Hi all,

I am in the market for a new motor, and budget pretty much dictates that it will be a small ford.  I have been looking at 2013/14 1.0T Fiesta's on Autotrader and many seem to me to be quite high mileage.

I'm looking for a little advice from someone who knows these motors, before I go and spend my money, so I hope someone on here is able to help.

Two in particular I am looking at are 104,000 & 94,000 miles.  I myself will do quite low mileage, 6-8k per year, so getting a car with high mileage doesn't bother me too much, but is there any reason I should avoid doing so?  Are there any major issues that tend to pop up once it gets above 100,000 miles?  Should I just spend the extra money (looks about an extra £1k) for a below 80,000 mile one.

 

Thanks in advance for taking the time.

Have you done any research into the 'wetbelts' (cambelt) on the 1.0 EcoBoost?  Needing to replace one will quickly knock 10 year old/100k Fords out of your budget.  Not replacing one will be like playing cambelt roulette.

Having said that...if you can find one that's had the belts done already, that may not be such a bad buy.  I'd be worried about the clutch & gearbox at 80k+ myself though.

Second hand cars are selling for high prices sign of the times.

I agree with Tom.   Don't buy a high mileage Fiesta that hasn't had the cambelt changed.   It's like playing russian roulette.

Can only agree with Bob and Tom. If only doing low mileage, one of the non-ecoboost engine cars, such as the 1.25, might be a better bet. Or possibly a slightly older 1.4 or 1.6 - the last of the pre-facelift Mk 7s from 2012.

And there are lots of other small cars out there. At that end of the market I'd be inclined to widen my search and buy on condition, mileage and service history rather than confine myself to a particular make/model.

Unfortunately, as Del mentions, it's not the greatest time to be buying anything - new or used - with crazy things going on in the marketplace.

I would be nervous about the wet belt problem.   But also bear in mind that if someone thinks they can get more money by showing evidence of wet belt replacement then it would be easy to fake the evidence of that( invoice). And there is no way you would be able to see if it’s been done by looking at the car.   1.25 litre will seem very slow compared to 1litre turbo but the 1.25 has much higher chance of trouble free motoring

The 1.25 is a tried and tested engine not fast but will get the job done. The 1.0 ecoboost has better fuel economy and performance. If buying a 2012 from a dealer make a new belt a condition of sale or price it in when making an offer. a new belt will cost around £1200. Also make sure the turbo pipes are rust free if pipes are rusty walk away. The ecoboost is a fantastic engine just be aware of points above and pick right.

Okay, thanks everyone for your replies.

I have had a little look around now, and looks like 150,000miles or 10 years.  So the 2013 cars I was looking at probably not a good idea.  Doubtful the belt will have been changed if they are not saying so in the advert and using as a selling point.

 

I am assuming the exended warranties that some dealers offer won't cover a Cam Belt replacement, or that could be worth considering, depending on price of course.

Not sure I want the 1.25 if it is going to have slow acceleration, and just due to running cost I didn't really want a 1.6.  Guess I have some thinking to do.