Some Advice On Buying A Fiesta

[XiiLLuZioNz-]

Hi guys this is my first post, so im sorry if i say something wrong or have posted this in the wrong place :D

So i am about to buy my first car a Ford Fiesta, i have £1500 to play with and have seen some older MK6 Fiesta going from around this much, but i was wondering what are the common faults/things to look out for when buying a Fiesta.

For example, I know in the 3 door versions the handle that you pull to get into the back breaks easily... But thats all i know tbh. So if you guys have any advice for what to look out for would be much appreciated :D

Thanks in Advance

Harbz

[jeebowhite]

I would say keep your eye on the service history, and look for one that has had its water pump replaced. That was the main problem I had when I owned one.

Moving you to to the Fiesta section...

[XiiLLuZioNz-]

Ahh ok, most i have seen dont say they have had the Pump changed.

How much would it cost to get a water pump kit, and how hard is fitting one? I know a few mechanics who could do it, but id like to have a crack at it myself :), only way id learn anything lol

and thanks for moving the thread :D

[jeebowhite]

As for the water pump, I am not sure, it went back for repair under extended warranty a few times as for the kit, I couldnt really advise, maybe one of the other folks can help :)

[Clarky2013]

I had a mk6 fiesta and the water pump went, had it done at my local garage for around 180 or 200, cant remember exact figure lol

[rikernumber1]

I can't tell you what to look for, but we have owned 2004 1.25 Finesse for 4 years and had little trouble with it. It was serviced by Ford up until 2010; after that I've serviced it myself. It has been reliable - I've had to re-glue a couple of bits of trim back on the pillar, but the only mechanical fault we have had was the clutch master cylinder. Timing Belts intervals probably vary by engine - on the 1.25 Duratec, it's 100k/ 10 years - look for evidence of a timing belt change, or whether the vehicle you are looking at is due to have it changed.

[XiiLLuZioNz-]

OK thanks a lot guys :D, i will check if the Belt has been changed, servicing wise, i think first few times Ford can do it, then once i get used to the car ill do it myself.

Clutch master cylinder sounds like a tedious, and expensive job. How much cash did you spend on that?

[rikernumber1]

Clutch master cylinder was actually quite cheap - I think the part was around £37. Fitting it was awkward - it's connected directly to the clutch pedal on the cabin side of the bulkhead. So - not expensive - it took me 1-2 hours, but I'm guessing an experienced mechanic could do it in an hour.

I'm 99% sure that's the only mechanical failure we've had. Everything else has been normal service parts. I had to do the front discs/pads earlier in the year (at c50K miles) - because the discs had warped, not because of wear.

We intend to hold on to ours as long as we can. I like to describe it as 'fit for purpose'. I have driven it on a 700 mile business trip around Holland and Germany, and although it didn't skip a beat, it does get noisy at around 80mph, so it wouldn't be my first choice if I was doing a lot of motorway mileage, but it is economical at motorway speeds.

[calmcdermott]

Watch out for the gear linkage, mine after driving about 20 mins when everything was warmed up when changing gear became very hard and cost £120 to repair which again is a common fault.