[vnabhi]

Lovely review---especially the attention to detail! Only this morning, while seated in my Figo, I was trying to recollect how much better the dashboard of the Fiesta was. And then I chanced to read this review---thanks for evoking nostalgia.

I had one of the same colour, albeit a few months younger (Mar 2007 make). I too would have held on to it, but for the car having a gory death by drowning in the Oct 2020 deluge in Hyderabad. I also have a 2021 diesel Ecosport now, but it is no match to the 1.6 sxi. I'm unable to fill the gaps in traffic as easily as I could with the Fiesta--mild turbolag plays spoilsport.

I wish you many years of happy ownership. I was planning to hold on to mine for at least 20 years. Moreover, I did not have any major issues that you have had, like with the ABS module and the engine mounts. My ownership thread has details of my routine expenses, and those were easy on the pocket.

You are the second teenager posting a fabulous review of the Fiesta 1.6 sxi, the other being Neel Chatterjee. And both of you have the same colour as mine. Neel's is a Classic model though. Yours matches with mine exactly, except that my alloys were different.

Keep updating the thread please. If time permits, I'd surely like to take a look at your Fiesta whenever you pass through central Hyderabad.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Originally Posted by kiku007

To be honest it is quite brave of you to hold on to the car for 15+ years. I hope you are able to maintain it without great trouble and expenses so that you can drive it eventually and experience old-school fun.
Well written for a first review. Thanks for sharing.

A very late thank you for the kind words! Spares haven't been an issue so far and let's hope it stays that way. The Fiesta in your profile picture looks beautiful by the way. I remember reading your review and being wowed at the fact that both of us had previously had an Ikon in the garage and then upgraded to a Fiesta!

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Lovely review---especially the attention to detail! Only this morning, while seated in my Figo, I was trying to recollect how much better the dashboard of the Fiesta was. And then I chanced to read this review---thanks for evoking nostalgia.

I had one of the same colour, albeit a few months younger (Mar 2007 make). I too would have held on to it, but for the car having a gory death by drowning in the Oct 2020 deluge in Hyderabad. I also have a 2021 diesel Ecosport now, but it is no match to the 1.6 sxi. I'm unable to fill the gaps in traffic as easily as I could with the Fiesta--mild turbolag plays spoilsport.

Keep updating the thread please. If time permits, I'd surely like to take a look at your Fiesta whenever you pass through central Hyderabad.

It's an incredible honour to have you posting on this thread! Your review was probably one of the first things I had come across when I had first started browsing Team-BHP (around late 2019). It's honestly one of the biggest inspirations for me to have written this one! The way you kept your Red Injun shining as though it had only just been driven out of the showroom right until its unfortunate demise deserves an insane amount of respect; something I actually think I said on your thread at some point in time. I will surely keep updating this thread, as there is a service due not too far ahead. As for the visit, let's see if luck plays out in our favour.

I wish you many years of happy ownership. I was planning to hold on to mine for at least 20 years. Moreover, I did not have any major issues that you have had, like with the ABS module and the engine mounts. My ownership thread has details of my routine expenses, and those were easy on the pocket.

You are the second teenager posting a fabulous review of the Fiesta 1.6 sxi, the other being Neel Chatterjee.

Thank you very much. The ABS issue was an unfortunate manufacturing defect that was detected late. The engine mount was replaced after roughly 106000 km due to wear and tear; expensive but not exactly unexpected. Regular services and odd repairs have been similarly cheap though, thankfully. Your ownership review was incredibly helpful for me when understanding certain aspects of the car, such as the power steering recall that was also carried out on our car.

As for Mr. Neel's review, it was also a frequent haunt of mine during my early days browsing the forum. It's incredible to see how the same car has touched so many hearts, so many years apart.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Update:
The car turns 16 years old today! The odometer stands at 112021 km as of now. It still never fails to put a smile on my face on each drive, no matter where it may be. It also means that there are two years and a couple of weeks to go, before I turn 18 and can learn to drive in this very car.

