Cheap, cheerful, clunky. It's a Ford. (Ford Ka in general)

Member Name: Mr Plot

Product:	Ford Ka in general
Date:	12/07/02 (2353 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Economical, Good town car, 1.3 engine is lively

Disadvantages: Shoddy engine management, Wear and tear noticeable at 20,000 miles, It's a Ford

Various opinions abound concerning the Ford Ka, usually the economy associated with owning such a small motor. My previous car was a Ford Ka 2, which I traded in for a Ford Ka 3 (2000 W plate) and whilst I agree that the economy aspect makes it refreshing to drive, there are several mechanical problems which I have encountered on both of my Ka models.
One fault which both cars shared was an over-revving problem, which made the engine keep up unusually high revs. When this occured, I found there was reduced braking efficiency and it seemed that extra effort was required to stop. This can be a little unsettling when travelling at 70mph, and I was concerned with the overall poor performance of the brakes when the engine was revving so much.
Having contacted Ford directly, they confirmed that there was a fault with the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) which needed replacing. It seems more than a coincidence that I had to get the TPS changed on both cars due to them being 'faulty'. Are all Ford Kas this crap after 20,000 miles on the road?
The other problem I encountered was the central locking, which resulted in the driver's door motor failing. Again, I had to haul my car back to Ford, while they fitted a new wiring loom.
Obviously my opinion of owning a Ford Ka has been coloured by the negative aspects such as these. What could potentially be a nice economical car has instead been an annoying irritant with frequent trips to Ford. I'm sure they were almost chuffed to see me, in the hope i'd part with some money for repairs, until I waved my warranty under their noses. Indeed, if all Ford Kas are this unreliable, they must be losing a fortune with people getting repair jobs whilst under warranty.
No doubt you are reading this because you are wondering whether to part with £6000 for a Ford Ka. Personally, i'll never touch one again and i'm trading the current model in soon. I'm sure there are problem-free Ford Kas out
there, but two of mine have been stinkers. Nice alloys though. Hmm.

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