Hi.

Just bought my wife (well me too!!) an Abarth 500 EsseEsse and have found this forum very useful - it's a good place, unlike some other marque forums!

I first posted on the wobbly clutch pedal thread as I've discovered our new car has the same issue and a number of others

* Top side stripe sticker peeling off on the front wing.
* Tyre pressure indicator not clearing when tyre set to correct pressure (or a range of pressures either side).
* Coolant gradually disappearing (have read on here of oil cooler, water pump and weeping hose issues).
* Black paint falling off the engine bay EsseEsse badge.
* Only one of the washer jets working (I guess I can fix that easily enough ).

We've only had the car a week. It's just turned 6000 mile so an oil change service is in order and at the same time I will get these items addressed on the warranty.

I have a choice of Rockingham or Slough dealerships as one is close to my work and the other close to my parents so don't mind which I visit. Are there any benefits of going to one over the other? The only difference I have found is a 35 GBP difference in the cost of the oil change service, Slough quoted 100 and Rockingham 65 - a service which I can get done at my local Fiat dealer who will use the correct parts and likely charge less that the 65 GBP Rockingham have quoted and keep my warranty intact.

So that's the ranting over. A little about me...I'm a bit of a petrol head, having owned a few different marques over the years and am a real fan of the Elise having run Elises since 1997, and the 500 is the first car to put a real smile on face since the Elise. I do sprinting and hillclibing in the Elise (it is much modified) - holding the class record at Gurston Down - where I understand the Abarth was launched in Feb last year - not found anything on the forum about it?

The one bad thing about the 500 is the damping... I will be speaking to the comany that I use for the Elise (Nitron) to see if they have any plans for the 500...

Welcome to the forum!

The central locking on my new A500 packed up after one day of ownership and I took it to Thames Slough for warranty work. I was impressed with the service they provided - they took their time to determine the exact fault, fixed the error and I haven't had any problems since. I have now booked my car in again for next Wednesday to have one of the side stripes replaced under warranty as it peeled off during washing. Again, I have found the service staff very friendly and helpful.

I have no experience of Rockingham so couldn't tell you which is better but from the service received from Slough so far, I would recommend them.

Rockingham are a good bunch, got my car from them and they serviced it today, I need to leave feed back  . Just a note if it is over a year old as well as 6k miles you have to get the pollen filter changed which adds a wack to the cost.

I'm good with the common complaints: The washer jets have a tendancy on the 500 and Panda range to pop in the frost if the anti freeze isn't just right. You can get it  done under warranty or if you are like me and miles from a dealer its a 30 second job to change one they are a 'sealed' unit, I just bought the part as it was cheaper then the petrol

I have a fuel card

I can't see the non-replacement of a pollen filter being used as an excuse to back out of major mechanical warranty work. I will have a careful read of the T&Cs.

Thanks for the welcomes and also dealer feedback.

I spoke to both and Slough were far more flexible regarding a loan car. They appreciated that I would be travelling a fair way and were prepared to book a car for 4 days to allow for time to assess the issues and order in parts, then fit. On the other hand Rockingham wanted me to take my car for diagnosis, and then return when they had the parts in - they were however almost half the price of Slough for an oil/filter and pollen filter change! I will most likely use a local specialist or my local Fiat dealer that work, Rockingham could have had it had they been more accomodating with the loan car.