Taken when returning from Gandikota and en route to Nagarjuna Sagar respectively. What a great companion for the open road!



Service:
The routine half-yearly service was carried out recently, including an oil change. The air filter and the drain plug washer was also changed. All has been normal, apart from a strange squeaking noise (much like wet brakes) that sometimes occurs when crawling at low speeds, irrespective of engine speed. This was said to be due to an issue with the brakes which was said to be fixed during the service. However, the issue has recently resurfaced. We will be getting this checked out when possible. Has anyone experienced this? Help would be welcome.

Running has been quite low recently; great excuse for a highway run soon. The manic pull of this engine and its aural company is still a joy to experience, and has remained unaffected by the law of diminishing returns.

Until next time. Cheers!

[Sanidhya mukund]

Wishing a belated happy birthday to the Fiesta!
It really is some coincidence that both our Fords share the same birthday.

So glad to see that it still gets to see the twisty roads. I am sure that even after 16 years, the Fiesta is still loads of fun with that sublime steering, the balanced suspension and the 1.6 litre engine that makes it a pocket rocket.

Wishing you many more years and happy miles with this machine!

[GForceEnjoyer]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

So glad to see that it still gets to see the twisty roads. I am sure that even after 16 years, the Fiesta is still loads of fun with that sublime steering, the balanced suspension and the 1.6 litre engine that makes it a pocket rocket.

Wishing you many more years and happy miles with this machine!

Thank you so much for the wishes! We got the registration transferred to Hyderabad (was previously registered in Noida) just in the nick of time. I really hope the NGT changes their stance on older vehicles; the pollution caused by scrapping well maintained vehicles and constantly buying new ones is exponentially higher than letting some older cars ply on the road.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Update:

So, this was a somewhat confusing situation overall. The strange noise I mentioned in my earlier post was diagnosed by Fortune Ford Tolichowki as a failing power steering pump. Furthermore, another sound, somewhat like a rattle, recently appeared from in front of the passenger cabin (around five days before the time of writing). This was strange, as it reminded me of the time just before replacing the suspension, but to a lesser degree. It occured over rumble strips and poorly leveled surfaces.

Fortune Ford also said that several components of the rear suspension required replacement. That was a red flag, since we got nearly the entire suspension (front and rear) replaced just over a year ago. Furthermore, the power steering pump would supposedly cost over 30000 rupees, but due to Ford's exit, would prove to be difficult or impossible to source.

None of this added up, as there were absolutely no abnormalities in steering feel or behaviour at any speed whatsoever. No noises while turning the steering wheel, no squeaking or humming sounds on a cold start and no fluid puddles underneath the car at all. The effort required to turn it was normal, so was the way it weighs up with speed. As for the second noise, I was very concerned, since that would either mean that the replacement suspension was of poor quality, or that being driven over Hyderabad's rumble strips seriously took a toll on the suspension. But, giving it a little more thought, I realised that nothing seemed to be out of order with regard to the suspension's behaviour in general. Stability was excellent as ever, so was turn in and composure during cornering.

Hence, we decided to get a second opinion on this, and took the car to an independent garage. Unfortunately, we were somehow unable to replicate the noise at all! The car was still put up on a lift and the underbody, especially the area around the front wheels, was carefully examined. To my untrained eye, nothing looked to be out of order, something later confirmed by the mechanic. To the contrary, the suspension was stated to be in good condition. Hence, a failing suspension was fully ruled out as the cause of the second noise.

As for the first noise, a detailed description of it lead to a tentative placement of the blame on the brakes; something that Fortune Ford also did during the service and claimed to have fixed. The power steering pump was fully ruled out as a cause. The steering wheel could be turned lock to lock while stationary without any noises and vibrations. As for the brakes, the wheels turned freely when rotated by hand, and careful examination of the braking system proved to be unfruitful. The car was certified to be in perfect mechanical condition.

However, both noises still occur. What could be the cause of this? I am stumped as to the first noise, and can only roughly locate the second one to be coming from the front of the passenger cabin. It could be as benign as a dashboard rattle or as serious as major mechanical part that is on its way out.

