1998 Ford Escort SE review from North America

Struts were bad when I bought the car. I have yet to replace them.

I performed a complete tune-up at 105000.

I flushed the transmission fluid at 105000.

Drivers side caliper seized up at 110000.

Thermostat went out at 115000. I replaced the upper and lower radiator hoses, thermostat, timing belt and water pump as preventative maintenance. I did it myself so it only cost $300 total instead of $1000 at a garage.

Pre-cat oxygen sensor went out at 118000.

My #1 cylinder has fouled out a spark plug, but I have yet to determine the cause.

I used to have a 93 Honda Civic lx 5spd that would get better than 40 mpg MIXED DRIVING CITY AND HIGHWAY. That was a tough act to follow. My Escort barely holds a candle to that miser. She would be a great car if little things didn't keep going wrong. I understand that brakes and thermostats and oxygen sensors are all so common that they can be considered general maintenance, however the fact that they are all breaking on me within a short time makes me question my car's overall reliability. I love the gas mileage. I can get 30-40 on the highway and 20-30 city. The seats are not comfortable at all after more than 2 hours of constant driving. Everything feels cheaply made and paper thin. I'm afraid to drive it hard because it doesn't have the solid feel of some more expensive compact cars. I would seriously have to think long and hard before purchasing another Ford product. I love working on my car, but should I have to be in the garage every other week for something stupid?