Faults:

Just today I had to replace the fuel pump, apparently this is now becoming a regular thing on older Sierra's however it only took £30 and half an hour of my time to fix. Mind I only paid £350. Plus it sailed through its last m.o.t without fault.

General Comments:

The car still looks tidy, only a small spot of rust on the arches. And apart from the fuel pump is extremely reliable daily runabout.

Faults:

Heater matrix leaked in 1998 (whole lower dashboard needed removing to replace). It's replacement leaked in 1999.

Front wheel bearings cracked and shattered at speed in 1999.

Compliance bushes have failed roughly every 8-12 months.

Whole braking system (all disks, all calipers and all lines) replaced due to various failures - most notable the rear calipers seized and handbrake would not work.

Front prop-shaft for 4x4 system failed twice in last 4 years - this is a £250 part only available from Ford.

Front differential (the 4x4 transfer box) has serious internal faults and 'clunks' whenever taking up drive or changing gear hard.

Front drive-shafts replaced recently due to failure.

In 2000 the engine was completely rebuilt at a cost of over £1000 due to a head gasket problem which went unnoticed and damaged the cylinder head.

Clutch replaced recently at a cost of over £200 - not cheap due to the gearbox type.

Engine management system replaced in 2000 due to a fault.

General Comments:

Whilst this car is very quick and handles like it is glued to the road, it's running costs are through the roof.

Petrol consumption is about 15-20mpg in the city, and about 35mpg on the motorway - mainly due to the 4x4.

75% of the parts the car requires are only available from a Ford main dealer - it is very hard if not impossible to locate parts for this car in the scrap yard.

The car seems to eat tires! Because of the 4x4, all wheels are driving and therefore all sustain abnormal wear.

This car has become so unreliable that I can't even make a simple journey to work without wondering if I will make it or not. It's failures have just been one after another.

I would estimate that with one thing and another I have spent over £7500 on maintaining this car.

Faults:

The usual wear and tear, brake disks, pads etc. I did however snap the timing chain in 2000 and had to replace the head. This was my own fault as I neglected the warning signs. The poor car done well to carry on as long as it did.

General Comments:

A very deceptive car with a superb engine. I like to give it a good thrashing every now and again, and although it is an old car, it still sees off most modern 2.0 litres.

If I have one complaint it is the fact that in the wet it tends to be tail happy. A good set of tyres and a light foot certainly helps alleviate this problem, although it can be fun if you get it on a safe area for a play. I had mine on a disused runway and it was super fun.

Faults:

No major problems with the car in 7 years of ownership.

Minor leak from the sump and rear axle drive, but these are well known and cause little concern.

Buy the cheapest tyres you can (it's a heavy car) but replace the engine oil with good quality multigrade and the CVH engine will purr forever!

General Comments:

Okay, so its dated and boring to look at, but if you're on a tight budget like me the Sierra and Sapphire cars are excellent! I've owned mine for 7 years now, bought secondhand for pennies, and runs on even less. Standard technology like carburettor means no fiddly electronic ignition to worry about etc. I replace the oil and filter every six tho, and it gets a service once a year when in for its MOT. The car has never missed a beat, let alone failed, and it carries four people in comfort. Our car has been from John O' Groats to Brighton and all points inbetween!