Faults:

Brake pads replaced twice

Drivers seat broke

Power/Winter button replaced

Air-conditioner re-gassed three times due to a leak which was not diagnosed properly until it was out of warranty

Shock absorbers replaced

Two alternators in the first 3 years

Outside door handles replaced (once each rear door and twice each front door)

Oil leaks

Head had had work done to it

Driver seat belt buckle sometimes unclasps itself

Sun visors don't stay up

Master Cylinder replaced

Seats are wearing badly.

General Comments:

The car is a nice looking car, moderately fuel efficient, easy to drive although the accelerator pedal is a little high, I believe that the Daewoo Espero had a few teething problems that seem to have been sorted out over their next series of cars, I wish I had have waited.

Faults:

Electric sunroof tended to leak rainwater in heavy rain.

Boot has started to let water in.

ABS has never worked since owning the car.

Will be fixing these faults along with some slight rusting when the weather improves.

General Comments:

This is a cheap car to buy second hand now, and has a lot to offer with alloy wheels and air con.

It is easy to work on and parts are cheap as the engine and running gear are all pure GM/Vauxhall.

It starts easily even in freezing weather and runs very smoothly, I am returning 35mpg average including local and motorway runs.

Only down point is the quality of the interior, seats are not very comfortable and the heater is not warm enough.

Faults:

Power steering pump squeled.

Ignition module failed.

Engine cuts out at low revs.

Tires could not be balanced + uneven wear.

Brakes were too soft.

Engine randomly lacked performance for long periods of time.

Central locking only worked half of the time.

General Comments:

The Espero was based on outdated GM/Vauxhall technology. Handling, performance and reliability cannot keep up with comparable cars from other brands. Although the suspension is very week, the car is nevertheless uncomfortable on bad roads. The overall feel of the car would be best described as flimsy.

I owned the car only a few months. Considering the low mileage I expected it to last much longer. However, it managed to completely ruin our holiday in France. The car overheated in a congestion. The next day the ignition module broke down. Daewoos are not very common in France, so we waited an entire week for the spare part to arrive.

The engine seemed to have a mind of its own. Most of the time the performance was terrible. Then all of a sudden, the car would drive quite acceptable during a few days. These kind of problems can drive you insane. In a frenzy I replaced the MAP-sensor (70 euros) : no improvement. During our holidays in France we were forced to join lorries and really old cars on the outer right lane because of the poor performance. It was then I swore to sell the car on our return and never to buy a Daewoo again.

A month later I bought a used Daewoo Leganza at a Mazda dealer. What had happened? Daewoos have really improved since the Nexia/Espero. However, they still devaluate like mad, so they are very good value for money. So far, giving daewoo a second chance seemed to pay off: I don't regret buying the Leganza. The ride is very comfortable, handles quite well and comes with quite a bit of standard features.

Faults:

Door welding, simple job.

Wind-screen wiper motor 'loose'.

Alternator failure.

All quickly and easily fixed, inexpensively.

Fuel tank won't accept full capacity.

General Comments:

Acceptable performance from the engine which pulls from low revs quite well.

Lacklustre handling and ride, but this is a sedate road car and not 'fun' as such.

It's OK on long journeys, quite economical when driven calmly.

The luxuries, including a really impressive air conditioner for such a cheap car, make the car good value because the car itself is average.