1998 Ford Escort ZX2 from North America - Comments

Where do I start...

Brakes went out (OK, normal)

Alternator

Clutch starting to slip

CV Joint

Tie Rod

2 O2 Sensor

1 Catalytic converter (the arseholes put it on the front on the down pipe...)

1 lower table

1 mag which cracked (not ford's fault, rather the fault of the nice Quebec roads)

2 wheel bearings

4 coil overs.

What else... I'm probably forgetting some stuff. that's a lot of money, eh?

The parts on this car are as expensive as a Bimmer, without the Bavarian charm attached to the car.

It's an OK car I guess, but it's cheaply made. The transmission differential is made out of clay and the interior feels cheap. the engine is peppy and the suspension makes the fun car to drive.

Tires are rare and expensive.

Maintenance is a pain in the ass. everything is so compact in that engine bay.

The tires are rare and expensive? Uhhhhh...

"The parts on this car are as expensive as a Bimmer, without the Bavarian charm attached to the car."

Uhm NO! You simply cannot say something like that... my 97 Escort has almost 200kms on it, and is easily the most reliable, and trouble free, fuel efficient car I've ever had (and I've owned 2 BMW's, a Volvo, a VW and a Mazda)

It's an OK car I guess, but it's cheaply made. The transmission differential is made out of clay and the interior feels cheap. the engine is peppy and the suspension makes the fun car to drive.

-If you tried changing the auto tranny fluid, you'd really discover the precise and reliable shifts of this little Mazda-built 5 speed. I changed over to some no name Wally world any ATF (what the manual calls for) and the shifts had improved tenfold!)

"Tires are rare and expensive."

Uhm NO! maybe if your comparing them to bicycle tires! they are easily attainable at any tire shop. I got mine from CT and after 50kms, they are still straight and true!

"Maintenance is a pain in the ass. everything is so compact in that engine bay."

Obviously you haven't worked on many FWD newer cars, loaded with as many features as mine has. Sure it's gonna be a bit difficult, but that's the price you pay with a car newer than 15 yeas old and FWD!!

The coils are common for breaking, I had to replace my rears as I could not pass on out of province inspection without a new set.

The tie rods will break too, but I have greased mine with a grease gun and a needle tip... using full syn grease... at almost 200kms, it's still on its orig ball joints as well! (and trust me, this car has had a hard life too, it spent most of it's life in Sask!)

To prevent the CV boots from splitting, I have made a conscious effort to grease the boots with silicone spray grease...it'll keep the boots nice and smooth, resisting cracking, and adding thousands of kms of the life expectancy to the joints too (by not being exposed to dust and water). And in our Canadian winters, ou cars need all the help they can get!

IMHO, your car is not at fault, it's your lack of maintenance that has caused many of these problems...there's a reason why Motoring 1997 called this year (generation 1997-2000) of Escort the "Car of the year for 1997! And the other reviews raving about this car on this site, and Consumer Reports' great reviews also helps a lot too!

"-If you tried changing the auto tranny fluid, you'd really discover the precise and reliable shifts of this little Mazda-built 5 speed. I changed over to some no name Wally world any ATF (what the manual calls for) and the shifts had improved tenfold!) "

I think he has a "clutch" which is not an AUTO transmission. So why would he have to add "auto tranny fluid"?