Fiat Linea Emotion pk MJD - Owner's pride, neighbour's envy.

bnzjon · 31st January 2010, 22:24

Where exactly are these areas ? Is it the boot corner and the engine bay ?
Looks like more places are rusted.

IMO, these are not minor rusts. Pls get it rectfied asap to avoid spreading.

drdeepudev · 31st January 2010, 22:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnzjon

Where exactly are these areas ? Is it the boot corner and the engine bay ?
Looks like more places are rusted.

IMO, these are not minor rusts. Pls get it rectfied asap to avoid spreading.

Yes it is. Those are boot corners and the engine bay. The thread of gtx007 was kind of an inspiration to discover those.

vsarath · 1st February 2010, 02:16

Oh Deepu, since your car is light in shade you can easily make out. In my case I need to check in detail to find these rust since it is Flamingo Red. But this is quite disturbing to see Linea getting rusted so quickly when FIAT claims about assurance in quality. Also they have warranty against rusting too. As you know, it doesn't make sense when FIAT is replacing all parts later. In case of rusting, they will be replacing that part by sending the non painted part to TASS and getting it painted in TASS paint booth. The process of painting a car in factory and service centers are totally different. In factory, they dip the car in heated pain, while in service center, they spray paint it. Then how can FIAT claim that they will rectify these issues by replacing the part and restoring it to factory setup ??? I do not know if I'm getting too far, but I feel that we all need to come together and ask for a recall.

geeash · 1st February 2010, 08:30

Oh My God. it is giving me creeps!!. Now i have to look at the engine bay also.

It is hightime i have to look in every nook and corner now. it is really giving me great jitters!!

UKR · 2nd February 2010, 12:29

Drdeepudev, sad to see all the rusting. Did you get a chance to highlight this to the service center? Have you checked under the rear door inner rubber beedings also where Bnzjon's Linea had developed rusting? If not I would suggest you do so asap.

I had checked my Linea for this and it is at the initial stages of rusting. The rubber beeding has an inner metal lining which is at a higher state of rust and this is spreading to the doors also. Thanks to the info I got from Lineans in Team bhp especially Bnzjon, I was able to find this. I was told that spare beedings have arrived at the service center would be replaced tomorrow.

I had noticed rust on the front shock absorber bolts quite a while back in my Linea but thought it was a non issue.

donzerus · 2nd February 2010, 12:35

Quote:

I had noticed rust on the front shock absorber bolts quite a while back in my Linea but thought it was a non issue.

Last Sunday, I visited a Tata-Fiat showroom in Chennai to check out the Punto. There were two Dec-2009 manufactured Puntos for display and both of them had rust in the front shock absorber bolts. Really shocking.

geeash · 2nd February 2010, 18:21

Drdeepudev,

had a talk on your behalf top the fiat techincal works manager mr.murali subramaniam who is specially deputed from Mumbai/Pune division to oversee issues of binze and my car in chennai .
he told me that
it seems that the stud screw on the shocks mount on each side and on the engine near the belt are made of cast iron and since it is of cast iron it will rust on exposure to air and it is entirely normal .

He even took me to other puntos and linea (even manza) in the dealership and showed me . all had minimal rusting on these parts only.

But the rust on the bonnet mount screw and the doors are not normal and needs to be taken care of .

so take your car to Tass as soon as possible and get the thing resolved.
it seems fiat has put a red alert on all the dealership to report the case of abnormal rust and are willing to take countersteps to resolve all the issues ASAP.

bnzjon · 2nd February 2010, 18:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by geeash

Drdeepudev,

had a talk on your behalf top the fiat techincal works manager mr.murali subramaniam who is specially deputed from Mumbai/Pune division to oversee issues of binze and my car in chennai .
he told me that
it seems that the stud screw on the shocks mount on each side and on the engine near the belt are made of cast iron and since it is of cast iron it will rust on exposure to air and it is entirely normal .

He even took me to other puntos and linea (even manza) in the dealership and showed me . all had minimal rusting on these parts only.

But the rust on the bonnet mount screw and the doors are not normal and needs to be taken care of .

so take your car to Tass as soon as possible and get the thing resolved.
it seems fiat has put a red alert on all the dealership to report the case of abnormal rust and are willing to take countersteps to resolve all the issues ASAP.

Rusting on cast iron is fine and is inevitable, say at disc brakes, screw on shocks etc. We could see this in all cars.

The rusting on door/boot edges, underneath the rubber beadings and bonnet mount screw is very very dangerous and need to be treated immediately.

drdeepudev · 2nd February 2010, 22:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by UKR

Did you get a chance to highlight this to the service center? Have you checked under the rear door inner rubber beedings also where Bnzjon's Linea had developed rusting? If not I would suggest you do so asap.

