2012 Fiat Panda 1.2L Petrol · WJ12 VDN

Every Mk2 Panda uses an electric power steering column, and owner reports show the assistance can cut out without warning or the column motor can fail outright. Fault File notes that many cases are traced to a weak 12V battery or corroded battery earth connections rather than the motor itself, so terminal condition has to be checked before condemning the column. Where the motor or torque sensor has genuinely failed, the steering turns heavy or fails completely, which is both an MOT failure and a serious safety issue. Autocar's used Panda buying guide lists 'dodgy electric power steering' among the faults to watch, with cases reported on Mk2 cars from the late 2000s onwards.

The Dualogic automated manual fitted to some Mk2 Pandas is an ordinary manual gearbox shifted by a hydraulic robot. The actuator is the weak point: it cracks and leaks fluid onto the electrics, the pump and accumulator fail, and the car drops into neutral, jumps out of gear or refuses to select at all. Car Advert Check quotes failures from as early as 17,000 miles and repair bills of roughly £1,800–£3,999, adding that a 12-year-old Dualogic with a transmission fault is effectively worth scrap value. Fault File confirms that affected cars can stop selecting in either automatic or manual mode, and that an oil change does not always cure it. Manual cars are unaffected.

The 1.3 MultiJet diesel is chain driven, and its hydraulic tensioner depends on oil pressure, so neglected or wrong-spec oil accelerates wear. Fault File reports owners seeing chain failures as early as 60,000 miles and again around 100,000 miles even on cars serviced every 7,500 miles, while Car Advert Check logs a 2008 Panda 1.3 MultiJet that failed at 100,000 miles despite regular oil and filter changes. Because the engine is an interference design, a snapped chain can destroy the engine. A FIAT Forum owner replaced the noisy chain on a '55-reg MultiJet at 104,000 miles for a £400 bill, with access so tight the sump has to come off.