1989 Ford Fiesta LX from UK and Ireland - Comments

Lots and lots of welding needed doing.

Valve followers.

Leaky radiator.

Pulling brakes.

Main and big bearings went.

Electrics.

It filled up with water every time it rained.

Biggest pile of crap I have ever owned (next to the 1.6 Ghia Orion I had last year). Handles like all the tyres are flat, can be easily out accelerated by a milk float (an electric one).

What were Ford thinking of when they decided where to put the speakers?

I will never buy another Ford again. Long live Vauxhall.

i have owned my Fiesta LX now for 6 months... since then it has cost me an arm and a leg... apparently it had been serviced just before I bought it... what a lot of crap.

First to go was the exhaust quickly followed by the tyres. Then I put it in for its service a few weeks ago, only to be charged for a knackered steering coupling, front and rear bushes were non existent, leaking gasket... etc. etc.

The handling is rubbish and the acceleration of this car has seen me be humiliated many a time, had it not been for insurance costs, I'm very sure that this car would not have been my 1st choice.

Another point is the running costs, whoever said that a 1.1 Fiesta is cheap to run must need their head examined, because I've seen me running 30 miles and using a quarter of a tank.

Since it's been serviced everything is fine apart from a noisy alternator which makes the car sound worse.

With only 45,000 miles on the clock this car should be in a lot better condition... unfortunately in this case it isn't. Although I am trying to rectify this and turn it into something unique... here is hoping.

I don't blame all of the faults on Ford personally, but they could have made this car a lot better if they had tried... the design isn't bad... it's just the poor performance and lack of modifying material which let this car down.

I got my Fiesta when it was three years old (just a baby) I don't think! More like an old man with arthritis - it leaks, it creaks and I am pretty sure Noddy overtook me on the motorway the other day.

Problems include rusting wheel arches, around the petrol cap, actually the only place that's not rusting YET is the roof. Damp interior, poor suspension, front tyre wear, noisy engine, the list goes on and on and on.

Will never by another Fiesta again.

How can you not blame Ford, they made the car, the engine etc, therfore it was their fault... Although it does seem as though they can't make good cars.

In response to the comment of 13 Dec 2000 : -

- You criticise the fact that there is not much scope for modifying - tell me this, why should a manufacturer design cars to allow for loads of modifying?? Modified cars are very much in the minority when compared to the number of cars on the road in general. Most people don't care about modifying. You can hardly blame Ford for the lack of modifying parts; have you tried specialists such as Demon Tweeks (try doing an internet search). You should be able to come up with something.

- I am sorry to here that you Fiesta is heavy on petrol, but have you thought that it might be out of tune? E.g. running rich (does it smoke at all??). You may also be driving it too hard.

- I agree that poor performance is a problem, I own a 1.1 LX myself and yes, they are slow, but they are no worse than a 1.2 Corsa.

- I also agree that a car with only 45k on the clock should be better than this, but have you thought that a previous owner may have neglected the car, e.g. missed services etc. This could explain many of the problems you have mentioned. It's not necessarily Ford's fault that the car is bad, as in my experience Fiestas, and indeed Fords in general are good cars.

3rd Feb 2001: -

- Your problems may also have been caused by neglect in the past.

- Rust around the fuel cap is a common fault on this shape of Fiesta. It's caused by fuel dripping from the nozzles of petrol pumps. Try wiping the area around the cap after you fill up - it won't sort out what's already there, but it should cut down the potential for future rust.

6th Sep 2001: -

- Again, have you considered neglect by previous owners as being a cause of any problems??

- I don't agree with your view that Ford build bad cars. Most Fords I have known have been well built and reliable; add to this their recent products such as the Focus and Puma, and you have a company that is well respected by many.

- I own an 89 LX which hasn't given me any trouble for years. It's just clocked 90,000 and the engine is running sweet as a nut. Admittedly it is slow, but if I wanted speed I would buy an XR2I.

-I have seen a lot of this age fiesta with rust around the fuel cap, and wheel arches, but mine hasn't. I suppose just simple maintenance such as cleaning out the road dirt that collects around the wheel arches helps to keep this car looking good.

-Generally a very pleasant car to drive, will definitely buy from this manufacturer again.

The reason the filler cap rust on the MK 3 Fiesta is that muck and rubbish build up behind the filler cap and pipe, there it sits, damp and inviting rust. If you bothered to read the Ford owners handbook you would know that you are suposed to hose down the underside and inspect it 2 times a year (this would lead to any corrosion being spotted early). Yes this model Fiesta is not brilliant, its just the average car that is meant to do its job - get you from a A to B. If you want a good Ford of this age you should get a Orion 1.6i, Sierra XR4X4 or a Granada Cosworth. Also have you had the valve clearance, points, air, oil and oil filter changed - makes one hell of a difference. Or do you drive your Fiesta with the tappets sounding as if they are going to pop?

I have a 1.4i 1989 Fiesta LX and it goes like hell. 0-60 in practically nothing and 125+mph max speed.

You guys obviously bought ones without an engine included.