Well I bought my car a couple of months ago and it had 90,000 miles on it and I put on about 4,000 miles already and I have had to get the transmission rebuilt and engine tune up and new tires the car is great, but the transmission is junk and ford should have put a better transmission in the car and I'm sure they would have had a perfect car.
Bought my 2000 ZX2 brand new off the lot (000006 miles is such a great thing to see!!) and have had very little problem with it. Now have 125,000 miles on it, not driven hard, and still runs great. Timing belt broke last year, at 115,000 miles, although they say replace 60,000-120,000, so that was OK (except for the cost!!). I do have the same vibrations when stopped, but I think that is pretty common in these cars. Had a mechanic check it out -- he said nothing wrong. I just put up with it. Check engine light has only come on ONCE in the entire 5+ years I've owned the car, and that was only cause the gas cap wasn't on tight enough. All in all, now that it's paid for, a good investment.
OK, so I LOVE MY CAR! I'm not ready to give it up anytime soon. I can't afford to pay for it to get fixed so I'm tackling it on my own... but I'm having a few problems. The timing belt is a bit*h to put on.. There is nothing showing you how to line it up. I have taken it apart and put it back together 3 times now. I just can't figure it out! So, my Q is why isn't my gears turning at the same time I turn the motor, but my timing belt is? Is there supposed to be a delayed reaction like this or do you think there's something else wrong with the car besides the timing belt? If someone reads this soon, and knows the answer please get back to me, It's 2:45pm on March 3rd 2006.. I need some help! My e-mail is Futreisnow@AOL.COM
Please Help!
Like some of you who have posts regarding your Ford Escort ZX2, I am having trouble with it, but want to keep it. My air no longer works. I am trying to avoid costly services at the dealership. I have taken to a couple of locally owned shops, but they were unsure of the problem. We have ruled out the need for Freon. Any suggestions or thoughts? Please email me at lookingforfurniture1@yahoo.com. Weird address I know...
Distressed Lady with a ZX2.
I have a 99 zx2,and the only real problem I've had is that the a/c stopped working and never really found out what was wrong. Now I have problems sliding in the snow, but I think I need new tires. Recently the clear coat started peeling and I'm not sure why, but other than that it has been a good car.
Well I bought my SR with about 20,000 miles previously on it, and now I'm at a little over 52,000 miles and the transmission just went out. It does idle and shake like no other, but I still love the car anyways.
For all of you having issues with you're a/C going out it is probably the CCRM. It is the little computer under the air filter box that controls all kinds of things like the fuel pump, A/C compressor, etc. I had the same thing happen and the mechanic wanted to charge me $200 for the part and $150 to put it in. My advice, do what I did and go on eBay, get one for cheap (I got one for $30) and install it yourself. Took me about an hour and that includes the time it took me to find my tools I needed. For the poor guys (and gals) that your transmission is shuddering or you lose a gear (like the 2nd gear I lost in mine) it is due to the weak tranny bands they put in these units. They have been ever since they first came out and probably will never change them until they take the ZX2 off the market. Your best bet with the transmission is to buy a rebuilt one (you could get one from eBay, but I haven't seen any that come with a guarantee that it won't have the same problem) and have a mechanic friend install it. Odds are you will be without a vehicle for a week or two if he takes his time to do it. Or you can take it to a mechanic and they will charge you $1500 - $2000 for the rebuilt tranny and installing it. It could still take a week if they are backed up, but odds are you should have it back in your possession within 3 days. Hope I could help.
I think all you people with trans problem should learn how to drive, because the trans should last past 150k easy. the auto trans are more reliable than a standard to. mostly because of bad drivers.
I bought my 2000 zx2 off the lot with 25 miles. I do minor driving to and from work and have 65k. In Feb my car started stalling out, then it refused to start unless I waited 1 hr or more. Then it died out on a very cold night in Feb. I had it towed to my mechanic, who kept it for a week, changed the plugs, could not get it to start. He suggested that I take it to the dealership. They kept the car for a week, replaced the flyplate and a solenoid, and $1,800. Now on 4/25 my car started stalling and refusing start again. Towed the car again to dealership, they could not replicate the stalling again. This time they flushed the trans, replaced the fuel filter, and $150.00. One hour later the car refused to start, towed back to dealership. I have now had a rental 1 month since they cannot find the problem.
Please help, as a teacher I will be in the poor house very soon.
Thanks to all.
I bought my 98 escort new off the lot it has about 98,000 miles on it the only problem I have is when I turn to the right it squils very loud and when I drive it for long periods of time it squils sounds like its coming from the a/c pump if you know what it is please let me know at dmssummers@yahoo.com thank you.
Okay I have a 2001 zx2... and when I crank my car and put it into drive it roars and acts like it doesn't want to go, but if you give it a minute it will go... is this the transmission or the belts? this car is a good little car besides the shaking when you're stopped but i've heard this happens with all of them and there's nothing wrong..idk. i like my car but if it is the transmission i know i don't have the money to fix it and it certainly isn't under warranty anymore. ford needs to fix this problem that i hear is quite common with the transmission.
You never know what you may end up with when purchasing a car. If you buy a car whether for $1 or $100,000 and believe that you should never have to sink one penny into it then you should hang up your keys, toss out your license and get yourself a nice dependable mule. Cars cost money whether new or used, things that you use on a daily basis break or wear out over time. You can't expect your vehicle to perform like a race car every time you take it out. It is a machine, not made to last forever. Buying a car used, you never know what you may wind up with. You may have gotten something that is "new" to you and you intend on taking the best care of for the rest of it's days but the prior owner or owners may not have done the same and there's no way of knowing that. The car you purchase may have been abused, not properly maintained and sadly wound up in your hands. That's not the dealers fault, you can't blame ford or any other car manufacturer for someone else's poor car care. If your car is broken, go have it fixed, machines break down, they don't last forever, nothing does.
Yeah, I own a 99 ZX2 and it's an auto, but I have low and drive; I have to shift it manually but I'm dropping a 5 speed in her. I bought the car with the jacked tranny for like 250; it's a sweet car. I love the Zetec motor, but hey cars break, that's why I make my money. I'm a mechanic.
Problem with my 2000 zx2, gas just started POURING out of the front area of the car under the engine. What on earth happened?
Any ideas?
I have a 2000 ZX2 that also had fuel gushing out of the engine. (Very disturbing when you're driving). Turned out it was only the fuel filter that got clogged. Replacing it was cheap and fairly easy (did it myself).