Faults:

Window Motor problems almost every year.

Rear sun visor motor gave way last year (2006)

Radiator leakage at 100000 km.

General Comments:

I completely disagree with the comments earlier on. I have a 1995 model proton bought new from the authorized dealer (US-PD back then). today the car has clocked over 200000km, and the engine is still as good as new. other car manufacturers would have recommended an overhaul, but the car keeps going on and on.

Besides, mine is the UK specs model (marketed as proton persona), and so the safety for a car of that price and that age is pretty amazing. dual airbags, seatbelt tensioner , ABS on all wheels, 4 disc brakes, shatterproof laminated windscreen all were standard in the car. its simply amazing. even certain Korean brands did not give so much back then. other features included heating and air conditioning as standard, leather seats, catalytic converter, plasma ionizer, reverse sensor, height adjustable headlamps, overdrive function, and an impressive satellite alarm system. the paint job is also very much above average. had it not been for the scratches around the car, I would not have been tempted to paint it. 12 years down the road and the paint was still in pretty good condition.

Fuel economy is reasonably good for a car of that age, and service costs are fairly affordable, though servicing in any specialized serviced center would set you back with quite an enormous bill. but on the bright side, its not a Rolls Royce, it's a proton, so there's nothing your family mechanic cannot handle.

I would not say that it's a Ferrari, but it does perform very well for a 1995 budget car.

Apart from the frequent power window motor failure, there are no other experienced faults with the car apart from usual wear and tear.

I would not however recommend it for long distance highway driving because the driving position is low, and the seats are not contorted, so getting backaches would be a problem. rear space is tight, especially when someone tall drives.

Faults:

Number Plate lamps intermittent.

Appears to be a fault somewhere in the loom or possibly a bad ground. Still investigating.

Pressure washed the engine (I do this to all my cars when I get them). No leaks of oil or other fluids apparent and it started immediately despite a good soaking. However after it was parked after a short drive home, when restarted it was apparent that some water had penetrated something as it ran very rough and kept stalling. A 15 min drive at speed dried it out and restored normal operation.

Blaupunkt tape deck has a flutter problem despite a recent belt replacement.

Bonnet is a little low when supported by the stand, it's at *just* the right height to bash my head on. (I'm 5'11")

Vehicle seems engineered for 'shorter' people, my wife (5'2") finds it very comfortable and she doesn't need to put a cushion under her to see properly)

Easy to grate gears when shifting down until you get used to the 'feel' of the gearshift.

Gauges appear to have an intermittent fault, mechanically sensitive, probably a dry solder joint on the back of the cluster. A sharp tap on the cluster restores normal operation.

When it gets sufficiently annoying I'll pull the instrument cluster out and mend it.

Mechanic warned me to replace the cam belt if it was not done at 100,000 as failure will usually lead to engine damage.

Water leak in the boot. 5 minutes with a rubber mallet to the body where the seal contacts it fixed this. Apparently present since new as there is no evidence of accident damage.

General Comments:

Very pleasant to drive. Handling is predictable, turning circle is good.

Interior is comfortable and the heater and a/c work well.

Engine always easy to start and responsive. Quiet, no rattles or clatters.

Very well appointed interior, many items that I would class as 'luxury' such as the electric remote control on the exterior mirrors and the adjustable headlamp height.

Fuel economy is good, particularly on long trips, at around 40 miles per gallon at average speed around 100 - 110kmh or so. Bit hungrier around town, but this is consistent with most injected engines.

Finish of the vehicle, trim, carpets, door seals etc is very good, even at 8 years of age. Minor scratches and nicks in the paint, no evidence of rust visible anywhere.

Having read some rather negative comments on these I was pleasantly surprised by the condition of this car at 8 years old. Possibly the units exported to Australia have better components/quality control?