2000 Ford Fiesta Zetec-S from UK and Ireland - Comments

Piston rings went at 34000 miles. Covered by Ford warranty, but only after many letters and legal threats. The car had a full Ford Service History.

Rust in door sills and along side-skirts. Again covered by warranty, but still hassle to get it sorted.

Steering wheel 'melted'. Not covered by warranty, but got 80% of the cost from Ford after complaining.

The car handles well and is fun to drive.

However it is let down by serious lack of power. It just isn't quick enough and has to be absolutely killed to go anywhere. Nothing before 3500rpm, nothing after 5800rpm.

The interior really lets the car down. It's not comfortable and the driving position is awful. Everything feels cheaply made and is not different to a normal Fiesta.

My 2000 model had covered twice the mileage of yours when I sold it last year, and had suffered none of these problems (although the steering wheels are a known issue). Certainly never heard of one going rusty, or suffering any form of engine failure, and I was in the owner's club and in touch with hundreds of other Zetec-S owners! This engine is also used in the Focus, and our company fleet has several of these with well over 100,000 miles (of junior rep abuse) that still run well. Never heard of piston rings going, or other major mechanical problems before.

If you're complaining about performance, a cheap looking interior and poor comfort, I can't help wondering why you actually bought the car. Didn't you test drive it first? All of those things would have been apparent within half a mile on a test drive.

It's not supposed to be a no holds barred hot hatch, but to offer hot hatch looks with affordability, low running costs, and reasonable insurance costs! It strikes me you've totally missed the point of the car, and have been particularly unlucky to experience these problems.

If you are in the owners club (ZSOC?), then have a look at the thread containing 149 names of people with rust on their cars. http://www.zsoc.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7377. I am not the first to experience engine failure either. My car had a Full Ford Service history and still went wrong. I have no faith in Ford anymore.

When I first drove the car, I'd just passed my driving test so everything felt fast. Within about a month I got bored of it and wanted something quicker. I dislike having to rev cars to get power. This is why I now drive a modified MK2 Golf GTI 8v with low down grunt and way better build quality than the Fiesta. Had no problems except replacing parts that fail on 15 year old cars (leads, plugs, oil filter, oil, etc). My new car has 128k and is still going strong. I doubt there will be many Fiestas around on that sort of mileage that don't have problems.

The Golf is a "full on" hot hatch. The Fiesta is a warm hatch. You are still totally missing the point.

OK, rust might be common (and that's inexcusable), but I still have never heard of an engine failure on the 1600 Zetec SE engine. It's actually largely a Yamaha developed unit anyway, badged as a Ford.

My in-law's "owned from new" 1998 Polo has a rusting rear wheel arch, so VW aren't immune either.

While I agree there are one or two common rust spots on fiestas (ie seam below the rear light clusters), I certainly don't believe they're any more prone that other cars on the market. Perhaps other than those that are galvanised, which is actually becoming more common.

As for engines and general unreliability, I don't believe Fords are any more likely to break down or become faulty than other makes - it's an engineering impossibility to design a car, build several hundred thousand of them and have no problems with any of them. Those that do have rare problems such as a piston ring failure tend to believe that their problem is generic to all of that marque, when indeed it's more often just bad luck. VW Golf's are indeed INCREDIBLY solid cars, very over-engineered and thus do tend to have a reputation for never going wrong. My brother had over 100Kmiles on a Mk2 Golf, but it still had a drive-shaft snap, numerous problems with the weird and wonderful wax stat in the carb and enough electrical problems to steal Ford's renowned crown.

Perhaps it's very easy to blame Ford or indeed fiestas in general for unreliability, but in my experience fiestas are tough little cookies and very very reliable.

I've just swapped my 2001 Fiesta LX for a 2001 Alfa Romeo 147 and I've had more problems with it in my first 2 days of ownership than I had in a whole 3 years or happy fiesta driving. I really am going to miss that wee thing.

Please could someone give me any information about my car, is there any faults with the temperature gauges rising changed head gasket, thermostat, radiator, water pump, temperature sender switch, is there any faults with the gauges. i think the car drives lovely, but has got its rust spots same as any car really.

The Zetec S engines is a durable tool designed to give you years of total satisfaction, an even though the Fiesta is not a bullet with this tiny engine, the car as a unit -with the total weight, the 90 hp and the very reasonable torque- offers a nice small car that easily surpasses our firs expectations.

My Fiesta runs well in this city's height and the engine shows no hesitation to devour mountain winding roads, so the steering wheel is also competent.

The front seats are very capable, while the rest of the car could be better, but the package offered here is very complete.

Hi, I've had my fiesta s since 2003 and it's been fine. its done 56,000 miles, and I was driving home the other night and my dashboard lights went dim. MY engine died straight away. Now I try to start my car and it turns over, but sounds very faint hearted like somethings missing. Then after 2 or 3 turns my alternator clicks an nothing happens. can any one help me.Jamie.

Yep, your battery is flat!!!

My temperature gauge is going up to the red line and down to the middle again after 20 minutes of driving, and keeps going up and down, but it is not over heating. What's going on?

Temperature fluctuations could be a thermostat problem. First check the water's not low!

The fiesta zetec-s isn't 90hp!

Hi, I've just bought a zetec and I've read that the coil pack seams to be a problem. When I put the foot down the car splutters and chuggs along sometimes, aslo I lose power when the car should b going for it. Does anyone know if this is the coil pack?

My zetec done the same it the battery.

Hi,

Can anyone help, I've had a 06 fiesta zetec for 6 months and in the last month the steering has changed to the point where I don't feel safe in the car. The ford garage have done the tracking three times and say they can't find anything else wrong, but it still doesn't feel safe. The only way I can describe it is it's like driving a roller coaster. Has anyone else experienced this? The cars done 21,000 miles

Check the tyre pressures.