Suspension Leg, Top Mounts And Ball Joints.

[lyndasaz1]

I have just recently replaced the O/S + N/S/F suspension legs and the top mounts on both sides. Also the N/S/F bottom ball joint. and the top mounts have corroded and the ball joint had also corroded. The mechanics told me that this was a common fault on the KA and the mounts had corroded due to water running down from the windscreen. Also the bottom ball joint had rusted, and the whole arm had to be replaced.

When I contacted Fords technical department they said "they could not guarantee all the parts on the vechicle." However I have never had this type of problems with any other car I have had, the repairs have been for plugs, points, clutch and breaks etc. The car his a 10 plate and I feel that these parts should not have gone at such an early age. I was wondering if anyone else knew of the problem?

[Omendata]

Yip Ka's are rustbuckets its well known!

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/76792-newbie-needs-help/

[andybadcats]

Get a street ka they never rust. Fun car faster and super cool. Ordinary original ka,'s are nearly extinct, they are total rust buckets.

[Omendata]

Lol I bought a Streetka last September and its been a bit of a pain - ok here we go:-

The tyres wear out very quickly , sucks fuel like a v8 , has high tax disc cost , handles likes a whale on a skateboard , suspension wears out quickly , door handles jam and will break if pulled in anger, leaks like a sieve currently my drivers side floor has been soaked since i bought it and ive removed the scuttle and silicone sealed all the window ingress points , sealed the AC inlets and its still leaking - freezing in winter - taking the soft top down in winter is not recommended as the clear window has a habit of cracking and splitting wide open - and that can happen in summer as well - its all down to how you handle it - has terrible problems with the alarm going off randomly. Faulty lambda and map sensors (ford fit the cheapest of the cheap and they fail easily).

ICV is also problemattic. Heated seats are easily damaged due to the cars design and the fact that moisture can get into these cars because its a soft top makes electrical issues a nightmare.

Yip i can concur its not bad in the rust department but imho its not worth it - Mine is a 2004 and cost £800 worth probably £1200 so i did get a bargain but i knew there would be issues with it and there have been many.

Not forgetting the AC in my had leaked all the fluid so mine currently has no AC - no big deal you can refill it yourself for £20 but its not worth it really - heater is not bad in winter as long as its up full blast.

If you arent a good car mechanic and do your own work you can be sure you are going to be spending a fair bit in repairs.

In all honesty i think my next car will be an ex-demo or new or get my old Rover 820si back on the road - I need my towbar and a Streetka with a towbar is a no-go - Ford Fiesta , Toyota Yaris are the best cars to buy for a cheap price second hand.