Fiat Grande Panda review - Reliability & safety
“Fiat performs badly in terms of customer satisfaction and safety is yet to be put to the test”
Unfortunately, Fiat performs pretty terribly in terms of customer satisfaction in the Driver Power survey. In the most recent 2024 edition, the brand came in second-last in 31st place ahead only of MG. We think this is a reflection of the fact that the brand has essentially been selling extremely longstanding and frankly outdated models in recent years, but the all-new Grande Panda is part of a big push to modernise the brand’s lineup.
It’s too early to say how the Grande Panda will perform in terms of reliability, but this is one area where Fiat actually excels, with just 11.8% of Fiat owners reporting an issue with their car in the first year. In fact, the tech underpinning the Grande Panda has already been widely used by Stellantis sister brands such as Peugeot, Citroen and Vauxhall, all of which boast better-than average fault rates of just 20.8%, 15.1% and 21%, respectively.
How safe is the Fiat Grande Panda?
Safety is yet to be put to the test by Euro NCAP, and neither have sister cars the Citroen C3 or Vauxhall Frontera. The Jeep Avenger – another related model – did achieve a disappointing three-star rating when it was tested in September 2024 with particularly subpar scores in the safety assist category, so it will be interesting to see how the Grande Panda fares as it shares a lot of its safety tech.
What is the warranty on the Fiat Grande Panda?
Fiat’s warranty is nothing to write home about, with its cars covered for up to three years or 60,000 miles. That may have been about the industry standard a few years ago, but many manufacturers are offering more comprehensive warranties, such as Dacia which covers its cars for up to seven years or 75,000 miles, so long as you get it serviced annually by an official dealer. Hyundai offers cover for up to five years with no mileage cap, and Kia will cover you for seven years or 100,000 miles. Toyota also extends its warranty for up to 10 years or 100,000 miles with every service at a main dealer.
