Faults:

Intermittent central locking fault. If the key is turned in the lock in an attempt to unlock the car, the car will unlock and then immediately lock itself again.

Intermittent electric windows fault. The windows will occasionally stick down and fail to come up when the button is pressed.

General Comments:

The 1.4 Escort is okay for driving around town and short journeys, but it's a heavy car with a small engine, so really lacks power for anything more.

It's slow to accelerate and is no fun to drive.

There is a lot of engine and wind noise at motorway speeds and the interior starts to rattle if you go much above 70 mph.

The electrics seem to be a problem. Both the electric windows and the central locking have gone wrong.

The engine uses old technology and it's a heavy car with a small motor so it's not as economical as you might think. The best you can expect to get from it is around 32 mpg combined.

But it's not all bad. The boot is very roomy compared to most of the other small hatches available.

Escorts are all cheap now so you may as well get the 1.6 16 valve. It's not much more expensive to insure and is actually more economical than the 1.4 due to the newer technology in the engine. It's also far quicker to accelerate, less noisy and feels less strained at higher speeds and when overtaking.

Faults:

The driver's side electric window motor packed up the day after I bought the car. Local mechanic fixed it for £70 using a second hand motor.

Coolant Fan didn't work. Again fixed by local mechanic for peanuts.

General Comments:

After having a escort that went wrong every time I looked at it I was a bit reluctant to buy this motor, but as it was so cheap and having a full service history I decided to take the plunge. What a decision that was!

Cheap to run and insure, plenty space for the family and reliability that has been second to none, this car has been the best I've ever had!

Okay, so the performance is far from earth-shattering, but it's good enough. The seats are comfy and long journeys are effortless. The steering is maybe a bit too light, but so what? If you are wanting budget, no thrills motoring then this has to be one of the cars to consider.

All in all the best car I've ever owned, but, alas the family is growing and I'll have to get rid (unfortunately!). Don't know what I'll get next, but after the reliability of this car it'll definitley be another Ford!

Faults:

Serpentine belt at 62,000 miles

Head gasket at 180,000 miles

General Comments:

This car has been extremely reliable.

It is a great car and excellent on gas mileage. I have got over 324,000 original 1 owner miles... and this is a great car.

They do not make Fords like the one I got with this 1995 Ford Escort LX sedan.

Faults:

The first engine had serious oil pressure issues. The previous owner had abused the engine so badly, I figured it to be worth replacing, instead of just buying a new car.

I removed the engine from a 1994 Mercury Tracer and installed it. It had around 80,000 miles. Now, the car runs like it was brand new.

Aside from these engine issues, nothing has gone wrong with the car.

General Comments:

For an 88 horsepower, 1.9 liter inline four cylinder, it has no trouble getting you somewhere in a hurry.

The stock stereo system is not the greatest in the world, but it works.

All around, this car would be good for any basic needs, such as weekly runs to Wal-Mart. If your back can withstand hard seats, then it'd be good for long-distance travel too.