1990 Ford Fiesta D review from UK and Ireland
"A low performance, loud, not for people who like speed"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
My family must have bought this car from a dodgy dealer, so many things have gone wrong since we got it when it was 2 years old:
A front light bulb broke.
A back light bulb broke.
Exhaust pipe fell off the bottom of the car!
All tyres had to be replaced.
Brake pads replaced.
Clutch cable broke (twice)
Back windscreen wiper doesn't work until about 10 minutes after the engine is started.
Starter motor broke (stranding me 8 miles from home)
New battery needed.
Oil leak.
Severe rust around all 4 wheel arches.
Radio can no longer read longwave transmissions.
Has needed at least £200 of work done on it at every MOT since we got it.
General comments?
I thought that this car would at least be able to reach 0-60 in under 15 seconds, as it's 1.8 liters, even if it is a diesel. But no, I myself times it, and it takes about 15 and a half second (on a straight, level road with a near empty fuel tank). We must have spent thousands of pounds on repairs, and so it would have been better to just buy a different model after a few years. It seems to use oil faster than diesel! Although you're supposed to get more value for money with diesel, for the amount of power this car has, it is definitely not worth it. Has a lot of trouble starting on cold days. Don't try to overtake anything on a single lane road unless you can see for at least a mile ahead. It also sounds like a tractor (and is about as fast!)
Worst of all, it's embarrassing at traffic lights when they turn green and having people behind you waiting for you to accelerate, especially with "FIESTA 1.8" on the back, as people just think you're a slow driver.
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| 1990 - Fiesta Popular Plus 1.0 Reliable, lovable little runabout |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1990 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 diesel Manual |
| Performance marks | 2 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 0 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 110000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 115000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 23rd March, 2003 |