Faults:

Valve wear.

Oil leaks.

There was some rust,not too much, though it suffered quite a bit from the extreme cold. In any case, the sheet metal is good, and it’s an easy fix.

Overheating due to leaks in aging hoses that wear out over time.

Starting problems: Failures to start the vehicle stem from the starter motor, a worn alternator, and grounding or wiring issues caused by age.

General Comments:

I owned the Sierra for many years. The few issues it had (which I mentioned earlier regarding faults) were typical of cars from that era; aside from valve wear, rust, and the occasional starting problem in cold weather, the car was extremely reliable.

For a family of five, the car was more than spacious, great for weekend getaways with the kids; you could pack absolutely anything you could imagine, which is why I chose a wagon over a sedan when I bought it. It offered similar performance, too, and that brings me to my next point.

With only a 1.6-liter engine for a heavy car like the Sierra, especially the wagon version, it seemed underpowered, and indeed it was. Even so, I have to say it accelerated quite well and handled with ease. Despite lacking power steering, it was an agile car.

Fuel economy wasn't a strong point, but at least the engine was incredibly reliable and gave me no trouble the entire time I owned it.

It lacked modern features like ABS or air conditioning, yet the seats were comfortable and the interior was of very high quality. The kids loved it; they called it "the boat."

With its smooth, quiet ride, it was clearly a pleasant, upper-mid-range car.

If I could turn back time, I would buy another Sierra without a moment's hesitation.

Faults:

My engine began taking oil and head gasket blew at 210000 km.

Valve gaskets replaced at 180000 km.

Intake and exhaust gaskets been replaced at 150000km.

I replaced the engine at 210000 km.

General Comments:

When I replaced the engine, I put 2,0 instead of old, what was 1,8 litres. After that it is a great car.

It runs great and 200km/h is not a problem with that car.

Seats are comfortable and shape of the car is great, just like modern cars.

It has an exellent handling.

I tuned up the engine a little and has more power than it needs, it speeds up great.

Fantastic car.

Faults:

The bumpers were damaged when I bought it. Even if you can't blame this on the car, it was quite hard to find a Sierra with good bumpers on any junkyard, so probably they are weak.

The door handles was also broken, and I'm not surprised, because they are made of weak plastic.

The glove compartment door have fallen off.

Due too bad lubrication, the camshaft is worn. You have to clean the tube sometimes, and change oil often in these engines. The previous owners didn't.

Worn balljoint, had to replace it to pass annual safety inspection. You have to replace the whole control arm on these cars, can't change just the balljoint.

There is an oil leak from the rear crankshaft seal.

Rust does exist, but not much for a 18 year old car.

The alternator bolts cracked, I blame it on the salt they put on roads here in the wintertime rather than on Ford.

The doors can't be locked from the outside. I've got an immobilizer and live in a very calm area so I'm not worried though.

General Comments:

Well, it is not built like a Mercedes, and were never intended to be...

There is a lot of plastic and cheap solutions. But most things will work, and it is a very easy car to do DIY work on, as opposed too many of its FWD competitors.

It handles good and the comfort is OK, thanks to the individual rear suspension. However, it is very sensitive on the tires. It's especially important to have good winter tires, because when it starts to skid, it can be a tricky car to "get back"...

It is fun to drive, feels very quick. The seats are good, there is pretty much equipment for its time, you can drive very long trips without getting tired. Not bad for quite a small car.

The trunk can get huge when you fold down the rear seat, though it is not as easy to use as the compartment in a station wagon.

The design is often called the grandfather of the modern car. While this is true, it still has its own profile. You find your Sierra easy in the parking lot among the "modern" cars, especially the two door (which I have) has its own profile, not beautiful maybe, but it certainly has something. I like it.

It runs cheap. I get 0,79 litres per 10 km on long trips. That's OK.

Sierras are often very cheap. Find a good one and you get much value for your money!