Faults:

I have noticed that bypasses have been ran from the fuse box.

My Dash Lights, Rear lights and Reverse lights all went, this was a fuse box related problem, common on these. A bypass was a cheap fix, but a replacement is the only option if you are going to be keeping the car, you can get a secondhand g/teed one for less that £40, or a new one for £300!!

My model likes to drink a lot of petrol, OK on long drives, but town and short trips, you can expect to fill up quite often!

At 65000 my gearbox has started to slip, ill let you know how serious this is!

Coolant leak, I believe it is the water pump, had this fault when you bought it. still to get it fixed. the car keeps going though!

General Comments:

Apart from the above the car has never fails me to start.

Handles well and the suspension really feels firm and the power steering does give you good feedback and you can actually almost feel the road throught the wheel. I am always surprised at how you can throw this car around, but in the wet I would recommend better tires, it feels loose on a wet road.

Nice car to dive for the price, a slight rattle sometimes, I also get a slight humming sound, but overall Not bad!

Gear Changes are smooth, the ratios are perfect for pulling away and away and AWAY in all gears. But that's 16v for you!

Faults:

The head gasket went after owing the car a month, this cost about £500 to repair.

The starter motor went about 6 months ago.

The starters were misfiring, then after standing over Christmas, refused to start and had to be towed to the garage.

General Comments:

Although I've had a few things go wrong with the car, and I know it's not the 130psi, I still like the car.

Even though it's had NO modifications at all, it's nippy enough to get me away from little boy racer speed freaks who think they can try and overtake me.

The handling is good, although some bends at high speeds feel as though you're only just managing to keep control of the car.

The interior, whilst basic, is comfortable, and the adjustable steering column allows even shorter people to feel at ease behind the wheel!

On the downside, the insurance and tax are high, and for day to day running to and from work, it does drink quite a lot of petrol.

Faults:

Replaced rear shock absorbers due to knocking.

Changed starter motor.

Changed the camshaft and tappets at 102000 miles (Acquired a cheap set).

New brake pads recently.

Mid section of the exhaust failed, but not dramatically; it was changed quickly.

More recently, I acquired and fitted a set of front shock absorbers (cheap).

General Comments:

This car is not quick, but once you get it to motorway speeds it serves its purpose.

It likes a bit of a drink. I probably get around 33mpg (combined). But doing 50mph - 60mph all day I could probably get 45 - 50mpg.

The driving position is quite uncomfortable, especially when you drive 50+ miles a day.

Rust is starting to set in underneath, but the rest of the car is in very good condition! I'm very surprised!

Overall I'm pleased with my purchase, as its been a very, very reliable workhouse in all sorts of weather.

Faults:

-The windshield wiper system broke down in the middle of the highway in a flood of rain.

-The rear window wiper doesn't work properly, it doesn't move sometimes, and then the next minute it does.

-Recently the blower broke down. Does anyone recognize this problem? I'm searching for an answer to fix it.

General Comments:

It's not a pretty car, it's not a luxurious one, but it's pretty reliable!

It has never let me down yet, it always starts.

After 300.000 kilometers it still purrs like a kitten.