Faults:

Front brake pads jammed right after a major brake overhaul. Luckily the brake pads for this car are very cheap, but if you have to change the pads, make sure that you remove all the paint (and smoothen the surface) from the surface that is in contact with the brake calipers. And also check that after installation the brake pads slide freely before re-installing the caliper.

Rear window defroster doesn't work.

General Comments:

Tough and reliable little car.

Very easy to repair.

Although 1.3 liter engine is delivering very poor performance, I still like this car very much. It hasn't corroded yet, it still looks modern enough and it handles pretty well. And even though we have really low winter temperatures here in Finland, it has always started perfectly and runs really nice even in wintertime.

Some people say that this car is very economical. I disagree. I have owned cars that are much bigger and still have much better fuel economy.

Faults:

In the first year I got the car I burnt a valve driving to harshly with it. The valve clearances must be measured every 30000 km.

The front brakes on the drivers side were soon found stuck as a result of poor installation; the pads had not fitted correctly to their guide and had got wedged. I installed new ones and had to file them a bit.

In the early models the rear (drum) brakes easily squeak due to poor design. This can be fixed by making a lengthwise cut to the soft surface on the shoes.

Otherwise the car has been flawless.

General Comments:

The G, GL and GLi models are really weak performers with their (some) 65hp and 150km/h top speed. In cities you can manage and on the highways as well if you don't need to pass a lot of other cars.

The car feels very light, even when there are no power steering or other aiding devices.

I have fitted 185/60 tires on 14" aluminum spokes and new gas shock absorbers and the car rides very smoothly.