1993 Ford Escort LX review from North America
"Good on gas, pain in the ass"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Timing belt broke at 128,000 Km (Last April). $50 part, installed myself.
Passenger side tire blew. In my location, they had to specially order the tire because of its small size.
Heater core blew last september. $120 part. Had to rip dashboard apart to install. Took six hours of labour. Done it at the dealership cost near $700 in the end.
Windows still fogged up despite heater core replaced. Suspect leak in truck seals because I left a book in the back and the book was noticably wet.
Car overheating. Suspected fan, replaced all fuses, not it. Flushed fluid. Checked plugs. Turns out it was the water pump.
Timing belt broke again, this time at 136,000 km (Last October). (Belts are supposed to be checked every three years) Discovered oil leak going into where the belt is located. Had water pump replaced when timing belt was replaced.
Car starts smoking in November. Still smoked today. White smoke coming from front drivers side of car. Coolant leak (suspected head gasket blown) onto a hot part of the engine. Goes through 2 litres a week of coolant.
Automatic switching of gears is becoming really rough. Checked fluid, it's okay. Didn't have a problem when driving residential, but on highways the car rattles and runs rough.
General comments?
Noisy.
Parts hard to find.
Labour sucks because of the small engine size (takes longer than it should).
Good on gas.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1993 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 3/10 |
| Reliability marks | 3/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 120000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 140000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Ford Escort |
| Date of Entry | 3rd February, 2008 |