1991 Ford Orion GLX from UK and Ireland - Comments

More like what hasn't gone wrong with it!

Electical Faults:

-Oil pressure warning light works intermittently

-Interior lighting (centre console/heating controls) does not work, main beams come on every time you indicate (until the switch burned out 2 weeks ago).

-Rear foglights do not work

-Heated windscreen has stopped working

Engine Faults:

-Burns a lot of oil

-Engine never seems to warm up properly

Other Faults:

-Tracking always needs adjusting

-Wishbones (?) on front suspension wear out quickly

-Rear shock absorbers wear out quickly

-Drivers seat subframe snapped

-Gearbox problems, difficulty engaging 3rd gear and noisy when in neutral and engine at idle speed

Very poor fuel economy (23mpg on long runs), acceleration is poor too (due to poorly-suited gear ratios).

The seats are very uncomfortable, there is a distinct lack of headroom (I think due to the poor design of the tilt & slide sunroof housing in the roof). The heater blower is very weak (I would be lost without an electrically heated windscreen!) and the air direction controls are poorly designed so that it is impossible to direct the air exactly where you want it to go.

Basically a very poorly designed car, not a patch on my previous Escort, a 1988 1.4LX.

Sounds like you bought something with 250,000 on the clock..

I have the GLX 1.4, it's J reg and as good as new, no rust, no problems, and it's got 95,000 on the clock. Starts first time everytime, and averages around 300 miles per week.

Mmm, sounds exactly the same as mine.. M reg owned since new. Only got 40000 miles on the clock and it's had a new gear box and the tracking is constantly out - has always eaten tires. It's not as if it's been thrashed.

Generally these are just crap cars. The gearboxes are total rubbish.. If the speedo needle starts to flutter get rid of it quickly as it means the differential bearings have gone.

I have a 1988 1.6 Ghia I model with 105,000 on clock.

Previous owner was Ford worker at Dagenham. It had 48k on the clock then.

Cost me £3000 and a further £2500 for repairs over 6 years.

New shocks all round

New clutch

2 new head gaskets

Brake Servo unit

New distributor

Fuel computer never works correctly

Reverse selector has gone in gearbox, (have to go via 4th to get reverse).

Tracking is not always out, but car often pulls to left when braking.

Engine starting to get noisy and burning/loosing oil now.

Passed MOT every time though.

Have had electrical probs - cutting out when rev counter needle started flicking - this was due to the Ignition module being faulty.

Now has some form of random tinkling/clicking sound when driving - heard from outside only not from inside.

Believe it or not I still like the car though.

Time for a change.

I own an l reg orion equipe which I have had for two years the problems I can find with mine are as follows gear selector for 2nd gear jumps out. the car does`nt idle properly at 1000 rpm apart from that it starts every time and does 3oo miles a week plus not bad for a first motor maintanance can be pricey.

I have just bought a 1991 ford orion 1.6 glx, the car itself seems alright, but the electrics are not so good. I have a charge light on that gets brighter the higher you rev it and my rev counter in stuck over 7000 rpm, but seems to be charging, I have been told that they have a common fault when the fuse boxes get damp and found out how much for a new one and nearly fell over £190, still not bad.

My mate has his hands on a slightly unusual Orion H Reg 1991, RS Series 1 engine, front heated windows and a fuel cut off switch in the tyre well!!. All this under the old style body. Do you or anyone you know have any information on this car because all the parts are originals and we are both stumped.

I've had my Orion GLX (1991) for two years, it's a great car, except for a few problems. Third gear always crunches, the driver's chair doesn't slide forward or adjust forward or back-wards. Steering is so heavy it sometimes takes me a good five minutes to park, the other day I sprained my wrist parking!

The boot leaver doesn't work and just recently I've had problems locking the petrol cap after use, in addition I must always start the car by revving gently at the same time.