Ford Ka RBT

The Ford Ka I (RBT, 1996–2008) is a small, charming city car built on the Fiesta platform, with its distinctive New Edge styling. As a second car for urban use it's surprisingly nimble, with sharp steering, a firm chassis and rock-bottom running costs. The mechanicals are simple and tough: the 1.3 Endura-E is an old-school OHV engine with adjustable valve clearances that runs forever with basic care. That mechanical simplicity is a big part of the Ka's appeal — it's almost unbreakable. The CORE PROBLEM, however, is rust, and lots of it. Sills, underbody, wheel arches and suspension turrets corrode badly, often from the inside out. Many Kas today are economic write-offs because the structural shell has rusted through — an MOT failure and expensive to weld. Before buying, get the car on a lift: tap the sills, check the strut tops and floor pans, look behind the arch liners. A Ka that looks tidy on top can be completely gone underneath. Pay a bit more for a rust-free example rather than taking on a welding project. Other typical weak spots: the rear silencer reliably rusts through, though replacement is cheap. The blower often only works on speed 4 because the resistor pack or its connector melts — a well-known, easy fix. The universal joint in the steering column wears over time, showing up as play and a knocking feel. At the rear, the drum brakes tend to seize, especially after the car has stood for a while. Buying advice: focus on rust, rust and more rust — everything else is minor and cheap to sort. A well-kept Ka with intact underseal and dry sills is a cheap, dependable runabout. If you can weld, or find a genuinely solid example, the Ka will keep going for years.