1997 Ford Escort LX review from UK and Ireland
"A complete bloody nightmare"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
There is a fault with the automatic gearbox on Escorts of this year, so much so that they are no longer made. The car creeps forward in 'drive', and revs itself when you are not touching the pedal, this is not classed as dangerous by Ford, just a 'known fault'. This fault can be temporarily rectified at a cost of almost £1200 to the owner, although in the end, Ford did eventually pay half, they also stated that this problem will 'probably re-occur'. When I bought the car in March no-one knew anything about this fault, but now that I am trying to sell the whole world seems to know, and no-one will touch it with a barge pole.
BEWARE - DO NOT BUY A LATE REGISTERED FORD ESCORT WITH AN AUTOMATIC GEARBOX.
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![]() ![]() | Comfortable but sporty |
![]() ![]() | Quite possibly the biggest pile of plop I ever owned! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2000 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 8/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 12000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 14000 miles |
| Previous car | Vauxhall Cavalier |
| Date of Entry | 10th July, 2000 |