I had noticed rust on the front shock absorber bolts quite a while back in my Linea but thought it was a non issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by geeash

Drdeepudev,

had a talk on your behalf top the fiat techincal works manager mr.murali subramaniam who is specially deputed from Mumbai/Pune division to oversee issues of binze and my car in chennai .
he told me that
it seems that the stud screw on the shocks mount on each side and on the engine near the belt are made of cast iron and since it is of cast iron it will rust on exposure to air and it is entirely normal .

But the rust on the bonnet mount screw and the doors are not normal and needs to be taken care of .

so take your car to Tass as soon as possible and get the thing resolved.
it seems fiat has put a red alert on all the dealership to report the case of abnormal rust and are willing to take countersteps to resolve all the issues ASAP.

Thank you ukr and Dr. ashwin for the support and input. Today I had a talk with the sales satisfaction manager of concorde motors, cochin. She is bit surprised with the issue and gave me an answer that this was for the first time in concorde cochin, that any of the lineas has developed a rusting issue. She advised me to bring the car to the dealership ASAP or she will be arranging for a pick up and delivery(Whether free or paid, im not sure). She was quite apologetic for the issue. So, I will be taking the car on coming thursday and it will be due for its 3000km checkup. Il be updating about the happenings.

Amartya · 2nd February 2010, 22:42

Don't worry about it Dr.Dev, I am certain Fiat is going to sort this out. Bnzjon's Linea got good service, although I must say he was very patient too.

Best of luck with the service, be firm but polite, it'll work

.

bnzjon · 2nd February 2010, 22:53

" Be firm but polite "

For the TASS guys, its another vehicle. For you, its your dream and passion.

Speak to FIAT directly. Mangesh is the contact person.
Speaking to FIAT directly will help you as its their reputation at stake. FIAT will also ensure that the work is done on priority.

drdeepudev · 2nd February 2010, 23:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnzjon

" Be firm but polite "

For the TASS guys, its another vehicle. For you, its your dream and passion.

Speak to FIAT directly. Mangesh is the contact person.
Speaking to FIAT directly will help you as its their reputation at stake. FIAT will also ensure that the work is done on priority.

Yes binze." Firm but polite". Il keep it in mind.

. Rightly said. Its kind of a passion for me. Could you PM the contact number of Mangesh or will I be getting it from their website? What is the procedure? Sorry to ask, but its my first issue.

bnzjon · 2nd February 2010, 23:15

Just now send you the contact phone no and mail id through PM.
Please send a mail as well as speak to him.

drdeepudev · 2nd February 2010, 23:22

Thank you binze, will do as you said and will be updating the interactions.

drdeepudev · 4th February 2010, 22:10

As advised by bnzjon, I had shot an email to Mr. Mangesh of Fiat stating the issue. Very soon I got a reply from him apologising for the inconvinience along with an assurance of rectifying the issue. Soon, I got a call from Mr. Perumal of Concorde motors and was advised to bring the car to the dealer asap. I had given it today afternoon around 4pm. Mr. Perumal, along with Mr.Salil (works manager) examined the vehicle carefully and took note of the rusted areas along with a few photographs. He had spotted few more minor areas in the boot which was missed by me. We had spent around an hour to check those. As per them, Im the first linean in concorde motors, cochin to raise the issue of rusting and will be taken up seriously. There is some kind of red alert going on in Tata - Fiat dealership regarding this rusting issue. My issue will be presented before top officials of Fiat for advice and I will updated as and when decisions come.(this is what I was informed).
More over, my vehicle has reached 3000kms and is due for the first service/check up. Few issues raised by me were :
1. paint related issue in the front bumber and few touch ups here and there.
2. Sound from wiper.
3. A minor rattling sound from rear, which mr. salil opined could be from rear link bar.
4. Pull to left side on highways.
Mr. Sibi is my service advisor and the date of completion of work would be 6th feb (saturday).
Il update if anything comes up tomorrow. Im tensed on how things will be turning up. But, Im happy that Fiat had taken my issue seriously and made things faster. (till now, don't know what's going to happen tomorrow

)

31st January 2010, 22:24	#76
bnzjon BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Dubai Posts: 836 Thanked: 127 Times View My Garage	Where exactly are these areas ? Is it the boot corner and the engine bay ? Looks like more places are rusted. IMO, these are not minor rusts. Pls get it rectfied asap to avoid spreading. Last edited by bnzjon : 31st January 2010 at 22:38.
	() Thanks

1st February 2010, 02:16	#78
vsarath BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Alleppey Posts: 34 Thanked: 8 Times	Oh Deepu, since your car is light in shade you can easily make out. In my case I need to check in detail to find these rust since it is Flamingo Red. But this is quite disturbing to see Linea getting rusted so quickly when FIAT claims about assurance in quality. Also they have warranty against rusting too. As you know, it doesn't make sense when FIAT is replacing all parts later. In case of rusting, they will be replacing that part by sending the non painted part to TASS and getting it painted in TASS paint booth. The process of painting a car in factory and service centers are totally different. In factory, they dip the car in heated pain, while in service center, they spray paint it. Then how can FIAT claim that they will rectify these issues by replacing the part and restoring it to factory setup ??? I do not know if I'm getting too far, but I feel that we all need to come together and ask for a recall.
	() Thanks

