Soon to be Abarth owner

[docpowell]

I am looking to buy a fun commuter car. I have a large truck that drinks diesel and is a pain to park in the city. I drive for work and I have really enjoyed the Abarths. I have 2 2013s available, clean with 32k and 27k miles each. I also have found a 2012 with only 7100 miles. Clean carfax with maintenance records.

Which way should I go? Any issues with a 12 vs 13? Thanks.

[Saponetta]

7100 mile all the way as long as they dont tjink its some rare gem worth an absurd price. There are tons of low mile cars across the cointry. I paid a little over 9k for a 3800 mile 2013 about 1.5 years ago.

[smark]

Check out cars.com for used Abarth’s across the country.

https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searchresults.action/?dealerType=all&mdId=20483&mkId=20060&page=1&perPage=20&rd=99999&searchSource=GN_REFINEMENT&sort=relevance&trId=47744&zc=66215

[Saponetta]

Jist buy the 7100 and enjoy. Change the oil every 3 or 4k miles and it will make a great car. Dont follow the oil light or fiat interval.

[map]

Personally, if the same cost, I'd consider a '13, to avoid the 2012 problems. See if they have paperwork showing service intervals. Carfax might show mileage @ registration intervals. I might pass on any that have been simply sitting for a couple years.

Whichever you go with, I'd have a pre-purchase inspection done by your local mechanic. After purchase, I'd have a dealer run a scan to see which bulletins were skipped.

[smark]

Ditto above.... Make sure all the service records are made available to you. That the previous owner followed the Fiat maintenance service schedules over the years. Oil changes, tire rotation, filters, spark plugs etc. Look over the car really good, for previous body repair. That all Fiat factory recall campaigns, were preformed. If it’s a manual transmission. The pressure plate, was replaced. I’d stay away from any heavily modified Abarth’s. All together. If a vehicle is sold to a used car dealership. Sometimes you can type in the vin number. To a web search, and vehicles information, will come up on the vehicle. If service was preformed, by a authorized Fiat dealership. Even collision information.

Make sure if available... you are provided, both key fobs.

[Saponetta]

As a professional mechanic, assuming all cars had factory fiat oil change intervals, I'd rather have the 7100 mile car and whatever minor teething g issues 2012 cars do or do not have than a car that has the accelerated wear on every lubricated component that basically getting 3 oil changes to its 4 quart oil supply did over 30k+ miles. Of course this logic disregards any kind of time based intervals, but that's the basics of how people service their late model cars these days. Trust me. It's a no brainer.

Most people on here have experience with their personal cars only. A favtory tech sees hundreds of cars over and over. Sees what happens as they age. Can take 10 seconds to see the reason I'm replacing this engine is because the service records show it got 6 oil changes in 70k miles. Vs the 12 minimum it should have had. If you take 10 cars and change the oil every 3k, all 10 will typically go 100k miles without ever needing a major engine repair. Now take 10 cars and give them the 8 or 10k oil change intervals most.manudactires recomend. 5 or 6 might hit that 100k milestone without a major engine repair. clean, fresh, 5w 40 is absolutely critical to the multiair brick operation and life. Even disregarding more critical and expensive components like main and rod bearings, you're asking for trouble. This cars oil is run extremely hot and there just ismt enough of it really. Oil lives a hard life in this motor.