Hi, I wonder if you will be able to give me some advice...

I bought a Fiat Punto about 15 months ago from a local dealer. The car was sold to me with a steering fault which the dealer claimed he had fixed, but it kept coming back. Basically; every time I put a full left hand lock on, the power steering fails. I've had the pump replaced, the ecu replaced and something done to the traction. Nothing works. The problem always come back. The dealer refused to give me my money back, and so I've been driving the car for the last year trying to never put a full left lock on.

So there's that problem.

Then, for the last six months, it has been making this intermittent whining / squealing noise. Frustratingly, the noise disappears when anyone comes to try and listen to it, so I've no idea if this is serious or something small.

And finally, last week, I started the car and it had no power. A mobile mechanic came and read the fault code, which was; engine misfiring. He said to fix it I would need the coil pack and main computer replaced, and that it would be a couple of hundred pounds.

So, my questions are; is it worth my while keeping the car and trying to get all this stuff fixed?

Or, is it time to cut my loses and sell it? And if so, what price should I realistically be looking for? I will be very honest when selling about the issues the car has and I would not want to rip anyone off.

It's got 80,000 miles on the clock, 51 reg and 3 months MOT.

And finally; where is a good place to buy a new car? I think the last bloke saw me coming, and I can't afford to get ripped off again.

Thanks!

If you do decide to go for a replacement car I've got a Peugeot 306 diesel for sale. Just sailed through its MOT on Saturday with no advisories. It really is a reliable top little car, and I'm frequently on here so I'm not going to sell you something and run.

I'd keep it myself, but as I'm a Peugeot diagnostics engineer I occasionally get offered cars and I've just been offered an amazing one I couldn't turn down.

Ring around the scrap yards see how much you would get for your car it could make your decision a little easier to make.

these cars always had probs with the power steering. the miss fire....prob just a coil pack I have never had to replace the ecu as well....the squeal could be anything would have to listen to it...steering sounds like an odd fault so again would have too look at it

F-ix
I-t
A-gain
T-ommorow

yeah i cant see you having to replace the ecu. sounds like the mobile mech was trying to have you off there. the whining could be a tensioner. let me know if you need a mech as my dad is one and has all the tools and fault readers.

Its not a tensioner, I have been in this car and heard it myself, it sounds like it's coming from front left around the wheel area.
It's not wheel bearing, I think it will be a hard one to track down, as it only done it twice in 5 mile run when I was in it. As for power steering, have a search and a read on this site, http://www.fiatforum.com/