1971 Ford Pinto review from North America
"The last good car Ford ever made"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Dash cracked at about 100,000 miles.
Seat vinyl cracked at about 150,000 miles.
Rebuilt engine at 190,000 miles.
Steering wheel spoke cracked at about 210,000 miles.
Various interior things broke after 100,000 miles (but were cheap to fix).
Front end needed rebuilding at 314,000 miles.
General comments?
The first and most reliable car I ever owned. Wish I did not trade it in when it reached 25 years old. I know it would still be running today.
With manual trans it was plenty fast. Handled very well (one of first American cars with rack-and-pinion steering).
I always took very good care of the car, and rebuilt it inside and out at about 200,000 miles.
When I traded it in for a Honda Accord in 1996, I got $2,000 for it, more that it sold for new.
The blowing up thing was not unique to the Pinto, about 75% of all cars had the same problem that caused it.
Please note that this was really an import in 1971. German and UK parts assembled in the US. The 1600cc engine was a Lotus/Cortina engine.
Recommended reviews
| Excellent cheap transportation for a first time car owner |
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| To me this car resembles what is was to be poor in the 1970's |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1971 |
| Year of manufacture | 1970 |
| First year of ownership | 1971 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1996 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6L Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 315000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 12th May, 2006 |