WT Fiesta issues

[GXL Guy]

Hey all,
Looking at buying a WT Fiesta for the Mrs. I've read that some owners have issues with pinging (which is disappointing), but are there any other issues that I should be aware of before committing to this purchase? Thanks

[Fez WQ]

Hi Mate

The WT and WS have the same engine

They do NOT have a issue with pinging. The issue is with the owner not actually knowing what is going on under the bonnet. If you use cheap 91 unleaded fuel you will get mild pinging upon pressing the pedal to the metal or going up hills. But this will not cause a problem. The pinging at start-up or in cold conditions is not what others have been saying. It is the character of the engine and it is not pinging it seems to be more like cold injectors and goes away after an few minutes. All cars a more noisy at cold start-up

I have a WS and have done 35,000kms so far and it brilliant had no problem with the car. And trust me I will not except anything but the best.

Mate I would buy one again its been the best car I have had... I have had 4 Fiestas so far and this is the best you can buy.

I would buy one with out any concern, this web site does attract some that are having problems with there car, This car is a Ford World car and is the BEST small car you can get.!! Ford has sold over 1,000,000 of this shape so far

Aaron

[GoesLikeAZetec]

Our WS had pinging on 91 but hasnt had any since we started using 98.

[trumpy73]

Originally Posted by Fez WQ

Hi Mate

The WT and WS have the same engine

They do NOT have a issue with pinging. The issue is with the owner not actually knowing what is going on under the bonnet. If you use cheap 91 unleaded fuel you will get mild pinging upon pressing the pedal to the metal or going up hills. But this will not cause a problem. The pinging at start-up or in cold conditions is not what others have been saying. It is the character of the engine and it is not pinging it seems to be more like cold injectors and goes away after an few minutes. All cars a more noisy at cold start-up

I have a WS and have done 35,000kms so far and it brilliant had no problem with the car. And trust me I will not except anything but the best.

Mate I would buy one again its been the best car I have had... I have had 4 Fiestas so far and this is the best you can buy.

I would buy one with out any concern, this web site does attract some that are having problems with there car, This car is a Ford World car and is the BEST small car you can get.!! Ford has sold over 1,000,000 of this shape so far

Aaron

LOL you sound like a Ford dealer/salesman/insert anyone affiliated with Ford.

"Character of the Engine"?? "91 Fuel"? "Going Uphill only"? "Pedal to the metal"??

ALL OF THE ABOVE IS WRONG!!! Mine pings on 98, Gentle Press. Even on 2nd gear!! Worse during warmer weather. On a perfectly flat road!!!

Here's a piece of advice on anyone wanting to buy this car

Take it for a test drive. Turn your radio OFF. Wind down your window and test it out on flat roads, hills etc. Put your foot down every now and again. See for yourself and make sure you don't buy one of the dud ones.

They've cut a few corners. First car I've come across with unpainted finishes under the bonet.

Having said all that, my wife still likes the Fiesta. It definitely looks good and will age very well compared to most other small cars. Shame about QC though.

[Caydus]

Pretty solid little car so far. Have had mine for 7 months now. Haven't had any issues with pinging, even on 91 when i first started, though moved to 95 minimum just to be safe, figured it's a 10c per litre diff tops, for a full tank that's $3.50 difference which you can **** away easy on a bottle of coke anyway.
Few grips so far. Unpainted driveshafts which rust, which everyone says should be fine, but meh, how much is a lick of paint to get that. Lack of a full sized spare, even though there's enough space for one and obvious cost cutting in the unfinished paint under the hood and boot lid. Bit of a grinding noise on the powershift auto in 2nd gear, but then again that's just getting used to a dual clutch system.
Also more of a cosmetic gripe than anything else is where the WT loses the soft-touch dash of the WS. The hard plastic just feels cheap.

The transmission loves to rev the engine, making it feel more powerful than similar cars with a torque converter auto, but in actual fact the Fiesta's power/weight ratio isn't anything to write home about.

Car is a beaut when it comes to the ride quality and handling characteristics. on the regular CL/LX even, the ride quality is perfectly positioned between being able to smooth out the bumps on **** NSW roads and how composed it is when you chuck it into a corner. Grips the road like no other and your courage would probably give out before it'll start developing any understeer.

