Faults:

The left front wheel bearing went at around 55000 miles, along with the strut. Shortly thereafter, the right rear wheel bearing went as well.

Car had a problem with the mass airflow sensor that was never corrected, resulting in a periodic "bucking" whenever it coasted without your foot on the gas.

General Comments:

Was very cheap and fun. Mine was black with tinted windows, custom wheels, and it had an aftermarket intake and exhaust.

Had it up to 120 (sounded like I was inside a tornado, but hey, it did it).

Handled very well, and got around 27 mpg.

Engine is powerful and bulletproof.

Interior has held up well.

Cheap!

Faults:

Nothing too major has happened with the car in the time that I have owned it. I had to replace the air filter and get the brakes checked, but other than that, there has been no maintenance needed on the car.

It is a reliable wagon that is quite good on gas consumption.

The seats are a bit uncomfortable, but this may be because of preference.

General Comments:

This Ford Escort SE Wagon has been a very good choice for me. I needed the wagon aspect for my work. It's a great little car that can haul a lot of cargo. Even when the car is full of stuff, the gas mileage is still great!

Faults:

The emergency brake cable was not working. I replaced the cable for around $40.00.

General Comments:

This car has been the most dependable vehicle I have ever owned. I have not had to have make any repairs to the vehicle except for an emergency brake cable.

Faults:

I have had to replace the inner tierod on the front passengers side and I need a left front wheel bearing. I have also had some problems with the transmission. Third gear makes a little scraping noise ever since I acquired the car.

General Comments:

This car is nice and sporty looking, but it could use some help. I can hardly walk after a long trip in this car and that is no joke. The car is very uncomfortable for everyone who rides in it. The engine is also quite loud. The car is pretty quick though and handles descent. Overall I would say that for the money this car is pretty reliable, but nothing I would want again.

Faults:

Cigarette lighter didn't work from day one.

Multi-switch for lights/signals/wipers went out at 24k. Fixed under warranty.

Inside left door handle came off in my hand around 30k.

Transmission started shifting funny around 38k, took it to dealer who adjusted the shift points.

At 62k the right side wheel bearing self-destructed.

At 76500 the transmission self destructed.

General Comments:

While under warranty, this was a relatively cheap car to own. But when the major mechanicals start going, you're looking at major expenses. The transmission currently needs to be replaced be cause it blew a seal and ground to a halt. $1800, that's almost as much as the car is worth.

The interior is cheap both in appearance and workmanship. The rear seatbelts are prone to jamming if you are not extremely gentle on them.

The car handles like it's on rails however and with a few modifications is a real mover. The car has about 180 HP now (127 stock) and before the transmission gave out was a heck of a mover.

My car is lightened (2250 lb) and with 180 HP, it can blow away many bigger more powerful cars such as Mustang GT's, Z28's and the like. Matter of fact there's not a Honda in town that'll race it.

All said, I have mostly enjoyed ownership of this car, but am quite less than impressed with the quality of the parts that Ford put into it. Mostly because their Mazda division's Protoge` which this car is based on comes equipped with much stronger, otherwise identicle parts and many of them are cheaper.