1st February 2010, 08:30	#79
geeash Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,513 Thanked: 146 Times	Oh My God. it is giving me creeps!!. Now i have to look at the engine bay also. It is hightime i have to look in every nook and corner now. it is really giving me great jitters!!
	() Thanks

2nd February 2010, 12:29	#80
UKR BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Trivandrum/Bangalore Posts: 90 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	Drdeepudev, sad to see all the rusting. Did you get a chance to highlight this to the service center? Have you checked under the rear door inner rubber beedings also where Bnzjon's Linea had developed rusting? If not I would suggest you do so asap. I had checked my Linea for this and it is at the initial stages of rusting. The rubber beeding has an inner metal lining which is at a higher state of rust and this is spreading to the doors also. Thanks to the info I got from Lineans in Team bhp especially Bnzjon, I was able to find this. I was told that spare beedings have arrived at the service center would be replaced tomorrow. I had noticed rust on the front shock absorber bolts quite a while back in my Linea but thought it was a non issue.
	() Thanks

2nd February 2010, 18:21	#82
geeash Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,513 Thanked: 146 Times	Drdeepudev, had a talk on your behalf top the fiat techincal works manager mr.murali subramaniam who is specially deputed from Mumbai/Pune division to oversee issues of binze and my car in chennai . he told me that it seems that the stud screw on the shocks mount on each side and on the engine near the belt are made of cast iron and since it is of cast iron it will rust on exposure to air and it is entirely normal . He even took me to other puntos and linea (even manza) in the dealership and showed me . all had minimal rusting on these parts only. But the rust on the bonnet mount screw and the doors are not normal and needs to be taken care of . so take your car to Tass as soon as possible and get the thing resolved. it seems fiat has put a red alert on all the dealership to report the case of abnormal rust and are willing to take countersteps to resolve all the issues ASAP. Last edited by geeash : 2nd February 2010 at 18:26.
	() Thanks

2nd February 2010, 22:42	#85
Amartya Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Evanston Posts: 1,748 Thanked: 736 Times	Don't worry about it Dr.Dev, I am certain Fiat is going to sort this out. Bnzjon's Linea got good service, although I must say he was very patient too. Best of luck with the service, be firm but polite, it'll work .
	() Thanks

2nd February 2010, 22:53	#86
bnzjon BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Dubai Posts: 836 Thanked: 127 Times View My Garage	" Be firm but polite " For the TASS guys, its another vehicle. For you, its your dream and passion. Speak to FIAT directly. Mangesh is the contact person. Speaking to FIAT directly will help you as its their reputation at stake. FIAT will also ensure that the work is done on priority.
	() Thanks

2nd February 2010, 23:15	#88
bnzjon BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Dubai Posts: 836 Thanked: 127 Times View My Garage	Just now send you the contact phone no and mail id through PM. Please send a mail as well as speak to him.
	() Thanks

2nd February 2010, 23:22	#89
drdeepudev BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Alleppey, Kerala Posts: 230 Thanked: 57 Times	Thank you binze, will do as you said and will be updating the interactions.
	() Thanks

4th February 2010, 22:10	#90
drdeepudev BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Alleppey, Kerala Posts: 230 Thanked: 57 Times	Linea, now in concorde, cochin. As advised by bnzjon, I had shot an email to Mr. Mangesh of Fiat stating the issue. Very soon I got a reply from him apologising for the inconvinience along with an assurance of rectifying the issue. Soon, I got a call from Mr. Perumal of Concorde motors and was advised to bring the car to the dealer asap. I had given it today afternoon around 4pm. Mr. Perumal, along with Mr.Salil (works manager) examined the vehicle carefully and took note of the rusted areas along with a few photographs. He had spotted few more minor areas in the boot which was missed by me. We had spent around an hour to check those. As per them, Im the first linean in concorde motors, cochin to raise the issue of rusting and will be taken up seriously. There is some kind of red alert going on in Tata - Fiat dealership regarding this rusting issue. My issue will be presented before top officials of Fiat for advice and I will updated as and when decisions come.(this is what I was informed). More over, my vehicle has reached 3000kms and is due for the first service/check up. Few issues raised by me were : 1. paint related issue in the front bumber and few touch ups here and there. 2. Sound from wiper. 3. A minor rattling sound from rear, which mr. salil opined could be from rear link bar. 4. Pull to left side on highways. Mr. Sibi is my service advisor and the date of completion of work would be 6th feb (saturday). Il update if anything comes up tomorrow. Im tensed on how things will be turning up. But, Im happy that Fiat had taken my issue seriously and made things faster. (till now, don't know what's going to happen tomorrow )
	() Thanks