The electronic power steering with it's active nibble control really tops it off though. Light when you need it to be light, heavy when you need it to be heavy. Makes parking a breeze and takes the stress off you when you're at highway speed on a grooved road.


But yea, just to be safe, run the car a few times round the block near the dealership and have it up on stands for a full check before you accept delivery just to be safe. As noted by a bunch of members on this forum, there are more than a few lemon fiestas.

[GXL Guy]

Thanks Guys for the replies. I'm thinking of getting the Zetec 5 speed manual, so I'll take it for the good spin. The only downside is that the Mrs wanted a 3 door, but I'll take her around & get her to drive it as well. The fiesta is about 300mm longer than the car it replaces (N13 Pulsar), so it will come down to how the Mrs feels driving it, as it will be her car.

[Ms_Jam]

Speaking as a female owner of a WS manual Zetec Fiesta, I can only say I am still delighted with this little car.

After two years it is just coming up to 30,000 km.

No rattle, squeaks or other problems.

The manual is the best choice, I feel. It has more than enough power, especially zooming in traffic in 3rd or 4th. Superb handling.

I have run it only on BP Ultimate 98. At 8,000 km I had the oil changed to Castrol Edge Sport. Both have been good choices in my experience.

[Fiesta God]

45,000kms in my WS manual

Not a single issue. Not a rattle or squeak, never pinged since I've owned it (always used 98RON petrol), no warranty claims.

Chews through front brake pads & discs more quickly than average in city driving (got 40,000kms out of mine) as the Euro pads wear on the discs more quickly. This may also be my spirited driving ...

Just replaced the tyres (happy with them lasting that long). Run it on full synthetic oil from 7500kms which quietens the engine down a bit.

Achieved my best fuel economy from about 20,000kms onwards - seems that the engine likes to settle in a bit.


These are great cars. There have been a couple of lemons (you can read about them on here) and it seems as if some people have had problems with pinging, but apart from that there are few complaints.

You will not be disappointed with the Zetec. Amazing level of kit for the money.

[Fez WQ]

Mate

I have nothing to do with Ford ..... I work on peoples teeth

If yours pings using 98 ...... not sure what the problem is, I have owned 3 of these cars..... not had any real problem with these engines ever
Done now a total of over 300,000km between the three Fiestas
Unpainted under the bonnet is normal these days, Ford ,Hyundai, KIA and some Mazdas and even Hondas and many other car companys are doing that. It allows for faster production times. My 2010 TDI Santa fe is like that.

Originally Posted by trumpy73

LOL you sound like a Ford dealer/salesman/insert anyone affiliated with Ford.

"Character of the Engine"?? "91 Fuel"? "Going Uphill only"? "Pedal to the metal"??

ALL OF THE ABOVE IS WRONG!!! Mine pings on 98, Gentle Press. Even on 2nd gear!! Worse during warmer weather. On a perfectly flat road!!!

Here's a piece of advice on anyone wanting to buy this car

Take it for a test drive. Turn your radio OFF. Wind down your window and test it out on flat roads, hills etc. Put your foot down every now and again. See for yourself and make sure you don't buy one of the dud ones.

They've cut a few corners. First car I've come across with unpainted finishes under the bonet.

Having said all that, my wife still likes the Fiesta. It definitely looks good and will age very well compared to most other small cars. Shame about QC though.

[Fiesta_Man69]

Fez WQ - my case has been well documented on this site.

Only used 98 from new. Pings when warm under high rpm. Been certified by several performance workshops, Ford however refuses to do anything and yes, I've been given the same "pinging is a characteristic of Fiesta engines" from their incompetent call centre.

To suggest that people like myself and trumpy do not know what's happening under the bonnet is insulting and sounds very similar to the dismissive crap Ford try plying their customers with whenever a prob is prsented to them.

So, combined with this prob (I'm selling the car before the warranty expires) and the fact that it cost Ford $10K to fix rust in my car when it was 3 months old my suggestion is you look elsewhere.

