Faults:

Only water pump after approx 150,000 miles plus the usual things such as brake discs, exhaust, shocks etc, nothing major at all. It is still running on its second clutch.

General Comments:

The car is not very exciting to drive, but is extremely reliable, it has now done 230,000 miles and is still going strong. The car has become member of family, everybody loves it. I just wish I had bought a 1.6 with power steering.

Faults:

Overheated. Inexplicable. Has not re-occurred despite having sat for an hour in traffic.

Side light bulb blew.

Headlight bulb base rusted due to vapour egress from coolant expansion tank (close proximity- RHS)

Central locking erratic on driver's side.

General Comments:

Purchased as a stop-gap to temporarily replace a Fiat Punto some 6 years and 40,000 miles younger.

Beats the Fiat in almost every respect.

Larger.

Faster. It even handles better (!)

Marginally thirstier, but at 1600kg vs. 1000kg it's to be expected...

More comfortable.

More capable.

Get a good one and it will serve you well.

1.6 (S) Efi 16v DOHC Zetec is a cracking engine.

Typically good Ford gearbox.

Vulnerable to rust around rear arches.

Very Durable interior.

Faults:

To say I have owned this car for 3 years and added over 52,000 miles on the clock, amazingly I have only replaced the rocker cover gasket and had the tappets adjusted just after I bought it which hardly cost much, the clutch at 85,000 miles on the clock and replaced the front disks and pads around about the same time and recently replaced the altenator.

General Comments:

I use this car for transport to work which is quite far, and a few times I have used it for traveling long distances, this car has been a cracking motor.

I owned a 1991 Fiesta 1.1 before the Escort, and it was an OK car, but I didn't have it long, it was reliable, but a ruff drive, an oil drinker and a rust bucket!

The Escort only cost £110 more than what I paid for the Fiesta, well worth it!

Some Bad Points.

The engine is a 1.3 push-rod, noisy engine! Adjust the tappets and it will sound a lot better.

No power steering, difficult to steer at very low speeds.

Door locks are not that hard for thief's to pop open, this happened to me twice.

Faults:

1. The Lamda sensor for the oxygen intake for the engine goes up and down and because its fuel injection, this can sometimes cause the engine to randomly stall. Not too much of a problem, but can get annoying. About £100+ to fix.

2. Exhause got ripped off, cost to sort out and now bangs the bottom of the car due to a support link now added to the exhaust.

3. Sometimes get a lag when putting your foot down.

4. General rattles from an Escort.

General Comments:

Handles very well in all conditions.

Spacious inside.

Goes well when its in a good mood.

Doesn't leak or burn any oil.

Sunroof as standard.

Always starts and never had a problem with it breaking down.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This car was bought for £600 as a stopgap measure after our last car was sold.

After running a 2001 Vectra 2.2, it came as a bit of a shock, but not as much as I thought it might.

The motoring press universally slated these cars when they were launched in 1990, but I think it was OK.

The engine was a bit coarse, but performed alright for a 1.6 (bravo Ford for putting a 16 valve engine in a small family car this early on), it was quite comfy, except for a seating position that was too low, and it seemed to handle reasonably. Also the boot was a good size, everything worked on this 100,000 mile example, and for 7 months it was used every day and didn't let us down.

Before we owned this car I was always prejudiced against Escorts, I thought they were boring and dull, and while I can't say it would be my main choice if I had to run one permanantly (maybe a 306 or Golf), and the Focus is a vastly better car as a replacement, they're not too bad.