Fiesta Woes

[sussex]

welsheade, I dont want you to think I am being rude or doubting you, I am not at all, I understand what you say. I am only putting across my POV.

Out of interest what do you think you will move to? Golf?

[blade]

I have no rattles or squeaks in my ZS. I had 1 on my Zetec which was sorted under warranty and never re-surfaced. and for £12k, I am very happy with my car, as I was with my old 1.4 Zetec. Apart from the dials for the fan/heater which I would like/think should be better quality and the door handles overall I can't complain about the quality at all.

You bought yours new? About 13/14k ish? What new car for the same price will you get this time?

have to agree with you there sussex,i have my little fiesta for a year now,and nothing rattles or squeakes (knock on wood :) ) from what i have seen,it appears that fiestas built in germany have better quality than the ones bulit in spain...

[andy64]

Well a good 7-8 months on i have to admit im falling out of love with the zetec S, infact it will soon be gone.

theres nothing wrong with the looks , its great in that department, its the performance and build quality that im fed up with.

I know that i should expect it to be a rocket car and its limited but im finding it way too sluggish for me now, im struggling to

enjoy my driving and the mpg it totally useless at 31mpg!!

The build quality is terrible, door seals peel off, internal light covers fall off, doors rattle , wing mirror rattles, the parcel shelf vibrates as

its just laying there, im fed up so i 'll be looking for a change soon.

Anyone else fed up and feeling like a change, or am i just miserable git lol

Took delivery of my Fiesta in April 2009 & would definitely buy another, e.g. if my car was written off.

Yes there have been a few (minor) teething troubles with mine (engine cutting out briefly on a few - rare - occasions - cured by ECU update) and rattles (fixed). It isn't unusual (even in this day & age) for a new car to require a few adjustments etc & also as the Fiesta's a "new model" there will inevitably be a few revisions from Ford as & when common issues become apparent.

My previous two cars, purchased new, both completely broke down when only a few weeks old - a 1993 Corsa which suffered water pump failure at six weeks old / 800 miles & a 2002 Astra which lost all power 100 miles from home due to a faulty electronic engine component at only three weeks old / 600 miles - & the same component failed again about every 15 months afterwards with Vauxhall refusing to admit any liability after the warranty had expired. The Astra also had more rattles than the Fiesta.

Fiestas aren't Audis / BMWs / Golfs - those are a different class of car & it's unfair to make comparisons. The Fiesta's a lot cheaper & hence more "made down to a price" so generally won't have the same build quality but it is cheaper to buy & run - which is why Fords, Vauxhalls etc are so popular.

My (German built) Fiesta Titanium's certainly no "worse" made than any of the other five cars which I've owned in the last 26 years and it's definitely the most enjoyable car to drive which I've ever owned. It's comfortable, quick (by my standards!) - it has the 1.6Ti-VCT Zetec-S engine; it handles really well & looks the business too. Also does an actual 49MPG on a long run (despite 55MPG shown on the computer which I use as a guide only, always seems to read 6-8MPG above what the car's actually doing!).

Think that the ZS models might rattle more than the others though - as the ZS has stiffer suspension - just a thought?

[Fraser.]

Also does an actual 49MPG on a long run (despite 55MPG shown on the computer which I use as a guide only, always seems to read 6-8MPG above what the car's actually doing!)

On a long run at what speed?! Lol. At a steady 70 I don't think mine shows anywhere near even a quoted 55mpg, more like 43ish I think.

[WelshAde]

welsheade, I dont want you to think I am being rude or doubting you, I am not at all, I understand what you say. I am only putting across my POV.

Out of interest what do you think you will move to? Golf?

not at all matey :P

im going to move onto a golf of some description, proberly a tdi 2.0 170 or something in that range, i know its a different league of car and cant be compared to the fiesta.

like i said i love the outside design of the fiesta, the inside looks great also and the features are fine, its just the lack of power is starting to get to me now that im back into my driving properly(i was off driving due to illness for 2 years)

and my zs has numerous creaks, rattles and bits falling apart inside, the dealers must be fed up of seeing me tbh. and im fed up of seeing them lol, my main gripe is the boot and parcel shelf, as im quite tall i sit with the seat fully pushed back and the parcel shelf as its only held onto the car with 2 bits of string basicly when you drive along it vibrates like crazy, no matter what i do it wont fix, its gone past the point now of fixing it so the car is going to go within a month id say.

