In-depth reviews

Fiat Qubo owner reviews

"For the money, the Fiat Qubo is a seriously impressive all-round performer"

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by Richard Ingram

12 Feb 2014

.polaris__post-meta--date { display: none; } .polaris__post-meta--date.no-script { display: block; padding-left: 45px } 12 Feb 2014

Carbuyer Rating

2.5 out of 5

Owners Rating

3.7 out of 5

Reviews

Owner Reviews

5 out of 5
4 out of 5
3 out of 5
2 out of 5
1 out of 5

45%of people would recommend this car to a friend

Common Problems

Suspension (2 cases)
Electrics (1 case)
Engine (2 cases)
Brakes, Electrics, Suspension (1 case)
Other (2 cases)
Brakes (1 case)
Brakes, Electrics, Engine, Gearbox / clutch, Suspension, Other (1 case)
Electrics, Gearbox / clutch, Other (1 case)
Electrics, Engine, Other (1 case)

Review 1 of 20

Tell us what you think about your car?

I'm third owner on this car so whatever problems it may have had, they were addressed. I've used it almost daily for 7 months now and other than a broken suspension coil spring (I suspect a pothole did it) and a service, it's been trouble free. Performance is peppy for the little 1248cc diesel. When turbo cuts in, it brings a smile to your face. Not as frugal as figures suggest but not too bad at all. Handles and corners well for such a tall car. Brakes very good. Loves front tyres. Had to replace them in the short time i've had it. Boot space is tall rather than deep. Rear sliding doors perfect for back seat passengers. All round visibility is excellent and the door mirrors are fantastic compared to other cars i've driven previously. Looks are quirky and van like, probably the reason for low sales figures. I do get engine shudder if I change up to 5th while under 40-50mph but knowing that you get to learn how to work the gears and speed to avoid it. Steering wheel controls, usb and voice command which recognises my iphone is excellent in such a budget car.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Had the Qubo 11 months now and it's still going strong. I've taken seats out to use as van! Great carvan and it sits on the motorway just fine. £30 road tax. The Qubo had 30,000 and now has about 48,000 My niggles are - Cup holders probably the worst possible position next to handbrake and doesn't fit decent size cup. Boot seems flimsy. Seat position seems high - I'm 5'8 and my legs seem maxed to the floor hard to explain but if you're shorter than me you may not touch the floor/ like a high chair! OK if you're tall. Between 40mph and 50mph-ish it does judder as if the car is in wrong gear - to be honest it's not a major problem to me and I wouldn't sit at the speed it judders. Just change down - 4th is still OK at that speed. The turbo whistles a lot - I do assume it's normal and it's not been changed in my time. It's perfect as a van and it's fairly economical - I get round town 47mpg ie probably normal driving for most. On motorway I get between 56/ 64 mpg and that's with two plumbers + two lots of plumbing tools which are very heavy. Could do with more length but other than that it's good for me.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No issues

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Reliable car, rubbish electrics eg windows go down when you move the switch to up.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

For a 1300cc diesel engine, that is not quite run in yet, it is the next thing to a 'pocket rocket' once you get over 1500 revs. You could say it has a bit of a turbo lag at low revs.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Its an ideal family car thats cheap to run

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Within 2 months of owning the vehicle the water pump failed it just over a week to fix. then 3 months later the thermostat housing failed and that took the same time to repair but they still did not fix the car corectly coolant started to leak at the bleed nipples i fixed this myself. but other then that it's great for space with 2 kids and lots can fit in.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Since buying I've had to have both front suspension bearings replaced, two new sets of front tyres and the heater fan no longer works, but it still a good little car despite its faults.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I have a Fiat Qubo whci cost me £12,000 with about 1500 miles on the clock. When it had only 5000 miles on the clock it filled the driving cab with fumes. I returned it to a FIAT APPROVED DEALER in Plymouth. They "repaired the fault". I then drove to Stoke on Trent. When I got there there was smoke pouring out from under the bonnet. FIAT APPROVED DEALER had forgotten to put the diesel return hose clips on. The RAC filed a report which I took to the FIAT APPROVED DEALER(and now my solicitor). NO APOLOGY. Car had to go in to the FIAT APPROVED DEALER for a steam clean and for all the diesel filled foam to be replaced. When I picked it up and drove away there was a rattling noise. I lifted the bonnet only to discover they had left a pipe disconnected! I took it back. NO APOLOGY! The Fiat has been plagued with "Limp MODE" faults (on average 2 a week ever since it first went to the FIAT APPROVED DEALER. I had never had limp mode faults before). Often stopping in the middle of a busy road for no reason. It would then sometimes drive ok for weeks then fail again. It has made 14 visits to the garage each time they wanted to charge £120 to tell me there was nothing wrong with the car (diagnostics were never conclusive). So the Car is now only 4 years old. Done only 50000 miles. It broke down in August and has been in the FIAT APPROVED DEALER Garage since the 24th August. Fiat Technical have been involved since 6th October. Fiat technical kept telling the FIAT APPROVED DEALER what to change. ALL OF WHICH DID NOT RESOLVE THE FAULT. Finally, last week, they traced the fault to the fuel pump. The new pump was ordered by the FIAT APPROVED DEALER and it arrived this week and IT WAS THE WRONG PUMP FOR THE CAR. I am expected to pay for all the time for swapping things that were not faulty. The total bill? £2200. I have complained to Fiat, who don't care. I have been a Fiat owner for 20 years. The newer models and in particular the Multijet engines, are not reliable. Google "1.3 multijet engine" for engine management problems. I am not alone. There are thousands of people with issues. I WILL NEVER EVER BUY ANOTHER FIAT. I pick up the car Tomorrow 11 weeks after it went into the Garage!!! Anyone want to buy a heap of scrap metal?

