Photo: Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
2 faults documented by at least two sources, listed by version then by mileage at onset when known.
2 known faults
The M32 gearbox fitted to the 1.4 T-Jet is reported as a weak point: Car Checker sees it as the main concern on the Abarth Grande Punto. On FiatForum, owners attribute the wear of the 5th and 6th gear bearings to poor lubrication, and describe a whine, mainly in 6th gear under load, more common on remapped cars. These are testimonies, not statistics.
Car Checker lists the electric power steering column among the weak points of the Abarth Grande Punto. L'argus reports a recall of 43,666 Grande Punto cars built from May to September 2006 (about 3,000 of them in France) for a possible defect in the upper part of the column, on the universal joint side; What Car? also mentions recalls, one of which concerns a possible steering failure. The 2006 recall does not explicitly target the Abarth: have the serial number checked at a dealer.
Fixed free of charge by a dealer and not counted in the reliability score: ask for proof the work was done (invoice, or a VIN check at a dealer).
The M32 gearbox fitted to the 1.4 T-Jet is reported as a weak point: Car Checker sees it as the main concern on the Abarth Grande Punto. On FiatForum, owners attribute the wear of the 5th and 6th gear bearings to poor lubrication, and describe a whine, mainly in 6th gear under load, more common on remapped cars. These are testimonies, not statistics.
Car Checker lists the electric power steering column among the weak points of the Abarth Grande Punto. L'argus reports a recall of 43,666 Grande Punto cars built from May to September 2006 (about 3,000 of them in France) for a possible defect in the upper part of the column, on the universal joint side; What Car? also mentions recalls, one of which concerns a possible steering failure. The 2006 recall does not explicitly target the Abarth: have the serial number checked at a dealer.
Fixed free of charge by a dealer and not counted in the reliability score: ask for proof the work was done (invoice, or a VIN check at a dealer).
No recurring fault documented for: 1.4 MultiAir 165.
An OBD scanner plugged in under the steering wheel shows stored fault codes, even with warning lights off: useful during the test drive.
Compare prices of parts for the Abarth Grande Punto / Punto Evo 199 (timing, brakes, filters) to estimate the repairs to plan for.