Anyone who has experienced this? And does anyone know of competent independent garages that can diagnose and deal with discontinued Fords? Help would be welcome.

[Siva Prakash]

Originally Posted by GForceEnjoyer

Update:
However, both noises still occur. What could be the cause of this? I am stumped as to the first noise, and can only roughly locate the second one to be coming from the front of the passenger cabin. It could be as benign as a dashboard rattle or as serious as major mechanical part that is on its way out.

Anyone who has experienced this? And does anyone know of competent independent garages that can diagnose and deal with discontinued Fords? Help would be welcome.

I don't know what the noise could be, I had issues with the tie rods, shock absorbers or the shock absorber mounts. I take my car to Raghu motors Gachibowli, they do a decent job at solving suspension related problems.
This is the address - PLOT NO-108, Diamond Hills Near AL-SABA Restaurant, Gachibowli, Telangana 500032.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Update:

The car had occasionally been having issues starting for some time, hence we got the battery replaced earlier today. Digging into the service records, I found that the last replacement had been done in 2014! It lasted an astonishingly long 9 years.

We purchased the battery for 5000 rupees and were able to get it installed at our residence. The colour for official Fiesta batteries had apparently been changed to black around 5-6 years ago, so the mechanic was shocked to still see the white battery under the hood.

The old white battery. Apologies for the poor image quality, as it was in a dimly lit basement.


The new jet-black battery:


A combination allen wrench is enough to carry out a battery replacement. The red connector is for the positive terminal, while the black one is for the negative terminal. The positive terminal is thicker than the negative terminal, which is useful knowledge if one ever gets confused.


This new motorcraft battery has a warranty of 2 years. The security code for the 6-CD changer is mentioned on the back of the glovebox lid (you have to swivel it down further than the usual open position to see it). The code needs to be punched into the stereo every time the battery is disconnected and reconnected.

However, while the hood was open, I noticed that I could barely see any coolant in the reservoir! I told my dad about this and upon opening the reservoir (the engine was cold), we could see that the level was below the minimum mark. We faced no overheating issues whatsoever, so it's either a very slow leak or it was simply not topped up during the last service.

I'm inclined to believe the latter, since the experience last time was less than satisfactory, with the squeaking sound I mentioned in an earlier post being misdiagnosed multiple times (it remains unsolved to this day; we might try an independent garage soon).

A service is due this month, so we will be topping up the reservoir for the time being and keeping a close watch for any visible leaks.

Until next time, cheers!

[DrZhivago]

Originally Posted by GForceEnjoyer

Update:

However, while the hood was open, I noticed that I could barely see any coolant in the reservoir! I told my dad about this and upon opening the reservoir (the engine was cold), we could see that the level was below the minimum mark. We faced no overheating issues whatsoever, so it's either a very slow leak or it was simply not topped up during the last service.

I'm inclined to believe the latter, since the experience last time was less than satisfactory, with the squeaking sound I mentioned in an earlier post being misdiagnosed multiple times (it remains unsolved to this day; we might try an independent garage soon).

A service is due this month, so we will be topping up the reservoir for the time being and keeping a close watch for any visible leaks.

Until next time, cheers!

The coolant reservoir will have a small rubber hose when you open the cap and its for coolant circulation and also to check the level and at times this hose gets too hard and narrow for the coolant to circulate and this will result in the coolant overflowing through the top during your drive and this can lead to coolant loss. If you dont see a puddle of coolant underneath your car when parked you can check for this. If the hose is the issue then get a replacement and a temporary fix is to just remove it and fix it upside down, with the other end and this can sort the issue for now. I am just guessing it because I have seen this happen in certain cases. You will know your situation better. God Speed

[DocwithFiesta]

A great write-up for a great car! We own a 2010 1.6 SXi and can very well relate to the details you have mentioned here.

The Fiesta is a car that brings a smile on your face everytime you get behind the wheel. It's been more than a decade since we own the Fiesta, yet the car surprises me every single day, even now!