For a genuinely horrific tale of woe I suggest reading the thread "Focus lemon help" in the Focus section of this forum. After reading this I very much doubt you will feel comfortable in dealing with the Ford motor company: this poor bloke's tale is why Fords sales are tanking in this country.

Good luck

[Fiesta God]

And yet there are literally hundreds of thousands of satisfied Fiesta and Focus owners in Europe with no problems with their cars, where both are top 3 sellers in their class ...

[Fez WQ]

Well , Just so you know. I have had a Fiesta WP replaced under warranty... in 2004

It had issues that could not be fixed.

The current model is great and has 99% good reviews there are always a few cars that are not up the scratch. As for $10,000 worth of rust on your car, well if Ford paid that out to fix it. I would be a happy man with my warranty u have done very well there. I am interested as to how many KMs your car has done. What performance place has looked at your car?


As for the focus lemon... well it does happen..........

There is a web site that records lemon cars
The worst care are
Vectra
Astra
Viva
Kia Carnaval


And thats from a simple number count

http://www.motorsm.com/complaints/default.asp


As for Fords sales
Fiesta Sales are up
Focus Sales Down ( new model out as we speak- that is a great car)
Mondeo Up
Falcon Down ( due to no lpg and no wagon and a new 4 cyl coming out LPG just been released)

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

Fez WQ - my case has been well documented on this site.

Only used 98 from new. Pings when warm under high rpm. Been certified by several performance workshops, Ford however refuses to do anything and yes, I've been given the same "pinging is a characteristic of Fiesta engines" from their incompetent call centre.

To suggest that people like myself and trumpy do not know what's happening under the bonnet is insulting and sounds very similar to the dismissive crap Ford try plying their customers with whenever a prob is prsented to them.

So, combined with this prob (I'm selling the car before the warranty expires) and the fact that it cost Ford $10K to fix rust in my car when it was 3 months old my suggestion is you look elsewhere.

For a genuinely horrific tale of woe I suggest reading the thread "Focus lemon help" in the Focus section of this forum. After reading this I very much doubt you will feel comfortable in dealing with the Ford motor company: this poor bloke's tale is why Fords sales are tanking in this country.

Good luck

[Spinner77]

I do not know about the rest of you, but I am getting whinge fatigue about the saga of the rusty Fiesta.

It just goes on and on.

Here's a revolutionary idea.

Sue.

That's what the legal system is for.

[Caydus]

Was reading through some of those

FORD FIESTA, 2006 - Pornographic material left in car (13/12/2006) *DEALER* *SERVICE*

"I left my car overnight to have the gearbox rebuilt and when I picked my car up from the western sydney dealership there was a copy of ****** magazine in the back seat and 2 empty bottles of Tooheys new long necks. I am totally disgusted and would never take my car back there. The service advisor whose name was Glenn smelt of alcohol at 11am in the morning." K Miller, Sydney NSW

I loled hard

[Fiesta_Man69]

FezWQ - it took 6 months and a fight with fair trading to get the rust fixed. No normal person should be "happy" with that.

Latest Wheels sales figures of Fiesta is 848, last year same month 1004. I'm not good at maths but I think that might be a reduction.

Spinner77: to sue would cost more than the cars worth. If you have a problem with the truth that's your misfortune, not mine. If you do not wish to read my posts, don't. When a member comes on here and asks for opinions then I will give my experience. They have the ability then to read everyones opinion and make an informed decision.

I have no doubt that most Fiestas are problem free. However, the % of cars that have problems is too high. But, the real problem is how Ford subsequently handles problems. Time and again on this site there are tales of woe involving Fords after sales service. This is the key problem (all car manufacturers have lemons) but it's the way Ford handles it that prospective buyers deserve to know about.

And to say to the poor bloke with the lemon focus, "these things happen" is extremely insensitive and symptomatic of Fords attitude.....

[Fez WQ]

Ford 2011 2010 Ford Escape 194 295 Ford Falcon 1,847 2,651 Ford Falcon Ute 664 869 Ford Fiesta 840 981 Ford Focus 1,147 1,077 Ford Mondeo 499 385 Ford Ranger 4X2 462 562 Ford Ranger 4X4 1,686 1,487 Ford Territory 1,634 1,320 Ford Transit 175 300 Ford Transit Bus 25 22 Ford Transit C/C 43 63 Ford Total 9,216 10,012

[Fez WQ]

Just a question were was the rust on your car.

