Buying a Ka

Introduction

Occasionally, I’m contacted by individuals requesting information about buying (or selling) a Ka.

This website cannot hope to cover all aspects of buying (and, should you be selling, this too) a Ka - but it may be able to held.

First, What Model Ka?

First, you need to decide what you want from your Ka in terms of equipment, performance and looks. Do you want a high specification, leather, air conditioning, electric windows, mirrors and a CD player? Or do you just want the basics – go-kart handling, power steering, and funky looks?

To help you decide, check out my brief Model History.

And How Much?

How much do you want to spend? The Ka has a habit of being a bit over priced as a used car – if you’re shopping for the basic Ka, note that it’s possible to buy a discounted base Ka for £4,995. Now that’s value. But more importantly, it puts the two year old example at, say, £4,500, into perspective.

Do shop around, do compare interest rates if you’re taking out finance, and never accept sticker prices. Haggle hard. Hey even quote my website if you think it’ll help (well okay, maybe not, heh heh).

Bodywork

The Ka can have some problems with stone chips - pay special attention to the front of the bonnet. If a chip is deep enough, it’ll start to rust. Painted bumpers can also get chipped (although of course, they don’t rust).

The fuel filler nozzle panel can also rust, so pay attention here. Any problems should be solved by Ford’s six year corrosion (anti-perforation) warranty - if the Ka is older than six years, be careful.

The sills can also rust - later Kas had a plastic cover to protect from stone chips here.

If the Ka’s rear wiper doesn’t work, check the earthing connections. Some Kas have a visible, and vulnerable, earthing point at the very edge of the boot. This may need cleaning so as to earth properly - Kermit has the newer style earthing system, whereby the wiring is kept hidden close to the high mounted rear brake light.

Parking knocks and scuffs can look unsightly, and black bumpers do need back-to-backing, or perhaps even tyre glossing, to retain their blackness - otherwise they fade to grey. Note that Ford did not add body coloured bumpers until approximately 2000, and they are a slightly different shape to the black plastic bumpers.

Interior

Generally speaking, the interior tends to show its age before the exterior or mechanicals. The seats can sag with high miles and the driver controls can also become shiny. Be suspicious of a low mileage Ka with a shiny smooth steering wheel.

Earlier Kas can have problems with the central locking doing a “shopping trolley” on you - yes that’s right, it can go its own way and lock or unlock by its own. This is usually caused by shorting in the locking wires, and the repair is to replace the wiring in the door jar. It’s not especially expensive, but a fiddly job.

If the Ka has air conditioning, check that the system works - the light should illuminate when the system is switched on (ensure that the interior heater fan is also switched to position one or higher) and you should also be able to listen to the engine note change when the compressor is in use. The air coming from the vents should be chilled - if the light doesn’t come on, the system may need to be re-gassed (which isn’t too expensive), and it’s possible that the seals need replacing - which is expensive, and can require other work too.

The heater valve can tick when the heat is set somewhere between full heat and cold. This is normal, and many Fiestas, Kas and Pumas do this.

Mechanicals

The original Ka used the Endura-E, which was replaced in 2002 by the Duratec. Of the two and if money is no object, the newer Ka is arguably the one to have but there’s very little between the two. Certainly, don’t feel hard done by if you cannot afford a Duratec-engined one. I’ve compared the two engines here.

The Endura-E is a tried and tested (old) engine design. However, it’s proved to be reasonably tough, and if it has regular oil changes it should provide many years and thousands of miles of good service. However, early engines - in up to perhaps early 1998 cars - had a weaker camshaft, which can wear out.

Problems with the Endura-E include an erratic idle and some hunting. This can mean that the idle control valve needs cleaning (a relatively simple operation), or on earlier engines, the wiring loom needs some work. Your Ford dealership should be able to help you with this a cost of approximately £75 or so.

The Endura-E’s valve clearances need to be checked every 10,000 miles.

The Endura-E’s cooling system is especially efficient and it takes a lot of provocation for the cooling fan to kick in at the higher speed. For this reason, if the cooling fan kicks in at the higher speed quite frequently, be suspicious. The Duratec’s cooling system is quite different and it has a much more active cooling fan.

Note, however, that both cars run the cooling fan at a slow speed when using the air conditioning system.

One of the mechanical weaknesses of the Ka is the power steering and steering rack. The Ka can chew these, especially if it’s used in the city or driven quite enthusiastically /cough/ - if the powered steering feels notchy, loose, or makes a lot of noise, budget a few hundred quid for the new bits.

Note that the Ka uses a fluid hydraulic clutch, which shares the same fluid as the brakes. The brake warning lamp is linked to the fluid level - it is especially sensitive, so if it flickers on whilst driving (typically whilst going around a left hand corner, or when braking, or perhaps when doing both, not that one should of course). One possible cause of low brake or fluid level is that the clutch slave cylinder is leaking, and this is an expensive job.

Underbonnet Checks

Ford helpfully mark all user-checkable parts with a yellow top, thus making it easy for owners to check the vital fluids. Be sure to check the oil, coolant and power steering levels. It’s important to check the levels - if the seller claims that the car has been serviced recently, all levels should be within the minimum and maximum markers. The oil should look more like golden syrup rather than black treacle right after a service or oil change, but just because the oil is dark doesn’t mean it needs changing. Low levels could indicate a fault, a lack of maintenance and care, or perhaps it wasn’t serviced after all...

Service History

There are differing opinions regarding a full, or part, service history. Some individuals are of the opinion that it is an unnecessary expense, but there is another school of thought that says a bundle of receipts and a nicely stamped service log book shows conscientious ownership. You may not make up the cost of keeping the Ka serviced, however you will make the car a lot easier to sell on.

If you’re looking to buy a Ka, and the seller states that it has a full service history, do check the records. A stamped service book may be “bent” - you want to see service receipts and invoices, MOTs (if applicable), and if there is any doubt you need to check with the dealers.

The Test Drive

When you go to check out a Ka, it’s important that you drive several Kas. It’s the best way to ensure that the one you eventually buy drives okay. Or drives great, depending on your point of view!

Without repeating everything I’ve already written about the Ka in the Overview, handling, fuel consumption or performance, the Ka drives very well for what it is.