Let's talk about the car-
The 1.6 Fiesta is capable of doing almost 100kmph in 2nd gear itself! An absolute riot of a car. The engine can be super smooth at lower rpm, but can also be a monster at highest of rpm. Above 3500 rpm, it pulls like crazy! The Ford service center ppl say this car feels like a Turbocharged car when it accelerates.

It has the characteristics of both a weekday car and a weekend exciting, fun car. Ours being the SXi has leather seats, electronically adjustable ORVM, rear center armrest, rear window defogger, seat height adjust, alloys wheels, Chrome ORVMs, indicators on ORVMs, soft touch (rubbery) dash - these features makes the car still feel relevant in today's world, supplementing the absolutely relevant performance this car has even today!

Talking about mileage, we get 7-9 kmpl in the city and about 10-11kmpl on the highway. But, the driving pleasure this car offers, you forget about the appalling fuel economy. A fun fact- the fuel economy of this engine dramatically improves on highways at spees over 120kmph, in 5th gear, to 15kmpl.

Talking about reliability, the only major thing that have been changed is the AC- compressor, condenser, cooling coil and some hoses, that was a costly repair, at 70k kms- required tearing up the entire dashboard, steering wheel, front bumper ..
Front suspension changed at 80k kms, rear's still original. Clutch still original, almost touching 90k kms, no slipping, nothing, even after abusing the car over the years.

The 1.6 Fiesta spins it's front wheels very easily, kind of gets addictive. The steering of the car(hydraulic unit) makes the car feel much smaller than it is, it's so tossable.

One problem which irritates us a lot is that the post-facelift Fiestas have terrible corrosion problem(I have not seen any sort of rusts on the pre-facelift cars), and the fact that we stay 300 metres from the sea, doesn't help either. The doors and the roof have been tinkered and repainted thrice and the entire car has been repainted last year as the corrosion was everywhere and the entire body needed an overhaul. Corrosion is a recurring problem on our car, reason- unknown.

Attaching some pictures of our Fiesta.






My favourite road in the city where I can open up the car, near our home. So, whether I'm going to work, or returning from work, I always have some fun over here!



The magical steering wheel, also a cool Defender!

Cars like the Fiesta must be preserved for future generations to admire and respect.
New Turbocharged petrol cars may be fast, but not so fun, nowhere close!



Found a very similar 1.6 SXi parked up by the road- couldn't resist clicking a picture of the two!



At my local beach.



Alongside a 1.6S.

Thank you for reading

[PrasannaDhana]

I had the opportunity to enjoy a BHPian friend's Fiesta 1.6S last month. I agree with all praises you about the very deserving car that the Fiesta is.



It might not be a fast car today, in the age of fast turbo petrols. But a decade ago, it was fast. Not many cars can come close to how superbly the Fiesta handles at speeds. It felt great to get beyond 6k rpm(being the diesel head I am), and personally I loved how it sounded too.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Update:

Well, I clearly did not keep this thread updated! My apologies, pre-boards, then boards followed by 12th grade made me quite busy. Anyways, the coolant issue was traced to a faulty reservoir cap which was causing coolant loss while driving, something similar to what BHPian DrZhivago had predicted above. We got that fixed and it was business as usual.

Last week though, the A/C stopped cooling out of the blue! There was also a strange whining sound that was directly proportional to engine rpm when the A/C was on. We gave the car to Fortune Ford for a diagnosis and were in for a very unpleasant surprise.

Take a look at this list. They asked us to replace basically everything, adding up to an eye-watering 37529 rupees! To make matters worse, the compressor assembly and valve evaporator was unavailable (hence PNA, part not available, written next to them).


Seeing the core A/C evaporator on this list set off the alarm bells, since we had gotten that replaced not too long ago. Hence, we decided to take our business elsewhere. We found an independent workshop, Auto Cool. A Fiesta owner had previously had their A/C fixed here, which was reassuring to hear. Over the phone, we were also assured that genuine Ford spares were available with them if necessary.

