1997 Ford Fiesta Chicane from UK and Ireland - Comments

Front lower arm bushes split twice.

Front anti-roll bar bushes split twice.

Front calipers seized.

Heater valve died.

Auxiliary belt tensioner started moaning.

Several oil leaks.

Rear wash wipe packed up.

Remote tailgate release packed up.

Rust bubbles on rear arches in 2003 when it was 6 years old!

Started overheating whenever the heater was turned off. Went in to dealer five times, returned as "fixed" each time, but never got to the bottom of it.

Needing something bigger and being so so sick of the car I part-exed it for a Honda Civic which has never given a day's trouble.

Never, ever will I buy another Ford.

Main dealer supplied, with low mileage and a FSH, it drove beautifully when I got it. Actually, to be fair it drove beautifully when I got rid of it. Just as long as I ignored the £,000's spent on it to keep it that way, and so long as I didn't turn the heater off!

Good points: Zippy, frugal 1.4 Zetec engine pulls well, revs smoothly and returns an easy 35 mpg. Sharp handling.

Bad points: Criminally unreliable, crap build quality, some shocking design flaws which see some parts (suspension bushes) lasting only 18 months before they fail "couldn't care less" attitude of Ford and their dealers. Rust. On a 6 year old car. Ford weren't interested.

The whole car feels like it was built to the lowest possible price. I'm not talking about the interior trim or equipment, but the engineering underneath it. The front suspension is chronically under-engineered, and needs parts replacing almost every year to stop the insane clonking and wandering that accompanies the regular bush failure. The cooling system struggles if the heater is turned off, and the catalogue of stupid, ongoing problems is testament to below-par design and engineering.

Had three older Fords over the years and all have been decent enough cars, but if this is the direction they've taken in recent years, I wouldn't touch another with a ten metre cattle prod.

As a new car it would probably have been brilliant, and I still can't believe how smooth and punchy that little 1400 Zetec engine was. Sadly as a package it was crap. There is no other word for it. It's not like I neglected it either. Serviced exactly to the schedule by the supplying dealer, regularly washed and polished, and not thrashed about. I hate to think how much they disintegrate if abused.

I bought my son a new 1999 Fiesta Zetec 1.25 and agree with the previous comments, in that there are under engineered parts in the area of the suspension. These must be replaced after a short life span, and represent problems that I have never had in almost 40 years of driving.

Also the rear calipers burst/leaked, and the poor design means that the rear brake pipes above the flexi hose corrode rapidly.

On the positive side, this small car handles well and the engine has been reliable. Also, an initial 3 year free insurance offer for a 17 year old learner was attractive, so I cannot grumble too much.

I have a 1997 Fiesta Chicane 1.25 Zetec. It hates me and the feeling is very mutual!

The bushes had to be changed, the electrics have always been faulty from the beginning and the only electrics that have worked consistently is the stereo that I wired in! Most recently the indicators won't work properly. Interior light comes on usually when it's daytime and not when it's needed.

Since January the car has stalled when you let the revs drop, which would usually happen in second gear or anything below that! The PAS stops working at the same time and even if I manage to prevent the car from completely stalling the PAS still goes. Heard that it could be the throttle sensor which either takes me back to the electrics or towards shelling out money I can't spare!

This is my first car and it's the last time I have a Ford... next time I'm sticking to VW!

I have a 97 Chicane 1.25 Zetec-S.

It cost me a bit, but it's OK... I hope.

Got a 1000 mile drive in it next week, so I hope it holds off OK :S.

I've had my Fiesta LX 12.5 for 7 years now, and it's 11 years old with 73k on the clock..

Shame that some of the owners here have had so much electrical issues, but from my personal experience, these are what to watch out for:

1) Rear tailgate contacts on pre 1999 model, always corrode meaning rear wiper works sometimes. Get replacement from scrapheap.

2) Got to agree the bushes are rubbish and need changing every couple of years. Wheel alignment costs on that as well.

3) Door contacts (for the lights) rust and need to be changed when the lights short out. About £10 to change them.

4) The fan rheostat burns out meaning only speed 4 is available. Get a replacement for £6 new and don't get Ford to con you into 1.5 hours labour - for a 3 min job behind the glove box.

So you're asking - why on earth do I still own this? The engine...

The engine is simply amazing. It's 11 years old, still smooth & torquey. I've done everything from 500 to 5 miles in a day in this and it hasn't put a foot wrong, at all, ever.

It's faster than most 1.8's and 2.0s off the mark due to lack of weight. 7 years on and I still LOVE driving this car. It is still so much fun for what it is.

You can park it ANYWHERE in London, it's narrow enough to get through stupid small gaps that buses make to try and ruin your day.

There's no silly high boot line and thick pillars to ruin visibility, and it's frugal to fill up.

I'll get rid of it when it fails the MOT beyond belief. In the mean time, save your money for a rainier day, or British Airway's offers to the Caribbean at present!