Lack of feelings for others - That not true- we live in a real world were nothing is perfect

What I suggest u do is go to any forum and you will find people complaining about there products. Its always only one side of the story.

Lets face it can you find a better car for the price
I20
Getz
Barina
Polo
Swift

In short no
The polo has major pinging problems from a wrong knock sensor that actiually lead to over 400 engines being replaced (thats only in WA) under warranty

Mate get over your problem and like it or sell it

[Fiesta_Man69]

Parts replaced due to rust in a 3 month old car include:
oil pan assembly
oil cooler assembly
oil filter
all hoses and clamps
transaxle case assembly
compressor and clutch
cross member
suspension front arm assembly
steering gear
front axle shafts
front wheel bracket
front retainer bearing
muffler
starter motor
front spindles
alternator
various housings
steering rack

This is just a sample from the part inventory I was given. What does this say of Ford quality control?

Yes, of course I'm selling the car before warranty expires. Do others asking for advice on purchasing a fiesta not deserve both the good and bad experiences?

Better cars? Of course not: (though the new 1.6 106kW Kia Rio seems nice). Like I said, no doubt 95% of Fiestas are fine. The 5% that are lemons are a concern, but it is the way Ford deals with paying customers once a serious problem arises that is the true problem. At least VW had the balls to recall a faulty vehicle instead of treating customers like morons.

Please note: was going to put pics of rust and inventory but was asked not to by one of the moderators. I wonder why..

[In Focus]

There was a guy in WA who sold his VW Polo after the third turbo **** itself in less than two years.

[Fiesta_Man69]

Fair enough. My point is yes every manufacturer has lemons.

But at least VW had the decency to man up to it's responsibilities and recall a faulty car and fix it.

Should it take 6 months and Consumer Affairs to get rust repaired?

At least this way the bloke who's considering buying the Zetec gets both sides of the story - good and bad - of Fiestas and dealing with Ford. I think that's fair.

[Fez WQ]

By the way most things you mention are unpainted parts on all cars.
Some are even rubber (hoses) not sure how rubber hoses rust

The unpainted parts will generate there own protective coat, not ever had a car that has had unpainted parts that does not have a self generaterd surface coat of rust/corrosion. Alloys all do this!!
eg
transaxle case assembly
compressor and clutch
compressor and clutch
cross member
suspension front arm assembly
steering gear
front axle shafts
front wheel bracket
starter motor
front spindles
alternator
various housings
steering rack

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

Parts replaced due to rust in a 3 month old car include:
oil pan assembly
oil cooler assembly
oil filter ? Disposable part
all hoses and clamps Rubber can RUST ???
transaxle case assembly
compressor and clutch
cross member
suspension front arm assembly
steering gear
front axle shafts
front wheel bracket
front retainer bearing
muffler
starter motor
front spindles
alternator
various housings
steering rack

This is just a sample from the part inventory I was given. What does this say of Ford quality control?

Yes, of course I'm selling the car before warranty expires. Do others asking for advice on purchasing a fiesta not deserve both the good and bad experiences?

Better cars? Of course not: (though the new 1.6 106kW Kia Rio seems nice). Like I said, no doubt 95% of Fiestas are fine. The 5% that are lemons are a concern, but it is the way Ford deals with paying customers once a serious problem arises that is the true problem. At least VW had the balls to recall a faulty vehicle instead of treating customers like morons.

Please note: was going to put pics of rust and inventory but was asked not to by one of the moderators. I wonder why..

[Spinner77]

Spinner77: to sue would cost more than the cars worth.

Not if you win!

You should get costs. You still may be down or up a grand or two. Not a bad result, most people might think even if you lose some skin in the fight.

But you actually have to put up some readies first.

Now fellow readers, as your maths problem tonight, complete the following equation:

endless whinging + reluctance to spend a cent = ???

[Fiesta_Man69]

Really? We're being that silly? Of course hoses can't rust. But the clamps were so coroded they had damaged the hoses: thus they needed replacing. I didn't even get up to mentioning the brakes: discs etc at the front all replaced, drums had rust thru them too. Basically every component underneath was replaced: but only after Ford was dragged kicking and screaming to do so.