[thesilverfox]

not at all matey :P

im going to move onto a golf of some description, proberly a tdi 2.0 170 or something in that range, i know its a different league of car and cant be compared to the fiesta.

like i said i love the outside design of the fiesta, the inside looks great also and the features are fine, its just the lack of power is starting to get to me now that im back into my driving properly(i was off driving due to illness for 2 years)

and my zs has numerous creaks, rattles and bits falling apart inside, the dealers must be fed up of seeing me tbh. and im fed up of seeing them lol, my main gripe is the boot and parcel shelf, as im quite tall i sit with the seat fully pushed back and the parcel shelf as its only held onto the car with 2 bits of string basicly when you drive along it vibrates like crazy, no matter what i do it wont fix, its gone past the point now of fixing it so the car is going to go within a month id say.

Good luck with the Golf, but don't be surprised if you find that quite a few suffer from distinctly average interiors as well. VAG has lost ground in this area over the last few years. That said, I'd give a thumbs up to the TDI PD 170 engine - it's got plenty of grunt, but christ, it's so loud and gruff I couldn't believe my ears when I was driving it. The common rail variant is allegedly quieter, but nobody seems to have piped up and confirmed this as yet. Still doesn't handle quite as well as the Focus, but much better engines at the moment make it a common choice.

The parcel shelf issue sounds like the same issue the MKI Focus had - swapping the feet for something a touch softer did the trick in 99% of cases, but it stems from a parcel shelf that is stiffer than a Viagra user and Ford remedied this in the MKII.

[Nightowl]

Had my Fiesta for almost 4 months now and so far so good. I have noticed however the past week or so that the folding wing mirror motors are a little noisy (as in they 'whine' when they fold) and they now close touching the chrome strip...which they never used to.

It's a good car though & I'm pleased with it. I have had many cars in my life & the last 6 have all been brand new - including a Focus which I had for 3 years. I will be keeping it for around another 2 years - and then I am going to opt for a brand new Citroen DS3 - which (I think) looks superb & by all accounts - is very well built using top materials.

[pikestones]

That IS the definition of "build Quality"!.

Sorry mate but build quality to me is how well the bits are stuck together,the subject you are refering to is surely the quality of the materials used.

dave

[pikestones]

fair enough, if your happy then thats all that counts as its your car and you paid for it and its your pride and joy ;)

i think my zs will be gone within a few weeks as the local dealer has a few young lads on the lookout for one so

it will sell quick enough.

Lets hope the potential buyers arent reading this site,otherwise youll never get rid of it!

Dave

[Jason Tierney]

Ive had mine for 500 miles and I love it, No issues, I dont think( I have felt twice that it randomly for a spilt second lost power, only in second and within 100 miles from new- ecu learning still?)

My passenger door rattle is hardly noticble,if any, I have my music on 19-21 usually, any more the bass cuts out, but thats loud enough for me. I have intermittant usb problems and my bluetooth bonds with my phone but once I leave the car and it trys to reconnect but wont.(going to start a new thread.)

But I love it, Had a 1.4 mk6 2004 plate from 2008 till 2010 and it had more rattles but stil in my eyes, was a good quality car for the price. The new one is top notch in my opinion.

[stevie j]

My one must be a spanish one thats probably why the side skirt fell off when i was washing it only to be told by fords that someone had tried to nick the skirt whilst it was in my garage lol

[mick88]

Just my two cent's worth, but i think people who buy the Zetec S and are being dissapointed with it not being a fast car are missing the point of it or missing the point of the badge Zetec Sport, it's not badged ST or RS. It's a Zetec with a slightly more sporting feel to it with the bucket type seat's and the lower ride height, don't forget that it use's the same 1.6 as the Fezza Titatium and the basic Focuses are these sport's model's too

[Focus_ST-3]

WelshAde, your'e not alone, ive persevered with mine since I got it in October 2008 (one of the first of the production line). Problems I have had are:

1. Severe water leak in the boot (took Ford 12 months! to fix)

2. Window seal falling off on motorway (not covered by warranty)

3. Rattles everywhere

4. 2nd gear pops out (very dangerous, reported to the dealer 6 months ago, still not resolved)

5. Side-skirt falling off

6. Suspension knock

Pikestones, I specced every option on this car and it cost me £15k. Most people would have traded it in by now. I'm sure if you were in my position you would be complaining about "poor build quality"!

The annoying thing is that I wanted the Mountune pack but could not justify getting it with all the problems the car still has. Thinking of getting a Focus ST-3 now.

[sussex]

I think that there are 2 issues, firstly that of customer expectations, as I said this is still "only"(!) a Ford Fiesta and a ZS simply means a sportier Zetec with the "standard" 1.6 engine.

However issues like severe/constant rattling and squeaks (the odd one has to be expected), leaking seals, things falling off and gear problems are not to be expected and I agree these are poor and should not be expected. My Mk5 (X reg) I bought and owned about 5 years ago, I loved it but it leaked like a sieve.

