Faults:

Power steering cracked in the first year, but was fixed under warranty. Never bothered me since.

Timing belt was replaced at 140000, mainly out of precaution.

Fuel lines were cracked, but were replaced and never bothered me since.

Clutch pump replaced at 165000 km. Part was €70 from Ford.

Fractured alternator at 174000 km. Seal due to overuse of bad ball bearing. Attribute this to personal abuse. Replaced with rebuilt alternator for €281. Worked fine since.

Clutch disc and pressure plate replaced at 175000 km. Replaced for €170 total.

General Comments:

Of all the used cars I've purchased, this one has last me the longest (almost 6 years now). It's far from being plush or luxurious, but if you need something to get you from point A to point B every day and that is very fuel efficient as well as very low cost in terms of maintenance, this is the car for you. It's not the most comfortable car out there, but it's not as cramped as a Land Rover Defender either.

It's engine, a 1.8 Endura DE Diesel engine, has some fairly decent torque and is very well built in terms of reliability, but don't expect to be in any races with this engine as it's very sluggish climbing hills. Also, remember to change the timing belt every 60000km. This is a very serious recommendation if you wish to keep the maintenance cheap and keep the car on the road and not at the mechanic.

Most of the problems are pretty much attributed to wear and tear of just about any used car, and nothing really out of the normal. If you can look past that detail, you'll be pleased with it's incredible reliability and easy upkeep.

In general, a good buy, but just remember that you are getting a used car and there are ALWAYS precautions to take into consideration before buying, regardless of the make and model.

Faults:

Accelerator cable is causing problems.

Bushings worn.

Interior of car is getting raggy.

There is only room for 5 digits on the mile clock, e.g. it now clocks at 66000 miles, but it could be 166000 miles as there is no space for front digit.

General Comments:

Haven't had the car that long and the previous owner would not have driven far in it but it has given me considerable trouble since I bought it.

Cannot rely on it for long journeys.

Faults:

Flying bonnet, hit the windscreen.

Two new back tyres.

New battery.

Plugs and leads.

Welding.

General Comments:

I love my little car, but at the moment I have a really bad cutting out problem, she cuts out at every island and every junction she can find, and this is driving me mad, but if I let the throttle off slowly she will tick over. HELP!!! Other than that she is great :o)

Faults:

The top hinge on the drivers door snapped, and the door nearly fell off a couple of years ago around 45,000 miles.

The rear washer was always temperamental, and eventually passed away about 12 months ago; got another one from the scrap yard, which is also temperamental!

Rear screen only demists on the upper and lower bars, and the middle waits for the heat to stretch across.

Now at the ripe old age of 10, it is drinking oil, and the nearside anti-roll thing is making a lot of noise.

General Comments:

It goes to the garage in a couple of weeks with a plea to my mechanic to save it, as I really love this car, even with the problems. It is the best car I have had, and I feel I will have trouble finding one I like as much for a price I can afford.

It is very comfortable, economical and seriously ticks people off on the motorway when I keep up with all the big boys and pass quite a few of them. It is great cornering as well.