1997 Ford Aspire review from North America
"Good for the money"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
1. After a couple of months wouldn't start in rainy weather. Replacing the high voltage wires fixed that.
2. The starter died at about 75 000. Replaced myself (an easy job).
4. Rough idle all the time I owned it.
5. The transmission wasn't completely OK from the very beginning. Approximately half a year before death a strong rattle developed (like something fell off inside of it and was hitting against the moving parts). The rattle gradually became quieter and disappeared. Finally, the transmission died. I could still get it in gear, but the car would stay still and produce a very loud and nasty rattle (the drive axles were found to be OK).
General comments?
I bought the car for $1100 hoping that it would last a year or two and wasn't disappointed. However, keeping in mind the price of the car, replacing the transmission ($1000 estimate) wouldn't be a good idea.
This vehicle has two major pluses: price and gas mileage. On the other hand, it is rather slow, unstable on the road, uncomfortable and very noisy.
Summing up, I would recommend it to anyone who needs a cheap and relatively reliable transportation.
Recommended reviews
| Buy it only if you have no other choice - Else keep looking |
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| Wouldn't trade it for the world!! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.3 Manual |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 0 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 69000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 80000 miles |
| Previous car | Moskvitch 2140 |
| Date of Entry | 26th March, 2007 |