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Had car 5 months, 6000 miles and for a new car only 1 minor fault with a brake switch.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Good cost/benefit for the value

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

It's brilliantly practical. With a 13 month old daughter and a dog to deal with, sliding doors are a boon. Lots of internal space and a decent boot are really useful. The added advantage is the overall dimensions are a compact. It is very tardis like! With hindsight (and because of partners back problem) an auto would have been a better option, but were (and still are) quite rare. Looking at an auto clutch and cruise control to retrofit. Oh, the other good thing, because of its height and quirky looks its easy to find in a car park!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This car has been an absolute nightmare from day one! It's spent more time at the garage being "fixed" than it has being driven and despite a new engine 100 miles ago its still broken! After two engines it's only managed 6,600 miles in total so far.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Not long after I bought the car I reported to the dealer that the car shuddered at times when it entered 5th gear. The problem never went away, and the dealer's computer said 'no' and there was nothing they could do. Then, one of the rear seat belts 'malfunctioned'...mechanical failure. Very confidence giving. Despite constant complaints to the dealer about the gearbox, they were adamant that nothing was wrong. Finally after 17 months of unenjoyable driving, the gearbox made the car dangerous to drive. Heaven help anyone with the same problem as the car is now entering its 5th week off the road as Fiat can't get the replacement part and don't know when it will be available. Don't be fooled by the Fiat's MPG figures either, not that you can ever expect to get near a return quoted from lab conditions, but compared to MINI, they are some distance apart . It's a shame that such a versatile little car is let down by other niggly little faults, has seat belts that I have no confidence in and the very fact that Fiat are unable to supply a part which is keeping my car off the road. As my Qubo is a Motability car, thank goodness I have their support and help. When I asked my dealer if I could have a courtesy car when the Qubo became too dangerous to drive, I was told that they required 3 weeks advance notice for a courtesy car.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

very good no problems so far

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I have owned my Qubo since new. I am a Fiat master technician. I have been very pleased with my Qubo. I have experienced the juddering problem, it can be solved by a software update on the engine management ecu, which can be carried out by your local fiat dealership. Other than that problem all items replaced have been service items, brake pads etc. I am running the vehicle on snow tyres and have found the handling and ride a lot better. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Big car space, small car size and price. Easy to drive and easy to manoeuvre and park due to box-like shape. Upright and easy to see out of. Sliding doors make easy to get passengers in and out, and room for my 2 older children (both over 6 foot) and their younger sister in back in car seat if needed. No other car this length and width would fit the family in. Not the fastest car on the road, but certainly much better after 25,000 miles than when it was new. WIll happily sit at motorway speed if needed. Automatic gearbox requires a certain driving style. If left to its own devices it sometimes makes the wrong choice when to change and can be rough, but careful accelerator control makes it change when you want and can be reasonably smooth. Faults:- Electrics - none Sliding doors - none Engine / gearbox - none Front suspension upper bearings - replaced twice as became noisy. (common fault.) Breakdowns - none Unusual expenses - eats front tyres.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I would not buy another fiat qubo as they are very noisy there is quite a roar above 45 mph which may be coming from either the mirrors or the luggage rack bars fitted to the roof or both which can be quite wearing on average journeys.the dealer that does my servicing is not the dealer i bought it from but it is the nearest dealer to where i reside and they are not what they should be when it comes to technical knowledge and customer satisfaction. I have been back to them with two concerns and felt i was being patronised and knew nothing about the concern that i went to see them about. the rear boot door lock had to be replaced as it was showing that the door was open all the time when it was not it took two days to get another lock and when it was fitted after approx 100 miles the rear door started rattling all the time upon examination i found that all 4 bolts holding the lock secure worked very loose and would have come altogether in a short time certainly before i got back home the dealer servicing part have got quite a way to go the other problem was a cooling concern which is still ongoing which when asked about i was in not quite so many words told that i was little out of touch with modern motors as there is not a thermostat as such fitted in this engine and it staying cold or taking a long time to warm up to working temperature because of the excessively cold weather and i was not to be concerned about although the heater was cold for longer than it should have been. No i would not buy another fiat i think perhaps on reflection a citroen or peugeot engine would have performed bettter and the dealer service is certainly better in my area.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I have the trekking version with 95 bhp. It's quiet for a diesel and very nippy. It has had no faults in 6 months. I am really pleased with it. The suspension is supple with no noticeable body roll. The gearbox is slick and a pleasure to use. I have read so many negative reviews of this vehicle that I am compelled to write!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

It is a good car but i have aproblem.It Shudders between 40 and 50 miles an hour in top gear.As Far as fiat is concerned there is nothing wrong with it.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

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