Faults:

I don't know where to start with this car because it was the biggest mistake I made in my life.

The car was great looking because it had a sporty look.

It was an Orion with an Escort badge which was very unusual.

We only had our car months before it broke down.

After that our car must have broken down about 10 times.

After the last time it broke down we took it to our local Ford dealer for an explanation to why our car was being pushed rather than driven, they told us that the car needed a new engine which would cost us £1,000, we could not afford this so we traded it in for a brand new Escort.

The Ford dealers were very unhelpful and they were very ignorant towards us.

I don't know why we ever traded it in for another Escort, but we did anyway, the car received was excellent, very reliable and great looking.

General Comments:

The car was the worst car we ever bought and we have bought so many new cars.

If you ever see a Ford Orion with an Escort badge, then my advice to you is don't buy it, you don't know what you could be letting yourself in for.

Faults:

So far only very minor problems have occurred, beyond normal wear and tear.

After 4 years, the heat shield under the car losened up and started rattling. I got this fixed quickly and cheaply.

The passenger door lock (not power) occasionally sticks and the door can't be opened from the inside (may be due to locking myself out once and having to "slim-jim" the door...)

Car has always made a rattling sound (from in front of the dashboard somewhere) during acceleration. I've also noticed exactly this same noise in 2 other Fords, different models (rented... Taurus and Focus). Is this a Ford pattern?

Car delivers pretty big static shocks when you touch the body after getting out. Another Ford phenomenon.

Otherwise, nothing major has gone wrong yet. Overall it's been exceptionally reliable and cheap to maintain, although 45k miles is pretty low for a 7 year old car.

General Comments:

I'd recommend this to someone looking for a cheap and economical car, for short trips. I drove it on a 6 hour trip once and was absolutely miserable. Wind noise is too loud, and the car isn't terribly comfortable.

The wagon version (mine) is a Godsend. I've fit things in there (furniture, lumber... a whole bathroom door from Hope Depot) that logic says would never fit. I've moved 4 times using just that car. Thank God for wagons!

Overall the car is OK for normal driving. Acceleration is very low (car has only 88 horsepower... low even for a compact, although the '96 and above models were more powerful). Fuel economy is good, and maintenance costs have been minimal. It looks like this car may be driving for a very long time to come, and I'll probably keep it even after I buy my next car (hopefully in a year). Its utility as a wagon is wonderful.