Used Ford Fiesta Hatchback 1995 - 2002 reliability
Category: Small car
Britain's favourite supermini back in its day, and it's easy to see why
What should I look for in a used Ford Fiesta hatchback?
Basically, the Fiesta's pretty sound. But, there's a good chance that your potential buy will have been a newly qualified driver's first car, so it pays to have a close look at the state of the wheel rims and tyres.
Damage to the suspension accounts for almost half of the reported faults mentioned by Warranty Direct, and things aren't helped by many Fiestas spending their lives in and around town. The brakes are the only other thing to check closely as they can wear quickly. But, faults with either of these will soon show up on a decent test drive.
On top of that, look for a car that has been serviced either at the correct mileage or at least once a year if it has covered fewer miles. This is a good sign of a caring owner.
Other than that, the rest of the car is remarkably tough, and owners find the Fiesta just keeps on going.
