2001 Ford Escort SE 2.0L

Summary:

A malfunction magnet; not worth my money on repairs

Faults:

I bought my car used, but so so taken care of, at 150,000 miles.

The first problem I had with this car was the air conditioner a month after I purchased; I went to recharge it, but it had a leak and the recharge was escaping. I had to take it to get an oil change and a tune up, because the previous owner had not done it in a while.

After like 2 months of owning the car, the gear shift on the car was malfunctioning. I could not get it out of park and into reverse or drive.

Then at 154,363 miles, the car gave up on me. I would try to ignite the car; all I would get was a chocking sound, and then eventually just a click sound from the motor; no engine whir or anything, not a sound. Just a click sound from the motor.

This is my first Ford car; I would never buy a brand like this ever again. I spent more on it than what I paid for. This car might get fixed or go the junk yard.

General Comments:

This car is just a malfunction magnet, even when well taken care of. I spent too much for nothing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th July, 2010

4th Mar 2023, 04:15

All the complaints you listed are typical of ANY car with 150000 miles. Really, you should have known.

4th Mar 2023, 17:19

I see this comment a lot on here. That any car with high mileage should be expected to have a plethora of issues, and it’s improper to complain. Even among high mileage vehicles, there are some that are better & some that are worse. That is just a fact.

5th Mar 2023, 17:08

Totally agree, it really all depends on many factors. There are cars that fall to bits at just 20,000 miles, either through owner abuse or a factory lemon not made properly. And then there are cars with over 100,000 miles on them that look and drive as good as new, most likely because they have been looked after very well.

5th Mar 2023, 20:43

Yes but this review is rather odd. First he said this car was so so taken care of, and needed an oil change because the previous owner had not done it for a while. Red flag! Don’t buy it! One of the first things you do is check the oil!

As far as the A/C... well these systems can leak after a short time, or last twenty years.

I get a kick out of people who will then bash the make of the vehicle and never buy another when they failed themselves to do the proper inspection of buying used.

2001 Ford Escort ZX2 2.0 Zetec

Summary:

It is a great car

Faults:

Routine checks. Nothing has gone wrong, and I'm at 130k.

General Comments:

I have put a CAI, 2.25 inch exhaust, a B&M short shifter, plugs and wires, and headers on my ZX2, and I have beat so many Civic SIs, it's not funny.

The ZX2 is a very reliable car, and it makes good power for a 4 banger. I have even raced a V6 Mustang and won.

With a turbo/supercharger, the ZETEC will easily push 300bhp, and with such a light car, this thing would be like a rocket. For all you JDM guys and Civic drivers, although Civics respond better to upgrades, the ZETEC is a very solid engine, so quit bashing it. ZETEC POWER!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th October, 2009

2001 Ford Escort ZX2 2.0L

Summary:

So much for so little

Faults:

I installed a cold air intake and noticed an exhaust leak... turns out it was just that the exhaust from pipe came out from the cat. Paid 50 bucks and had a shop re-weld it.

No other issues.

General Comments:

This car seems great, it's fully loaded with leather seats, power windows, sun roof, CD changer, cruise... pretty much everything I want or need... and the manual is just so much fun.

I haven't had a car that I could squeal tires while rolling in 2nd gear since my Chevy 350 manual Fiero.

Not a lot of power (only 130hp), but it pulls like it's running more. It's a lot of fun to drive in the summer.

The best part is I only paid 3k for it, and after having the car for 3 months, I know I'd have happily paid 4500 or even 5k.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th October, 2009