some good options you can add - thank you - all the best, David 👍