Problem with the internet in many ways (and its the same for hotel reviews, computer/TV reviews etc) is that the vast majority of people dont review things online and those that do are either who love or hate what they've got which can give an unbalanced option. But I agree that some of what has been discussed should not happen.

[andy64]

On a long run at what speed?! Lol. At a steady 70 I don't think mine shows anywhere near even a quoted 55mpg, more like 43ish I think.

Example - journey last Thursday from Sheffield to Whitby & back. Took the "scenic route" around 230 miles in total, M1 / M18 / A1 / A168 / A170 / A169 then back via A169 / A64 / A162 / A1 / M18 / M1 - so a mix of motorways & "A" roads including some very steep hill climbs. Motorway speed between 70 & 80MPH, "A" roads driving to the speed limit which was usually 60MPH. Did generally drive to try & save petrol however I also got my foot down for a bit of fun on a few occasions too!

[WelshAde]

fiesta-zetec-x. im surprised yo havnt changed it yet, youve had more complaints than me and must have more patience.

last night i took a mate to the cinema and he comented that the noises coming from the back were like sitiing in his work van. I wont be taking panels off to investigate.

The other problem i have that i forgot to mention which the dealer was looking at was reverse gear, it doesnt like to engage at all, have to dip the clutch quite a few times, and when it is in there sometimes i do get a horrible ginding noise and dont blame my driving skills lol

[AndrewL]

fiesta-zetec-x. im surprised yo havnt changed it yet, youve had more complaints than me and must have more patience.

last night i took a mate to the cinema and he comented that the noises coming from the back were like sitiing in his work van. I wont be taking panels off to investigate.

The other problem i have that i forgot to mention which the dealer was looking at was reverse gear, it doesnt like to engage at all, have to dip the clutch quite a few times, and when it is in there sometimes i do get a horrible ginding noise and dont blame my driving skills lol

I'm really sorry to hear that you're not happy with your car, I adore mine - apart from the fact that I wish it was a bit quicker but then I need to insure it and not kill myself - plenty of time for that when I'm older!

Also, I think that's a common fault, if you hold the clutch in for 5 secs before you attempt to select reverse then this can cure it. Or, you can sort of feel by lifting the clutch out really slowly when it's not in reverse properly, when that happens just dip the clutch a bit and then try again.

[WelshAde]

cheers buddy, yea do all the little tricks but it still crunches now and again, guess im just over that line now like when you want a new missus

[sussex]

Ford and their reverse gear! It has been ever thus!!

[sussex]

I hope for your sake Welshade that Blackpool dont pip you to 6th place otherwise it wont just be the car causing you tears ;)

[WelshAde]

I hope for your sake Welshade that Blackpool dont pip you to 6th place otherwise it wont just be the car causing you tears ;)

i wont shed any tears over the footie mate, i knew months ago when our board had the chance to sign kevin phillips and choose sheffi kuqi instead that they had no playoffs ambition. All season all we have lacked is a goalscorer as we have trounced most teams but failed to finish them off.

[dannyhilton]

I'm nearly a year into owning my MK7 Fiesta. Now my MK6 Fiesta was riddled with rattles, but it had an incredibly hard life, and the roads that poor car got driven on were appalling. The MK7 however:

- Driver B Pillar Rattle (Common, at high speeds seems to happen)

- Passenger B Pillar Rattle (Only on very rough roads)

- Squeaky Driver Window (When it's put half way down, it rattles)

- Glovebox Rattle (Again, not very common, on very rough roads)

- Rear Speaker Vibrations (Common in some songs even with the volume on low)

- Rear Passenger Side Rattle (Around the back seats, very common)

- Instrument Pannel Rattle (Behind the dash, happened only a few times that I have noticed)

None of these effect the quality of the car, in fact it's !Removed! well built. Compared to the MK6, it's two generations ahead, but it doesn't mean these rattles don't exist. The MK7 too has been driven on some pretty unco Australian roads, but nothing as bad as the MK6. Mine is built in Germany, and is about number 7000 for that month IIRC. Don't get me wrong, I love my Fiesta, and I'll buy another (or a new Focus) next. I have not taken the car back to the dealership except for the 3,000km courtesy service. I will take it this month to see what they say about the rattles. At the end of the day I can live with them, I'd love to buy a new car with no rattles, but the car was new to the market, bound to be a few niggles. 9/10 OVERALL VERY HAPPY :)

[thesilverfox]

Ford and their reverse gear! It has been ever thus!!

IB5 issue, if I'm not mistaken? The diesel MTX75 has never had this issue from what I understand.