Good performance and looks, what more do you want
The car is jumping or pulling back when warming up since I got it.
Bad wiring.
Catalytic converter.
Clutch.
Good enough performance, but slightly breathless under heavy acceleration.
Comfortable standard bucket seats.
Handles very well, firm sporty ride.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 7th November, 2004
A comfortable, quick workhorse. Excellent
Valve stuck at around 65,000 miles, but that was my fault for not putting Magnatec (or similar) oil in and Zetecs prefer this. Luckily it was freed by flushing the engine through and has not been troublesome since.
Starter motor needed replacing at 89,000 miles.
Link below one of the rear shock absorbers broke at 93,000 miles and needed welding which was a small job.
The car has been excellent value for money as a second hand buy.
Apart from running costs e.g. tyres, exhaust, etc. nothing much has gone wrong. Parts are quite cheap too.
Have made sure the cam belt is 'in date' which is a good precaution.
Oil & filter are changed every 7,000 miles and plugs changed annually, but apart from that no other servicing is done.
Handles and drives well.
Cruises well on motorway, but just as happy on a farm track or field if taken gently.
Plenty of luggage space - has taken 5 people and all their luggage on holiday a few times.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th July, 2004
Thank you for the advice about the oil - I had not realised this and will get it checked before another valve sticks!
Sticking valves are a known problem on Zetec engines and is caused by the engine not be regularly taken over 4000rpm and not oil grade, although it is unlikely this will help.
Reasonably quick (especially if you're used to driving a 1.0/1.2/1.4 hatch!)
Windscreen cracked right down the middle, although my own fault (bad idea using warm water on a frozen windscreen). Cost £125 to replace by local callout service (Auto-glass quoted £250!!) as it was not covered by Third Party Fire & Theft Insurance.
Starter motor died @ 54,000 miles (odd, because I have an invoice from previous owner showing start motor replaced at 51,000). Am kinda half waiting for it to die again, at which point I will get it investigated. Cost £75, fitted myself.
Has an annoying squeaking sound coming from what would appear to be the front brakes... only starts squeaking after 10-15 minutes into journey, almost as if it doesn't start until the brakes are warmed up a bit. A very light touch on the brake pedal makes it stop, but it will come back as soon as the pedal is released. Sharp braking will cause it stop and not come back for several seconds. Service history shows new pads at 50,000. More an annoyance more than anything... radio solves this. :o)
Nice to drive.
Looks quite nice as well (if that is your thing), with body coloured bumpers and rear spoiler.
Very comfortable for myself and passengers when bombing around town as well as on longer journeys.
Nice performance increase, having driven a Vauxhall Nova 1.2 previously. However, once the initial excitement of having a car with a bigger engine than I am used to wore off, I am starting to feel the limitations, particularly when accelerating at lower speeds.
Engine is quite harsh and noisy and vibrates quite a lot, causing the slightly plastic-y trim to rattle, especially around 40mph in 2nd & 60mph in 3rd. However, some significant power kicks in here and the car is capable of some good over-taking.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 19th February, 2004
Undesirable and Undemanding
Oil & Filter Change.
New front Wiper Blades.
Idle Speed Adjustment.
New Spark Plugs x4.
Reliable car, that won't get you into trouble, but has enough power to get you out of it. Won't set your world on fire, but a good first car IMO.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 9th February, 2004
6th Jul 2004, 18:46
You should ONLY use 5W-30 oil in a Zetec engined Ford, magnatec is not suitable, unless Castrol have brought out a 5W-30 version!