Defend them all you want. Doesn't change how they behaved or what transpired.

[Fiesta_Man69]

Really Spinner?

I've got a maths question for you.

What are the odds of a Joe nobody suing a giant company like Ford and winning?

No: I've wasted enough time and money on this problem. I'll just leave it on facebook and online elsewhere and allow natural justice to takes it's toll.

Already Ive been contacted by a fb friend who was going to buy a focus but wanted to know what happened with me... All I did was advise him to read the lemon focus thread on here and make up his own mind. He bought a Mazda 3.

[GT]

I have been sent a complaint about the thread so ask that you keep this civil so it can remain unopened and uncensored. I have read all the posts and will say that every man is entitled to his say if the facts are just that - facts. Please do not start attacking each other and those who have had plenty of negativity - I hear your pain (been there myself occasionally) but leave it at that. You have been heard and no need to keep reinforcing the issue.

I was puzzled by the comment about a Moderator asking for rust photos to not be published - Fiesta_Man69, I have sent you a PM asking for information regarding this. The AFF is not here to cover up anything and your post inferred this.

Gaela

[trento]

I've had two fiestas a 2006 WP which met an untimely end by way of a telegraph pole. Hit it at approx. 50kph and was able to walk away without a scratch (thank god for the fiesta's safety systems). I am currently driving a 2009 WS. Have never had any issues with pinging, although I do run mine on 95 E10.

And thank you GT for your wise words, I also am getting a bit tired with certain members 'contributions' to this forum. I know that every person is entitled to their opinion, but, I no longer visit this forum as often as I used to because of the negativity.

[greenfoam]

Interested thread why would Ford pay to fix rust on parts like that? afaik the rust policy is for the body and the Fiesta's show NO signs of being a rusty car. We all know the Australian built Fords are some of the best rusters in the world, usually rusting before you even buy them so this is a very positive thing for anything with a blue oval on it sold in Australia !. Some Fiestas will ping on 91 octane if you pull the wrong gear or give it a hard time on 91 octane, but the designated fuel is 95 so that's what you risk if you don't run the fuel the manual tells you to run

[mik]

Originally Posted by Fiesta_Man69

Parts replaced due to rust in a 3 month old car include:
oil pan assembly
oil cooler assembly
oil filter
all hoses and clamps
transaxle case assembly
compressor and clutch
cross member
suspension front arm assembly
steering gear
front axle shafts
front wheel bracket
front retainer bearing
muffler
starter motor
front spindles
alternator
various housings
steering rack

This is just a sample from the part inventory I was given. What does this say of Ford quality control?

Yes, of course I'm selling the car before warranty expires. Do others asking for advice on purchasing a fiesta not deserve both the good and bad experiences?

Better cars? Of course not: (though the new 1.6 106kW Kia Rio seems nice). Like I said, no doubt 95% of Fiestas are fine. The 5% that are lemons are a concern, but it is the way Ford deals with paying customers once a serious problem arises that is the true problem. At least VW had the balls to recall a faulty vehicle instead of treating customers like morons.

Please note: was going to put pics of rust and inventory but was asked not to by one of the moderators. I wonder why..

interesting, you`d have to wonder with all those parts replaced if the thing was crashed and then dipped i salt water, it just does`nt sound like normal wear and tear???

[Fiesta_Man69]

Greenfoam - car always run on 98. It isn't pinging atm because if you run it on 98 plus octane boost you can solve the problem. So my car is running on something like 102-103 RON.....

I have no doubt my Fiesta was hit with salt water at some stage in transit from Europe. The fact that there was no pre-delivery inspection at the dealer meant that from built date to my mechanic discovering the rust (while fixing the faulty brakes - different story) was 8 months: if the dealer had done their job and removed the bits of rust pre-delivery there wouldn't have been an issue.

[GXL Guy]

Hey all,
Thanks for all the feedback. In the end I didn't buy the fiesta, as we took the XR5 turbo for a spin (and then another & another) and were totally sold on it. I know it's in a different league to the fiesta, but after driving it, we just couldn't go back.