Upon reaching the shop, some basic tests were run and the whining sound was acknowledged. Turns out that there was oil leaking out of the compressor (this issue could be fixed by refurbishing the compressor), while the cooling coil had to be replaced. The total estimate was exactly 12000 rupees, less than a third of the authorised service centre! We gave the go ahead and video proof along with pictures of the new and old cooling coil was shared with us.

We got the car back this morning after it had spent roughly half a day at the shop. The A/C is now working perfectly again! Great experience with this shop.

The old and new cooling coils.


The testing equipment hooked up to the car. A healthy system would give a relatively low reading (less than 30 as per the mechanic). Before the fix, our Fiesta's reading was over 70! The mechanic's explanation was that the load on the compressor was way higher than usual due to the oil leak and faulty cooling coil.


The car with the dashboard and centre console removed. This is a screenshot from the video shared with us so please excuse the quality. No fit and finish issues upon reinstallation apart from the gear lever that was slightly wonky; it was fixed within minutes.


In other news, the car is close to having covered 115000 km! Here's the odometer reading at present.


We'll be getting wheel alignment and balancing done soon. Running has been low recently, so we might also take the car out for a spirited highway run.

Until next time. Cheers!

Originally Posted by DrZhivago

I am just guessing it because I have seen this happen in certain cases. You will know your situation better. God Speed

The actual issue was similar to your predictions as I have stated above. Thanks a lot for your help! I will keep your advice in mind if something happens in the future.

Originally Posted by DocwithFiesta

A great write-up for a great car! We own a 2010 1.6 SXi and can very well relate to the details you have mentioned here.

A very late thank you for the kind words! I love how immaculately maintained your car is, and also great write-up! In the last picture, the Fiesta S next to your beautiful SXI is also from Hyderabad. AP 28 was one of the RTOs in Hyderabad when it was still in Andhra Pradesh.

About the rust on your car, have you considered getting a protective coating done on the bodywork? Might help you avoid future headaches. I think Fiestas in general seem to be somewhat rust-prone. Ours has a couple of tiny spots of rust despite having been taken near the sea only once (it has otherwise been driven mainly in Delhi and Hyderabad).

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

I had the opportunity to enjoy a BHPian friend's Fiesta 1.6S last month. I agree with all praises you about the very deserving car that the Fiesta is.

Great to see that you had a blast! The 1.6 engine has held its own so well even after 18 years of its introduction in the Fiesta. It's exactly like your observations: a very sweet-sounding, punchy and high-revving engine is a very fun companion to the super tight chassis.

[Torque123]

A fabulous ownership review ��. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it & it was very nostalgic for me as I parted with my long term (15 years & 1. 25 lakh on the odo) partner in crime 1.6 SXI earlier this year. Makes me miss this beauty everytime I see one ��

I could relate to every point you have mentioned in all the well covered sections. The Fiesta 1.6 for 8.4 lakhs on road price (back in 2008) in Bangalore was a no brainer. I would even go to the length of saying that there was no competition to this car in that segment those days when it came to performance, ride, handling & steering feedback as a package. As someone rightly pointed out in the 2023 Verna thread, the only people who find difficulty in upgrading within the same or one segment above (mainly sedans) are the ones who have owned a Ford/Skoda/VW in the past due to the sheer driving pleasure these machines provide. I faced this issue too while upgrading & the only cars I could even consider were the VW/Skoda twins. Unfortunately the HPS days are done & dusted & we have to be happy with the best of the performers with EPS. If Ford ever makes a comeback to India & doesn't compromise on the build quality (like what they did with the Aspire/Figo), they can count me in as one of their sure shot customers.

[DocwithFiesta]

Originally Posted by GForceEnjoyer

Update:

A very late thank you for the kind words! I love how immaculately maintained your car is, and also great write-up! In the last picture, the Fiesta S next to your beautiful SXI is also from Hyderabad. AP 28 was one of the RTOs in Hyderabad when it was still in Andhra Pradesh.

