2005 Ford Fiesta Reviews

1. Was burning oil off the forecourt. Approx 1 litre every 700-1000 miles. The Ford dealer did not want to know. Diagnosed by independent garage as piston ring failure.

2. EAC FAIL flashing up on the dash with a rough idle upon starting the engine. Happened about once a month. Cleaning the throttle body helps.

3. The seat levers to get in the rear both snapped; cheap fix, common problem. Poor design.

4. The passenger side front suspension spring snapped. As there is a water trap on this side, the strut bolt corrodes rapidly. The strut had to be forced off and two new ones fitted to achieve parity across the front suspension. Check the bolt in the strut tower! It will be rotten. Fill the well with vaseline. Common problem.

5. The driver's side wouldn't unlock in ice. Ever. Had to climb through the passenger side every morning.

6. Random fault code regarding temperature sensors. A wiggle of wires and wd40 fixed this.

7. Sticking front caliper rapidly ate a brake.

8. Poor starting. Needed to pump the accelerator and listen to it turn over a load of times before it would start. You had to pump it. Otherwise it wouldn't go. At all. Would just crank. New leads, plugs etc. Common problem on early examples. ECU update works apparently.

9. Quickclear windscreen died at 40k with little use, got it replaced.

10. Standard CD player is temperamental. Likes to flash CD ERROR with scratch free discs. Binned it.

11. Rattles. Everywhere. Squeaks as well. Annoying.

12. Had option piano black dash trim. Very nice. Until the glue fails and the light switch surround fell off.

13. One taillight shined brighter than the other. No solution found.

14. Rivets on sideskirts pop off, cheap fix, common, the front near the wing comes away from the car. Annoying.

Great fun, puts a smile on my face when it's working.

A very good looking hot hatch. Ford make the best looking boy racer cars.

Corners like nothing else I've driven, especially with good tyres.

Needs to be worked hard to get the engine to sing.

Fit some breathing mods to realise more of its potential.

Thirsty, but I knew that.

Fit a Focus ST interior light. You get submarine lighting.

Seats are nice. Pre facelift dials glow red at night. Look ace.

Blessing in disguise. I killed it last week. It's in the scrap yard. A love hate relationship indeed. I loved it. It hated me and told me so with its big niggles.

Full history and it had a shagged engine at 34k. Why?

The Ford dealer's customer service is awful. They don't care once they have your money.

I've owned 8 Fiestas over the years. All older by far. None were as troublesome as this. My 1990 XR2i was more reliable.

Would I have another? Yes. But I would examine every nut and bolt.

Really annoying squeak on clutch pedal spring.

The drivers door fills up with water when it rains, as the drain holes are blocked and not pressed properly when the car was made.

Whilst driving the car normally, the ABS and brake warning lights on the dashboard came on for no reason, and will not go out. After being investigated by an independent garage, and also a main dealer at a cost of three hundred and ninety pounds, was told that the ABS control module is faulty and cannot be repaired, and a replacement will cost over six hundred pounds just for the unit without V.A.T, then labour, which will take it up to between eight hundred and a thousand pounds!!!

Bearing in mind the car has only just done 24,000 miles and Ford Motor Co. don't want to know, even as a goodwill gesture, I think is despicable and unacceptable!!!

Now for the latest fault, whilst the car was parked outside the house, the drivers side coil spring broke, leaving the car unmovable as the front of the car had dropped right down onto the tyre on one corner, and the broken spring was rubbing against the inside tyre wall!?!

After doing some research on the Internet, quickly realised this is a common fault on Fiesta's and also Focus's.

I am only glad that I do not have small children or a baby, as a lot of drivers experience this fault whilst driving, causing them to swerve violently and/or crash!!!

I have owned around twenty Fords in the past, but I am so disgusted with the cars and the company's disregard for their customers, I will never buy another Ford ever again, and advise every one I know the same!!!