1985 Ford Sierra L review from UK and Ireland
"A reliable and practical work-horse"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
An irritating intermittent fuel starvation fault was caused by the pick-up strainer in the tank partially collapsing.
One rear coil-spring broke.
Excess play in steering rack developed rapidly.
Brake servo replaced due to leakage although still working.
Due to the high mileage, many of the 'expendable' parts were replaced as a matter of course, e.g. clutch and cable, brake seals, exhaust system and battery; along with the major service items.
General comments?
This car served us reliably and economically despite its very high mileage. We acquired it with approx. 110,000 miles on its second engine, in good mechanical condition.
In 5 years and 59,000 miles, it neither broke down nor failed to start, although at first we experienced occasional stalling until we traced the fuel fault mentioned above.
The simple, practical, rear-wheel drive design of the Sierra makes it an ideal car for DIY maintenance.
The Pinto engine, in particular, is robust, reliable and easy to look after.
The Sierra estate is a good all-round work-horse with sensible load-carrying capacity.
Search for New and Used Ford Sierras available in the UK
Click here to advertise your car
Recommended Reviews:
  | Classic Hot-hatch beater that's endless sideways fun! |
| 1985 - Sierra XR4i 2.8 V6 petrol Practical (if thirsty) muscle car! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6 SOHC Pinto Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 208000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 267000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Sunny |
| Date of Entry | 19th November, 2002 |