About the rust on your car, have you considered getting a protective coating done on the bodywork? Might help you avoid future headaches. I think Fiestas in general seem to be somewhat rust-prone. Ours has a couple of tiny spots of rust despite having been taken near the sea only once (it has otherwise been driven mainly in Delhi and Hyderabad).

Thank you!

Never really thought of getting the car coated as those stuff are really expensive, but given the fact that the car is starting to rust again, maybe we should consider doing that.

Originally Posted by GForceEnjoyer

Update:
Last week though, the A/C stopped cooling out of the blue! There was also a strange whining sound that was directly proportional to engine rpm when the A/C was on.

They asked us to replace basically everything, adding up to an eye-watering 37529 rupees!

Upon reaching the shop, some basic tests were run and the whining sound was acknowledged. Turns out that there was oil leaking out of the compressor (this issue could be fixed by refurbishing the compressor), while the cooling coil had to be replaced. The total estimate was exactly 12000 rupees, less than a third of the authorised service centre! We gave the go ahead and video proof along with pictures of the new and old cooling coil was shared with us.

We faced the same issue in early 2020. Unlike in your case it happened much earlier for us, at the 70k km mark.

Ford gave an estimate of around 45k with taxes. We arranged the OEM parts and got it done from a local person for about 28k. In our case the Compressor had to be replaced as well, along with the cooling coil and some hoses.

Attaching some pics.






Old and new compressor.



The entire front of the car was torn apart to carry out the work- it was quite a pain to watch tbh.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Update:

The Fiesta recently crossed a major milestone! It has now completed 115000 kilometres.


We've been taking it out on quite a few drives of late, especially airport runs. Even nearly 17 years post-purchase, it's still a joy to watch the tachometer arc its way past 3500 rpm and all the way to the redline with the engine singing in approval.

Something I've noticed recently is the increasing number of surprised looks that this car attracts from valets, for example; a result of the Fiesta's increasing rarity. It's led to some interesting experiences too! While we were getting a PUC check done, we met the owner of a mint 2005 Maruti Esteem and had a great discussion about the various road trips that we had undertaken in our respective machines.

Here's the Fiesta accompanying some much more modern and much more expensive machinery while still holding its own. Overall, this design has aged fabulously.


For its service, we took the Fiesta to Mody Ford, Bowenpally (since we had been considering switching service centres for a while), having heard good things about them from fellow Ford owners. While the interaction with the front desk staff fell short of expectations (constantly attaching incorrect details onto the invoice and unclear communication in particular), we also had a chat with a senior mechanic who was very knowledgeable, providing some reassurance in the skill of the mechanics.

However, there is presently a massive issue with this service centre, and not even due to any fault of its own. The road right in front of it is being dug up to lay a pipeline as of now, making the last 50 or so metres an absolutely harrowing journey (unless you own an EcoSport or Endeavour, that is).

Other than this, the quality of work done was satisfactory, apart from one glaring miss: the car was returned with the hood not properly closed! Anyways, since the free service plan we had availed a couple of years ago has now expired, we might switch to an independent garage, visiting the authorised service centres only if absolutely necessary. Any suggestions regarding the same are welcome.

Nearly all the prices apart from some consumables are 0 due to the service plan. Note the incorrect colour (it is Paprika Red, not Colorado Red).


I do have a burning question I'd like to ask before ending this post. In light of the E20 petrol rollout, what can we do to ensure that we can continue using the Fiesta for an indefinite period of time in the future? Any fuel additives or fuel system upgrades that can work? Or is the only option to switch to the hugely expensive XP100 petrol (10% ethanol) or the other 100 octane petrol from either BP/HP that is so far still 0% ethanol? What's the scene with private fuel stations like Essar, Nayara and Shell? The right grade of fuel slowly being made unavailable country-wide was something I never thought I'd see; yet, here we are.

While we can continue to rue the bleak-looking future for automobile owners in India, allow me to share a very interesting MID reading as a parting shot. Little things like this do help lighten the mood.


Until next time, cheers!