Used Fiat Grande Punto review and buying guide (2006 to 2010): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Fiat Grande Punto should you buy?

Buy the Grande Punto with the healthiest steering rather than a particular year, because electric power steering failure is a known fault on the 2008 to 2010 cars. Complaints about failed steering motors were arriving by 2010, just as early cars came out of warranty, so the one to have steers lightly and evenly whatever its age.

Ask for paperwork proving the recalls were done, as there are several. In 2006 Fiat recalled UK cars that had left the factory missing a steering column plate meant to spread the force of a knee hitting it in a serious crash. A 2007 recall dealt with cars fitted with incorrect brake pipes, and a separate bulletin gave a small number of 57 reg cars a new wiper motor and a new heater wiring loom.

The engine and gearbox matter more than the year. The 1.3 MultiJet diesel carries the car's one High severity known fault, a particulate filter that struggles to regenerate on short journeys, and the Dualogic automated manual's hydraulic actuator is a known weak point between 17,000 and 55,000 miles. Get those right and there's a roomy, solidly built car underneath that's enjoyable on the road.

Which Grande Punto engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 1.3 MultiJet diesel is the one to be most careful with, because its particulate filter regeneration is a High severity known fault that can show up anywhere from 14,000 to 100,000 miles. On short trips and town driving, fuel meant to burn the filter clean can fail to combust, the oil level climbs above the maximum and an 'oil exhausted' light comes on. At worst the engine can rev out of control, so don't buy one whose dipstick reads over the top mark.

There's a second job to ask about on the 1.3 MultiJet. In 2008 Fiat issued a service bulletin to fit new head gaskets to a batch of these engines made in India, with the parts reaching dealers from March 2008, so ask for proof the work was done.

The Dualogic automated manual is an ordinary gearbox moved by a hydraulic actuator, and that actuator is its known weak point between 17,000 and 55,000 miles: it can split and drip fluid over the wiring, and the pump can give up. One owner paid a specialist £2,500 for a new actuator, then paid a different garage £1,500 when it failed again just over a year later.

One owner writing in 2012 said 1.3 MultiJets were starting to show gearbox trouble at around five years old. That's a single report rather than a proven pattern, but it's reason enough to feel for crunching or baulking changes on a diesel test drive, and to ask whether the gearbox has ever needed work.

What should you check when viewing a used Grande Punto?

The steering comes first: with the engine running, turn the wheel from lock to lock while parked and again at walking pace, and it should feel light and even throughout. Heavy, notchy or suddenly unassisted steering, or a power steering warning light, points to the electric power steering. One owner's car needed a new steering rack, a front damper and driveshaft bearings by 5,000 miles, so listen for clonks over bumps too.

On a 1.3 MultiJet, pull the dipstick before the engine's started: oil sitting above the maximum mark is the particulate filter problem showing itself, and an 'oil exhausted' light on the dash says the same. On a Dualogic, select first and reverse several times from rest and watch for the gearbox warning light; a car that won't engage them, or slips into neutral on the move, has actuator trouble.

Try every door with the central locking and with the key, since there have been reports of trouble with the door locks. On the drive, brake firmly several times rather than once: one owner complained of severe brake fade, so a pedal that goes long or stopping power that drops away after repeated use isn't something to ignore.

Paperwork matters on this car. Ask for proof the steering column plate recall and the brake pipe recall were carried out, the wiper motor and heater loom work on a 57 reg car, and the head gasket bulletin on a 1.3 MultiJet. Receipts for a replaced steering motor or rack, or a Dualogic actuator, are worth having too, because they show a known weak part has already been renewed.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

Is a used Fiat Grande Punto Type 199 (2006 to 2010) worth buying?

It's worth buying if the steering's healthy and you're choosy about the engine and gearbox. Underneath, it's spacious, solidly made and enjoyable to drive, but the electric power steering can lose its assistance altogether on 2008 to 2010 cars, leaving the wheel very heavy with a warning light on the dash.

The 1.3 MultiJet diesel is the version to be wariest of: its particulate filter trouble covers the 2008 to 2010 cars, can surface anywhere from 14,000 to 100,000 miles and is worst on cars used for short journeys. The Dualogic automated manual's actuator is the other weak point on 2007 to 2010 cars, showing up between 17,000 and 55,000 miles as a gearbox warning light, a refusal to select first or reverse, or the car dropping into neutral while you're driving.

Early cars had their own fixes: a 2006 recall for the missing steering column plate, a 2007 recall for wrong brake pipes, and head gasket work on some Indian built 1.3 MultiJets in 2008. One owner reported a new steering rack, front damper and driveshaft bearings by 5,000 miles, so listen hard for knocks from the front end on an early car.

What does a used Fiat Grande Punto cost to run?