2003 Ford StreetKa Luxury review from UK and Ireland

Where to start?

Interior door handles stopped functioning (3x)

Coil packs (2x)

Catalytic converter (probably caused by the above)

Oxygen sensor

Expansion tank split, dumping the coolant all over the road.

Thermostat stuck closed - luckily the engine didn't cook.

Exterior door lock jammed.

Alarm goes off permanently if the car is locked by remote.

Anti roll bar bushes

Front wishbone bushes

Engine management light on and "limp home" at random (happened four times), with nobody able to find out the cause.

Great little design, completely ruined by appalling reliability.

Performance is lively enough, but fuel economy is atrocious. The emissions are high too for a small car, and the car will be clumped by the VED revisions coming in next year.

Excellent handling with lots of steering feel. Has a delightful "go kart" feel when pressing on, and the agility and balance of the chassis are still very impressive. A fun car to drive, if not a very quick one.

Exterior and interior finish has held up well, but constant component failures and poor fixtures and fittings are an ongoing nightmare. The locking mechanism seems to be a fragile design, with handles and locks failing far too often.

I've spent over £2,000 on unscheduled maintenance since the warranty expired, and it has dumped me by the roadside four times. Twice with coil failures, and twice for cooling system problems. Front suspension bushes are another weak point, with bangs and clonks coming in every year or so as more bushes turn to cheese and have to be replaced.

Need to keep it now, as I've pumped too much money into it which I'll never recoup if I sell. A shame, as I still like the design and the drive. It's the newest car I've bought, and the one I've trusted least to complete a journey without incident. It's been perfect for the last four months though, which is a record. A sad state of affairs, but at least things are looking up.

I can't recommend this car.