Overview

From the Super Sport and XR2 of the Mk1 and 2, sporting Fiestas have certainly come a long way. The ST of 2005 only had a shelf life of three years, being based on the Fiesta Mk5 and launched three years after the original, but they sold strongly despite competing with some very good cars.

With 150hp on tap you’d have thought it would have been a bit of a handful, but no, Ford’s little pocket rocket was, and still is, riotous fun to zip around in. Rather like other legends like the GTI versions of the Peugeot 205 and Volkswagen Golf, the Fiesta ST loves to be chucked into a tight bend and isn’t afraid to cock a rear wheel up in the air just for good measure, almost in homage to those two other aforementioned motors.

Partly because of its blue oval badge and the boy racer brigade, the ST Fiesta can easily fall into the wrong hands, often looking like they have been driven backwards through the local Halfords. That said, a tidy standard Fiesta ST is a fast appreciating modern classic and won’t remain an affordable pocket-rocket for much longer. Nimble around town and laugh out loud entertaining on a B-road, the Fiesta ST, despite getting on a bit, is seriously good fun and easy to own.

Ford Fiesta ST Mk5 known faults and common problems

1. THRASHED AND WORN OUT JUNK

Sadly, many have been driven to the point of being life-expired showing battle scars, poor repair work, skimped or cheapskate servicing and wrecked interiors. Unless you are looking for a rolling resto-project, avoid at all costs, as the money you’ll have to pump into it to make good could possibly cost more than buying a half-decent example.

2. HOT REAR BRAKES

Give the car a good road test and when returning, place your hands close to the rear wheels. The rear brake calipers can readily seize or bind causing the pads and discs to overheat. It’s quite common to occur on the N/S/R wheel. This will also be confirmed by the brake discs looking dark in colour with a blue tinge opposed to being shiny silver. Thankfully, replacement parts aren’t too expensive and are readily available.

3. WAYWARD HANDLING

The ST is blessed with excellent road manners. Refuse to accept anything that is quite literally – a handful. Keep an eye open for oil soaked suspension bushes that will ruin its poise and an ear open for knocking ball joints or worn out suspension strut top mountings. A floating or ‘boaty’ rear end signals worn out rear dampers.

4. NOISY STEERING PUMP

Listen for groaning noises and look out for fluid leaks from the power steering pump. If the oil leak is serious enough, it can find its way behind the belt covers and contaminate the timing belt causing it to snap and kill the engine. Again, parts are available and the replacement is a straightforward job to undertake.

5. STARTING ISSUES WHEN COLD

Try to see the car with a stone cold engine. Fire up the engine and allow it to idle for a few minutes or drive for a very short distance. Stop and switch off then try to restart the engine after a minute or two’s wait. If the car refuses to fire up again or is difficult to start, the car probably requires an ECU update from Ford or a fully software equipped specialist.

6. CORROSION

As with most older Fords, check thoroughly for signs of early or serious corrosion that’s already taken hold, especially along the sills and rear wheel arches. Fuel tank straps and brackets that locate items such as brake hoses and ABS wiring can fracture or snap off causing a safety risk as well immediate MoT failure.

7. VIBRATION AT SPEED

Poorly refurbished alloy. wheels can often hide the fact they are buckled beyond balancing. If the car sports decent tyres but the wheel weights feature more lead than the roof of York Minster, you’ll be needing new rims. If there’s a vibration at speed under acceleration that eases or stops when cruising, suspect worn out inner CV joints.

8. NOISY GEARBOXES

Generally, the IB5 gearbox is pretty robust, but listen carefully on idle for ‘chattering’ mainshaft bearings and walk away from a car with a stiff gear shift action. If the car makes a thump noise when drive is taken up, this points towards a damaged engine / gearbox mounting.

9. SPONGY BRAKES

Thoroughly inspect the brake pipes front to back. They are made from poor quality material and can often corrode and leak from union or flexihose joints that allow fluid to weep and air to enter the system giving a soft mushy pedal feel.

10. RUNNING COSTS

The Fiesta ST lacks a number of safety related features and has only two airbags fitted as standard. Younger drivers may find insurance premiums very costly and the 150bhp engine uses a lot of fuel when driven around the town or city and costs more than average to tax owing to higher than average emissions.

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Today, the Ford Fiesta ST Mk5 is a cracking buy, and great fun as long as you shop around and you’re choosy. It’s excellent fun on B-roads, although something like a Renault Sport Clio will be far more rewarding. Generally, they are still relatively reliable as long as you find an original, but beware of some truly abused and thrashed examples.

Skip to our verdict page to see if we recommend the Ford Fiesta ST Mk5 as a good used car.