2003 Fiat Panda 1.2L Petrol · WP53 RHY

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 1.1 and 1.2 FIRE petrols are belt driven, and Fiat's published service schedule for the 1.2 FIRE is a cambelt change every five years or roughly 72,000 miles, with Motorcheck quoting 120,000 km, about 74,500 miles, for the 1.1 and 1.2 units. Autocar's used buying guide recommends replacing the belt every 36,000 miles, so history is what counts. Whether a given engine is interference varies, and some 1.2 FIRE units are non-interference while later versions will bend valves if the belt lets go, so the belt should be changed on schedule rather than gambled with. The 1.3 MultiJet diesel is chain driven and unaffected.

The rear twist beam is the Panda's most persistent structural weakness. Car Advert Check logs a MultiJet with 80,000 miles showing significant rust in the rear suspension twist beam that was likely to fail its next MOT, and a 2005 Panda 1.2 that failed its MOT on a soft wishbone bush. Fault File reports the same pattern from owner evidence and finds suspension the most common MOT fault category for the model, with bushes and ball joints recorded on 11.4% of tests at age 6-9 against a 5.9% class average. UK road salt and wet winters accelerate the corrosion, and it will not be visible from the driver's seat.