Morning All

new to the forum and am after a bit of knowledge from you all

off to look at a 2007 fiesta this morning, it’s a 1.4 zetec climate 3dr with 25k on the clock and fsh

Is there anything I should look for that would ring alarm bells to you all

 

many thanks

Mark

Have you done an MOT history check to see any previous failures or advisories?  With such low mileage it really depends where it's been kept - if it's been garaged it should be ok, but if it's been left out in all weathers barely moving I'd be worried about rusty parts and perished rubbers.

Metal brake lines are a common fault on these but should be picked up by MOT, difficult to check when viewing.  Brakes and exhaust are potentially likely to be rusty if still original.  Tyres are hopefully not original but likely to be perished if they are, despite plenty of tread.

With regards to the engine, check it heats up well but doesn't overheat - check for water leaks, particularly around the waterpump and thermostat housing.  Check it idles fine and drives well without jumping, jerking or stalling.

Yes have done a check and it has pulled up the following on the last mot

 

Advisory notice item(s)

• Offside Front bumper damaged
• Front Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (0.1 (b))
• Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))
• Offside Head light loose, but not insecure

 

Are they cam belt or chain, if belt I would assume because of the age it should have been changed 

Advisories are a list of minor faults that if not addressed turn into major ones in my opinion. Take also into consideration, what service history it has, how many former keepers, look at the pedal rubbers, steering wheel and drivers seat for wear, how long the current MOT has to run, if it's less than 6 months be wary, look along each side to see if there are any ripples and look at the panel shut lines which would indicate if it has had any accident damage in it's life. List price for the car you describe is £275, that's the trade in price.

Offside front bumper AND offside front headlamp advisories should ring a little bell.... 🤔 

Indeed, it's been bumped.  I wouldn't want one with a damaged screen either.

Have a look as it's always worth it, even if just to compare to others, but be prepared to walk away.

It's a buyer's market and there'll always be another Fiesta.

Like Tom says, give it a long enough run so it warms up.  I've been stung before and bought a car with a dodgy stat as I didn't take notice of the temperature guage.  Stats are not a big job but can be a pain.

Thanks guys

1 hour ago, Eos97 said:

Are they cam belt or chain, if belt I would assume because of the age it should have been changed 

Belt on these, and yes it's well overdue on age now so hopefully they've got some proof of that having been done.

As above, sounds like its had a bump on that front corner so worth checking how bad that is. 

Windscreen damage could be anything from a few chips, wiper scratches or even a crack.  Generally the only fix is a replacement, usually around £75 excess through insurance.  I think you'll be hard pushed to find any 13 year old car without some screen damage though!

Zetec climate should have a heated front screen - check that it works.

As it’s a 3dr, check the mechanisms to fold the seats forward aren’t broken, very common on these.

timing belt replacement on these is quite complicated if you were thinking about having a go yourself, much more complicated than other cars I have done myself.

whether you want to chance it or not (not replacing it) partly depends on how much you are paying for the car (thus how much you would lose if timing belt broke as it would probably be uneconomic to repair).

as regards the above comments it all comes down to how much this car is and how long the MOT is - eg is condition commensurate with price?

As regards engine and gearbox, they are reliable and it's not a case of them all have some common fault that ever one of them suffers with.

I bought  VW Lupo for my kids as first car (well, it wasn't a present as such, I own it and let them use it.) I think they are super little cars. The 1 litre engine. Extremely easy to do timing belt on. Well built (apart from the clutch cable bracket above the clutch pedal which is common problem) , lower insurance than Fiesta, smaller for parking. So if you don't get the Fiesta you might consider a 1 litre Lupo, but check clutch cable bracket not breaking and bear in mind it's not that speedy joining a motorway but very good around town etc.  Lower insurance than KA and not as rusty as similar age KA cars.

 

On the plus side, 25k is very low mileage for the age of the car.

But to be honest on a car of this age it probably makes no difference if it’s 25k or 90k

Did you buy it ?