Used car expert warn s’listen for this sound’ before buying second-hand vehicle

A car expert has warned motorists looking at buying one of the UK’s most popular vehicles second-hand to listen out for a “grinding sound”.

The YouTuber, who posts under the username Scottish Car Clan made the comments when giving a stellar review of the Ford Fiesta Mk8. He suggested a few things potential buyers should look out for when considering purchasing a second-hand version.

The presenter said: “The gearbox, that’s going to be determined by what engine you choose. If it’s the 1.1 litre you’re going to get a five speed manual. If it’s the 1.0litre EcoBoost you’re going to get the six-speed manual.

“Now you also had the option of an automatic gearbox on those that came with a mild-EV. Now one tip for the manuals, just make sure the clutch operation is smooth, not slipping and also listen out for a grinding sound.

“It’ll be kind of hard to miss, but there were a few of these replaced under warranty, the gearboxes that is, for a misaligned bearing. You’ll hear it though, they tend to make a grinding sound.”

Despite his criticisms of the gearbox, he gave the car eight out of 10 in terms of reliability, encouraging potential buyers to buy a Mk8 (Mk7 outside the UK) Ford Fiesta because it “moved the game on big time”.

Following his warning about the grinding sound, the presenter asked whether people should buy a Mk8 Ford Fiesta.

He concluded: “You really should, the Mk8 moved the game on big time from the Mk7 and 7.5. We no longer really need to talk about those…engines or the horrible powershift gearbox, they’re really quite reliable and it’s for that reason we award it a massive eight out of ten on our reliability leaderboard.”

The YouTuber is not the only car expert to have heaped praise on this era of Ford Fiesta. Writers at the Auto Express have also given the Ford Fiesta a high appraisal. 

In their used car guide for the Mk8 Fiesta, they said: “The fact that the Fiesta is consistently one of the UK’s best-sellers just goes to show that Ford has got the formula right. While some earlier editions were clearly built down to a price, the latest Fiesta feels like a high-quality product – especially if you buy further up the range….But never overlook a nicely kept mid-range Fiesta at the right price – it really is a superb car.”

Ford has been approached for comment.