Faults:

Headlights are gone, control unit had to be changed (cost 90£), happened twice in 2 years. Shortly before I noticed a smell as if a wire was burning.

Foot-well and boot are damp when raining.

Sometimes the alarm goes off for no reason (couple of times a year), opening and closing the doors solve the problem.

Rear wiper works erratically.

Sometimes I can't turn on the radio, restarting the engine solve the problem.

Front shock leaking.

Ball joints changed at 80000 miles, but during the MOT they still found some play in the steering. Dealer wanted to charge me 500£ to change the rack. MOT said it was fine.

Kick down cable snapped. Dealer wouldn't change it because they don't do automatic cars. I had to contact 10 garages before I could find one.

Exhaust gasket changed.

Oil and coolant leaking.

General Comments:

Despite all these problems I find this car to be a bargain. I hardly perform any maintenance and I use it every day. Fuel consumption is high (20-25 mpg) but this is not too bad for an old automatic car.

The engine is not a beast, but it is smooth and silent. The steering is a bit heavy although it is powered, but no problem to do a U-turn on a narrow road.

The comfort is good. It is not a very big car, but there is still enough room and I like the sound from the built-in radio. It looks like some leaking in the body might be the cause of the electrical problems I experienced.

The automatic transmission is great, I already had a Ford Falcon (Australian car) with automatic transmission and it makes driving easy. Pity that it is so difficult to find good mechanics in Ireland.

Braking is sometimes funny, unlike a manual car.

My conclusion is that it is a good car which would have been perfect with a slightly better attention to details from the manufacturer.

Faults:

The roof leaks, not through the actual roof, but where it 'seals' with the front windows! It drips onto the front seats!

Rear shocks had to be replaced as they were leaking.

General Comments:

Great car, bar the water problems! looks sweet lowered onto 17" alloys. Performance is good, but heavy weight means slow take off and increased fuel consumption.

Faults:

No major problems as yet, The alarm has played up on a few occasions (usually late at night on quiet roads!)

The car judders quite a bit on occasions, whether it is warm or cold it feels as though it is going to stall.

Fuel economy has got worse over the last few months, may be age or may be a problem on its way.

General Comments:

Great car, acceleration is pretty poor, but once it gets going its quick. Brilliant car to fit a sound system into and looks good when lowered and fitted with alloys.

Handles quite nicely and very comfortable to drive, would definatly have another, but maybe an XR3i or a cosworth would be nice!

Faults:

Within 2 weeks of purchase, needed a new anti roll bar.

Steering is bumpy / jerky and not very accurate when turning - understeer always a problem.

Passenger seat comes loose and is noisy.

Dim lights work when they feel like it - dodgy switch.

Very noisy tappet sound when starting from cold, noisy engine at full stop.

Clutch pedal sometimes has a lot of play near the top and you have to double clutch to get in gear.

General Comments:

Total waste of money. I would have thought that I would have learned this by now when it comes to Escorts, but this one being my third, I can promise that I will never buy another Ford for as long as live.