Faults:

A/C went out at 70,000 miles.

Alternator went out at 98,000 miles.

Head gasket, timing belt and various valves blew at 100,000 miles.

Now needs new battery and/or battery cable.

General Comments:

I have completely enjoyed this car during the three years I've had it.

My only complaint is that parts for this car tend to be quite a bit more expensive than for other automobiles.

I've put so many miles on it in such a short time that I can't really complain when it needs a new part. It handles well. I've noticed that it idles differently than my previous vehicles; it sounds like it is about to die, but never does.

Right now I need to replace the battery cable, but I don't know where the starter relay is. Can anyone help me with this?

Faults:

When idling, the whole car vibrates (I'm told this is due to a problem with the motor mounts).

General Comments:

I really like this car. It has good pick up, and is VERY good on gas (on a recent long distance trip I was averaging 42 MPG). Also, it's sporty looking, and the trunk is quite large.

The one thing that really bothers me is the vibration. It's so bad that the steering wheel shakes, as does the exhaust pipe. When I bought it, I noticed the vibration and was told that before I purchased it they would fix it. Well, it was in the shop for 2 days, and came out exactly the same. Why is this? Is it the motor mounts, as I've heard from many other people who own this type of car, or something else?

Also, though this sounds kind of stupid, the oil filter is a little difficult to get to. Could they jam these things further up in there? I might be a woman, but still, I like to be able to change my own oil and do routine maintenance myself, and this makes it kind of difficult.

Faults:

Problem: Alternator.

Symptoms: Battery light flickering at high RPM.

Solution: Dealer replaced under warranty at 44 000 km.

Note: I had the car for 8 months, and nothing except for the alternator broke.

General Comments:

Very reliable car; always starts even in the cold Canadian winters. Great handling and performance car for the money. It requires 91+ fuel (S/R edition) to take advantage of the Ford Racing PCM (CWQ3), but will run well with 87 octane. The fuel will show a great difference in the 5200-6500 RPM range. It's very good on gas (500 km with 46 liters) under hard driving. A lot of space to store stuff. A lot of rims choice (because of 4 X 100 bolt pattern) and body kits available.

Performance wise you will run about 15.6 - 15.9 on the 1/4 mile, but don't forget, this is more of a handling car than a straight line racer.

Dislike:

- May be uncomfortable for tall people.

- Not a lot of aftermarket parts.

- Rough ride (with S/R edition suspension). It's not really a downside if you prefer handling to comfort.

- Fragile transmission (shift forks). Just don't abuse it with power shifts.

- Weird idle sometimes because of the Ford Racing PCM (S/R edition only).

Comment: If you have a S/R edition, treat it good and take care of it, because you have a rare car in your hands.

Other S/R Info:

Only 2000 Produced (1000 Zinc Yellow, 500 Red, 500 Black).

Factory Installed Performance Parts:

Appearance:

B&M short throw shifter.

Borla muffler.

Leather shift boot.

Leather wrapped steering wheel.

Silver gauge surround.

240 KPH speedometer.

Ford blue valve cover.

S/R Daizy wheels.

S/R seats.

S/R floor mats.

Performance:

Iceman intake.

Centerforce dual friction clutch.

Visteon PCM CWQ3 (Oct 91+).

Handling:

Tokico struts.

Energy suspension bushings.

Eibach lowering springs.

205/55ZR15 Goodyear Eagle F1.

4 wheel disc brakes.

The S/R is 146/HP and 140/TQ (They dyno between 117-121 WHP).