1997 Ford Fiesta Encore 1.8 diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Sensible, tank like vehicle

Faults:

Wishbones/front suspension.

Teeth broke on cam belt cog resulting in snapped cam shaft, cracked head, 2 bent valves and a RAC patrolman.

General Comments:

Bought as a used car for £4000.

Quite disappointed that it had no medium wave Radio as even my W reg metro managed to achieve that.

Very basic compared to recent model introductions, no central locking, power steering, but strangely enough I can adjust the height of the headlights!

Very poor acceleration, but my previous car was an AX GT, not a good comparison.

I needed a reliable car that was cheap to run, which this car is, well, was until the engine blew, apparently a common fault I was told afterwards.

Not a quiet car, but cheap to run and very very sensible.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd April, 2003

8th Jan 2008, 15:55

Fiesta Encore did not have a cambelt, uses a timing chain. Methinks you did not have Encore.

2nd Sep 2012, 19:21

It has a belt. You don't know what you're talking about.

1997 Ford Fiesta Flight 1.25 Zetec from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Nippy if style free hatchback that can surprise people

Faults:

Drivers side door lock sometimes didn't work in the cold, had central locking so unlocked using passengers door.

General Comments:

Good engine, very nippy for its size

Seats a bit solid and a horrible pattern to them, especially compared to our old Fiesta Si

Too much body roll, could do with much stiffer springs, car feels in control in the front, but out of control in the back

Road holding is very good

Safety is good, ended up writing the car off when I hit a tree at 40mph in the wet, but walked away, didn't have a scratch on me.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th January, 2003

1997 Ford Fiesta LX 1.9 diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Good value and reliable small town car

Faults:

Front Brakes. Disks needed chanhing after 50000.

Clutch. Bearing collapsed; no effect on performance.

Headlight bulbs need to be changed annually.

Paintwork is susceptible to scratches.

General Comments:

Very reliable engine. It has never failed to start.

Very economical to run. 50mpg.

Good handling, but the brakes are too weak when car is fully loaded.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th September, 2002

1997 Ford Fiesta LS 1.3 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A cheap pile of junk fit for scrap!

Faults:

Radiator Leak.

Doors sills leak.

Sunroof leaks.

Shock absorbers.

Faulty electrics (windows, ignition).

The clutch has gone.

This P reg doesn't start in damp weather (shocking).

General Comments:

This car has been more trouble than my A-reg Vauxhall Nova which gave 2 years of trouble free motoring before the sills rusted which made me decide to buy a new car, but I really really wish I hadn't done.

There is not one thing good about this car, the seats have water marks from leaks, it smells damp, the 1.3 engine is as responsive as a one legged donkey on a skateboard..... in my opinion stay 100 miles away from this heap of junk! Take my advice and go for a new Corsa like I am next week.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th October, 2000

13th Feb 2001, 14:46

I agree with you about Ford, but personally I'd stay 100 miles away from Vauxhall too and get a Nissan.

1st Jun 2003, 14:38

My 1.25 1996 LX is superb. Nothing gone wrong with it, superb performance for the size on Optimax petrol. You should look after it a bit better. And a CORSA!!! Christ, do you know anything about motors!

1997 Ford Fiesta LX 1.25 16v petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

The new 16v engine is excellent. The design is a bit odd looking but grows on you, and the inside is really well designed. It's just like a much bigger car than it really is. 50 mpg and no problems at all, means that I'd recommend it to anyone.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd September, 1998

1997 Ford Fiesta Encore 1.3i petrol from UK and Ireland

Faults:

Delivery dents on the roof. Windscreen cracked after two weeks - a fault, not caused by driving around.

General Comments:

Very poor dealer service who said a windscreen crack was not under warranty. Representative avoided contact. Other than poor service, I am satisfied with the car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th October, 1997

13th Oct 2001, 05:22

I have had a 1997 Fiesta since 1999. I hate it, I have had constant problems with leaks from the bulkhead. The Ford dealer that I got it from tried to say that the water was from valetting the car before sale. I had a banger before the Ford and that was as dry as a bone. The agent fixed the leak, but 12 months later it came back again and it cost me £100 to fix. I will never buy a Ford again and I would never go to a Ford agent. I think I would get a better deal from a back street trader.