I have driven over 30,000 miles in mine and (touch wood) only had three issues; two failed relays (1 x fuel pump, 1 x cooling fan) and a faulty instrument control module.
I had new tyres at 24k, a cam belt changed when the car was 8 years old and a new battery (the first) last year.
The gearbox that was fitted to this model is not the best and tend to have a slight lay-shaft noise when idling, but according to the knowledgeable "they are all like that"** and it is not an issue unless the noise is really excessive.
The "black top" Zetec engine is not as smooth as a Duratec, but it does have really good torque characteristics.
**PM me if you would like more details.
