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Before you buy a used Ford Ka (II).

2008–2016 · Petrol / Diesel · 2 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Ford Ka (II), real photo of this generation
KAgamemnon · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

1.2 Duratec

Petrol

  • FIRE head gasket, belt and coilsCylinder head / timing / ignition
    Period mentioned
    2000–2020
    Mileage mentioned
    80,000–150,000 km

    Applies if: The Ka II was built with Fiat: its 1.2 is the 8-valve FIRE of the Fiat 500 and Panda.

1.3 TDCi

Diesel

  • 1.3 Multijet chain, DPF and EGRTiming / DPF / EGR
    Period mentioned
    2003–2020
    Mileage mentioned
    80,000–120,000 km

    Applies if: The Ka II 1.3 TDCi is the Fiat 1.3 Multijet.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Ford Ka (II)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
1.2 DuratecPetrol11 with conditions2
1.3 TDCiDiesel11 with conditions2

According to the data we have, all its engines have the same number of documented faults.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Ford dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Ford airbag and seat-belt recalls (2001–2026)Airbags and seat belts

How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.

View full entry
Ford brake recalls (2001–2026)Brakes

How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 2 checked

Cylinder head / timing / ignition

  • Look out for: Coolant loss, white smoke or mayonnaise-like oil (head gasket); misfires and, if the ECU is damaged, the car will not start or cuts out.

    Ask them to check: Check the coolant level and oil filler cap, check when the belt was last changed (also by age) and test the coils before they fail.

Timing / DPF / EGR

  • Look out for: Chain rattle on cold starts; oil level rising and smelling of diesel; particulate filter warning; power loss from a dirty EGR or the turbo.

    Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start, check whether the oil is above maximum or smells of diesel, read the DPF status and check the oil change history.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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