1993 Ford Fiesta Ghia 1.4 8v petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

Stolen spare wheel.

Plastic door mirrors are fragile and have both been replaced.

New battery needed after 3 years.

New exhaust needed after 3 years.

Dealer unable to fix stalling/hesitant engine (injected version).

Front suspension clonks.

General Comments:

Seats comfortable.

Engine is very jerky in traffic and occasionally stalls.

Steering not very responsive.

Handles quite well but rolls a lot when cornering.

Fuel economy usually under 30mpg.

DIY maintenance very easy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 10th January, 1999

12th Apr 2001, 14:06

I had the same problems with my 1400 injected Fiesta. It turned out to be the ECU. The dealer never resolved it. My wife still drives the car and continually moans about the starting and the fact you have to press the accelerator down when you start it in the morning. I never thought you had to do that with an injected engine!?

9th Jan 2002, 17:34

It's a problem that also affects 1100 engines. A Ford dealer should be able to fix it though, my local one did.

9th Jun 2004, 17:41

I've got exactly the same stalling problem with my '97 1.3 Fiesta. When I'm in traffic it's the worst. I keep having to restart my engine as if I stalled it myself like a learner driver and deal with the embarrasment that comes with it. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who's had this problem.

A friend of mine has had desperate problems with her Fiesta also. I won't be buying a Ford again that's for damn sure.

1993 Ford Fiesta L 1.1 petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

New brakes, front and rear at 48,000 miles. New exhaust system at 50,000 miles. Sundry maintenance items.

General Comments:

Above problems were as a result of age, mileage and the poor state of road surfaces in Ireland.

Overall the car was very reliable, never broke down, cheap to run and of good build quality.

Performance was poor in first and second gears, and overtaking, due to the lack of power from a 1.1 engine with a catalytic convertor, but would cruise happily at 80mph on a motorway.

Be wary if purchasing second hand, usual exclusions from a 12 month warranty.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th September, 1998