Faults:

The car only cost £210 so it came with a few faults these are as follows.

Rev counter has not worked correctly since purchase and indicates I am idling at 7,000RPM!.

Water pump failed quite cheap to replace if you undertake the work yourself; the part only cost £25. You have to remove the fan and most of the coolant pipes to do this.

Coolant change required as coolant was very dirty indeed required 5 flushes to remove all the dirt.

Alternator stopped charging this was repaired for £40 Ford dealer quoted £160 to replace this.

The paint work is not perfect on the car and it looks a bit faded.

Gearchange not the best it seems to be a bit sloppy.

Passenger window stopped working played around with the wiring to the switch and then it started working again.

Replaced the timing belt and fully serviced the car shortly after purchase.

There is slight play in the steering rack and the tracking is miles out.

The rear arches are starting to go (typical Ford build)

General Comments:

The car is so comfortable you have to travel in it to believe it.

Perfect driving position and good visibility.

Superb variable ratio power steering.

Superb and powerful brakes which do not fade.

The 2.0i Pinto is a bit rough in lower gears, but on the motorway it is silent the only thing that can be heard is wind noise. 5th gear is perfect for motorway cruising and is very relaxing.

The 2.0i Pinto is still quite swift despite the size of the car, but it has to be worked hard for swift acceleration.

The car delivers around 36MPG on the motorway at 70-80MPH around town this is down to around 25-28MPG.

The best £210 I have ever spent!

Faults:

Exhaust - £230.

Front discs - £70.

And that's about it.

General Comments:

Rustless.

Terrific for the holiday run filled with the family, and on one ocassion 200 miles with their bikes inside as well!!!

Most things are still working, including the trip computer and auto cruise.

Small oil leak that can't be traced, but the levels never go down.

Small slip on auto but I'll live with it... it only cost me £650 at the auction.

Faults:

After 95,000 miles had to replace the steering rack + front struts for 300 quid.

Power steering pump failed at 98,000 miles.

ABS light flashed continuously.

Panel lights failed many times.

Wore front brake pads + discs at an alarming rate.

Auto gearbox failed at 105,000.

General Comments:

Needs a petrol tanker in tow.

Faults:

I purchased this car secondhand, and in five years of very demanding and heavy driving, all that I have had to replace is a rear window wiper mechanism and an exhaust pipe.

I am very impressed with this elderly car, which has just completed a 2000 mile round trip in a weekend (at high speed) and then passed an MOT on return, without even being cleaned or lubricated.

General Comments:

A good, solid and reliable family car.

Faults:

Gearbox linkage went, leaving me stranded - could do with a split-pin. Air con wasn't working when I got it and about £200 to fix! Lumbar pumps worn out.

General Comments:

A cross between a tank and an armchair. Gorgeous to drive and quite cheap to run for such a luxurious car, but a bit thirsty (17mpg around town - about 27mpg on a motorway run (30 with a tailwind!)). On reflection I'd go for the 2.0i. All the same goodies but more mpg.

Faults:

The usual warped front brake discs.

Niggly things:

Fuel Computer digits missing segments,

Heated seat switch failed,

Driver seat lumbar adjustment dodgy,

Alternator drive belt failed.

General Comments:

Excellent value - bought second-hand for £2700 with only 63,000 on the clock.

Done 11,000 miles with no problems at all.

Faults:

Driver's seat upholstery badly worn after 68,000 miles. ABS brake warning light now comes on, indicating that advice should be taken from main agents. Apart from this, only normal replacements have been made of brake components, rear shock absorbers and exhaust system.

General Comments:

This car is more suitable for long distance cruising at motorway speeds or higher (in Germany!) than round town, when it is noisier than petrol equivalents. The mpg of approx., 37 is achieved almost regardless of driving methods or distance travelled. The engine is not state of the art - modern engines in German cars are significantly quieter and much more economical.