Purchasing a 2005 Ford Fiesta

[Cody19]

Hi guys, just wanted to find out your opinion on buying a Ford Fiesta 2005 5door 1.4. It's mileage is on 190000km. But kept in very good condition just wanted to find out what should I look out for and how's this car on maintenence etc. I'm looking for a cheap run around for around R40000. And that's going to be cheap to maintain. Your opinion will really be appreciated.

 

[TheChamp]

My niece has the 1.6, i am amazed how powerful the car is, it keeps on pulling on inclines where other similar cars can hardly maintain a 100km/h. Build quality is top notch and hers has the Ghia trim so lots of nice features that you won't find in a recent Figo.

No issues I can think of, the car has never needed anything major since it was bought, just normal service parts. At R40k it is a bargain, i would buy it.

 

[upup]

R40 is to much for me for that car. R28k.

 

[TheChamp]

R40 is to much for me for that car. R28k.

Where would you find one for R28k and it what condition would it be? Even the real old ones are not R28k
http://www.right-cars.co.za/?vehicle=2001-ford-fiesta-flair-1-4

 

[upup]

Op must go to the sites and look at the prices

 

[ahoudet]

Where would you find one for R28k and it what condition would it be? Even the real old ones are not R28k
http://www.right-cars.co.za/?vehicle=2001-ford-fiesta-flair-1-4

+1 even at R40k it's a good price if it's in good condition

 

[Cody19]

Any idea on the common things to look for when purchasing this type of vehicle

 

[upup]

Any idea on the common things to look for when purchasing this type of vehicle

turn slowly very sharp to listen to worn CV joints. Check, test the shocks , I will also check the wheel hubs, jack up car , see if the wheels are loose.

 

[namzsteve]

turn slowly very sharp to listen to worn CV joints. Check, test the shocks , I will also check the wheel hubs, jack up car , see if the wheels are loose.

Gearbox, friend of mine made a mistake some time ago, bought a car without checking it out properly 6 months later he had to get his gearbox repaired - R12 000!

Get some experienced mechanic you can trust to really check the car for you.

 

[Blu82]

Any idea on the common things to look for when purchasing this type of vehicle

Since I have a three door 2005 version. Cosmetic things that are giving trouble on mine are the 1) latches that fold down the back seats 2) dash boot open button operation and 3) electric window assemblies.

I also recently had to replace my rear wheel bearings and they gearbox might be on the way out.

 

[creeper]

Since I have a three door 2005 version. Cosmetic things that are giving trouble on mine are the 1) latches that fold down the back seats 2) dash boot open button operation and 3) electric window assemblies.

I also recently had to replace my rear wheel bearings and they gearbox might be on the way out.

For a 13 year old car, that's really good.

I had the 1.6 and I loved it. It was at that point bigger than the competitors, more features and a good engine. It was stolen after 30000km. I still miss it.

 

[airborne]

Gearbox, friend of mine made a mistake some time ago, bought a car without checking it out properly 6 months later he had to get his gearbox repaired - R12 000!

Get some experienced mechanic you can trust to really check the car for you.

I would also do this, it's neigh impossible for even an experienced layman to accurately assess the condition of a vehicle from top to toe, there's just so much to be aware of and even simple cars like a Fiesta can potentially be pricey to repair.

Also don't buy from a seller you wouldn't trust or do business with if it wasn't for the car. Ideally you want to purchase a vehicle from someone who is honest enough to be up front about any issues and has done consistent maintenance so you aren't faced with an avalanche of work to get it in go running order.

 

[RedViking]

Here are some of the advice I got. Go to TransUnion app and check the value of the car as insurance won't cover more than that and also check for any reported history. Last time it was R100 for the certificate.

Check for over spray next to panels joints.... usually means the car was in a bad accident if it's got lots of that.

It is unfortunately a mark of the times that it's exceedingly difficult to find anything near decent for much below R80k. If I were in your shoes, I would try to stretch my budget just a little bit further. You'll also need to accept that you're looking at the Alto/Picanto/Spark/i10 kind of ballpark. If you need something bigger you'll have to compromise on age and/or mileage.

That's not even touching on everything you'll need to look out for once you do find a suitable car at the right kind of price. People who aren't in the trade will overlook the most obvious signs of past repairs, but I can give you a few pointers. Even panel gaps and matching colours across panels are the obvious ones, but there's more: Check all rubber seals for any sign of body colour overspray on them. Check all exposed screws and bolts that attach any body panels, especially on door, bonnet and boot hinges. Panel-beaters can do the nicest job imaginable, but very few will bother to repaint screws and bolts once repaired panels have been reattached. Obvious tool marks are a dead giveaway. Look under the bonnet at the top fixings of the grille, headlights, radiator and such for both tool marks and misaligned screws, washers and spacers. On many cars you can see stickers with production dates on the headlights, which means you can cross-check the headlights' date of manufacture with the car's. If you have a 2008 car with headlights made in 2013 there was probably a prang in its history.

Feel the paint! Run your hand across panels and especially on the edges of doors, bonnet and boot. Factory paint jobs on modern cars are, for the most part, near flawless and smooth to the touch; any inconsistency - especially from one panel to the next - should raise questions. Another common giveaway would be the texture of the paint on door panels behind the handles; if the doors feel smooth to the touch but rough behind the handles, someone wasn't in the mood for a tricky sanding job. Keep in mind though that there's nothing inherently wrong with driving a properly repaired car - the aim would be to spot obvious botched repairs, and to rather walk away from something that looks like it's been through the wars.

That's a crash course of the most obvious telltale signs as far as the bodywork goes but buying a second-hand car is also fraught with mechanical pitfalls. Checking for a stamped service record is one thing, but that wouldn't preclude the car from having current mechanical issues. Check tyre tread all round. Check if you can see how much friction material the brake pads still have - anything above about 1/2 a centimetre or so should be alright. Pay attention to the travel of the clutch pedal. If it's not progressive from top to bottom, or feels unusually stiff, it's probably past its best. When test driving feel for any play on the steering that could betray worn front suspension components: if you keep the steering wheel still the car should maintain its current track, and anything more than a degree or two of turn before you can feel the car react would be cause for concern. Drive the car with both radio or ventilation switched off and listen carefully for any unusual knocking or grinding noises when cornering or traversing an uneven surface. Once you're satisfied with the drive, check that aforementioned radio and ventilation actually work. Air con repairs can be very costly...

That's about as much as my Sunday brain can muster. I can't overstate the value of having someone knowledgeable giving any prospective purchase a once-over though. Even if you only take any car you're considering past the nearest franchise dealer, most used car managers would be happy to give a car a quick glance for any glaring issues even if you're not likely to buy from them. Most of all, keep your expectations reasonable. Genuine bargains on the used car market are exceedingly rare, so if a car's price seems too good to be true it probably is.

Good buy. Go for it. Take it for AA and ask for police clearance before you sign.

 

[Cody19]

Wow guys thanks for the heads up. Will certainly take all the things you guys pointed out into consideration before purchasing. Any idea how to check and make sure gearbox is fine also.