1997 Proton Persona Penang from UK and Ireland - Comments

Water leaks into the driver's footwell and boot (again, see below).

Door seals coming adrift.

Ditto windscreen seal.

Lumpy drivers seat.

This is my second Proton (see my review of a 1992 Aeroback SE), so as you can probably tell, I like them.

OK, they`ve got zero street cred, the build quality still isn't quite up to scratch and they come with front and rear foot spas, but..

This car is seriously quick, it has A/C, ABS, airbag, aircon, 4x electric windows, mirrors etc. And remarkably it is more economical than the 1.5 it replaced.

It was dirt cheap too, due to its high mileage, but it has a FSH and runs like a dream.

I'll update this review when I`ve done a few thousand more miles.

I`m up to 82000 miles now and its still going strong.

I had to use a proton dealer recently for a service under warranty, the prices are cardiac inducing! But a new dealer has opened up in my home town and they promise to be cheaper, an A/C re-charge was half the price anyway.

Talking of A/C, its pretty feeble, is this a Proton trait?

Well it had to happen to me sometime, my unbroken run of carefree Proton motoring came to an end this week.

The car wouldn`t start and after charging the battery would run but stall at junctions etc (a bit like the old welded points scenario) and after being left overnight wouldn`t start again.

So after cajoling it to the dealers and a lot of head scratching, on their part, I`ve now got a new starter motor & battery.

The above with some timing & handbrake adjustment cost over £300 but thankfully the (non Proton) warranty paid for the starter but they wouldn`t pay the £47 p/h labour costs so leaving me with £127 to pay.

Otherwise, everything has been fine but the a/c is still a bit feeble, still its better than no a/c.

Does anybody other than me read my saga?

Yeh, I had a Proton Satria...

I love it, it's done a very good job, cheap to run etc... reliable car.

But one problem which I have found, leaking...

The car tends to leak water into the passenger's compartment when it rains... it's not preventable.

Tried many ways... it does not fix the problem.

I have a Proton Satria and they are great little cars

They are not as cheap to run as I thought though,

It's a 97 model Gli, I've had absoloutley no worries with it.

Its only got 51 thousand k's on it and it's still going strong.

Proton Persona 1.5 GlSi 1997.

Intermittent starting problem. New starter motor fitted. OK for 2 weeks then intermittent failure. Starter motor again replaced. Intermittent failure! On turning ignition key solenoid operates, but motor does not always turn. Battery has been tested - no problem with it. Any ideas? Everyone seems to be at a loss. No relay fitted in this car. It eventually starts!!

Re Survey. This is my second Proton. The first a 1.3 Aeroback I had for 7 years and did 107,000 miles. No problems with it. It is still on the road with a different owner who bought it 5 years ago.

Traded it in for a new Persona 1.5 GLSi in 1977. This car has done approx 72.000 miles. It seems to be jinxed.

Interior light problem, total electrics failure, corroded joint in loom! New radiator fitted under warranty.

Two rear shock absorbers fitted under warranty. (Originals from a bad batch). New head gasket. Leaky boot!

Further to my last. I had to have a new driver's seat back cover at 55,057 miles, just outside the 3 year warranty. New one fitted, lasted 22 months, 22,247 miles! Proton customer services say wear and tear! I say fair wear and tear?

Now electrical problems. Heated rear window indicating light does not come on, petrol gauge intermittent, starting intermittent despite 2 new starter motors and a new battery, hand brake warning light does not always go out.

Generally now fed up with Proton.

Having owned a Proton 1.3 MPI and basically run it into the ground, I needed a new car after the (original) battery died as well as the alternator. Yes, so I could have picked up a battery and refurbed the alternator for just under (uk) £40. But since I had some savings I decided to go on the hunt for a Persona 1.6 XLi.

By chance I spotted a Persona 1.6 XLi at a local dealers, after a few minutes chat, I eventually got the 1998 Persona for £600 (he actually gave me £400 for my MPI), and boy, WHAT A BARGAIN!!

All it needed was a parcel shelf (which I got for £10 from a breakers and a windscreen repair for £30).

I have had nothing go wrong, it doesn't leak, everything works and I have nothing, but praise for this car. It's excellent to drive thanks to the power steering, slightly harder than normal suspension compared to the lower end models and ABS. It came complete with the usual 5 spoke alloy wheels, factory fitted sunroof, ABS etc.

For a second hand motor, I would recommend the Persona to ANYBODY who's on a budget, but wants a reliable, hardworking car, that gets them from A to B with a minimum of fuss.

Just thought I'd try to help with the starting problems of your proton.. Had a similar problem myself but with a Renault Megane... don't know if the problem is exactly the same but it turned out to be the ignition coils... I got 2 from a scrap yard for £5. I swapped one over and never had a problem again. Worth a try.. The ignition coils are the bit where the ht leads plug into at the other end to the spark plugs. can be done yourself in 2 minutes.. Hope this helps..