Used Rover 25 review and buying guide (1999 to 2005): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Rover 25 should you buy?

The Rover 25 to buy is a K Series car whose head gasket has already been replaced with a multi-layer steel gasket, a stronger lower oil rail and new high-tensile head bolts. The engine holds very little coolant, so a small leak turns into overheating fast, and that's what finishes the gasket. A car with that kit fitted and the bills to show it is the safer buy across the whole 1999 to 2005 run.

A 25 made from 2003 to 2005 carries an extra risk in the security control unit, which controls the central locking, alarm and immobiliser. When it fails, the trouble can start small, with a silent horn or one electric window that won't work, and end with a car that can't be driven. Wiring faults are typical on the 25 as a whole, so don't buy one with any electrical item that isn't working.

Which Rover 25 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

Head gasket failure is the K Series engine's known weakness, and the 1.8 K Series suffers it as well. The weakest spot is the gasket on the water-heated inlet manifold, and because the engine carries so little coolant, a minor leak quickly turns into overheating. The bore liners can drop too. On a Steptronic gearbox, upshifts and downshifts work the opposite way to what you'd expect, so try a few changes before you decide you can live with it.

The O rings in the K Series inlet manifold perish by 30,000 miles, so ask whether they've been renewed on a car past that mileage. The fix for the gasket is a complete kit: a one-piece multi-layer steel gasket, the revised lower oil rail, longer high-tensile head bolts and a new water pump, fitted together rather than the gasket on its own. Some versions of the fix add a low coolant warning, and it's worth having.

What should you check when viewing a used Rover 25?

Coolant comes first: check the level is where it should be with the engine cold, look for wet or crusted residue around the inlet manifold, and watch the temperature needle on the test drive. A 25 that's running hot or needs regular topping up is showing the start of head gasket trouble. If the work's been done, ask for receipts that name the multi-layer steel gasket and the lower oil rail.

Test the electrics one by one, since wiring faults are typical: the horn, every electric window, the central locking, the alarm and the immobiliser. On a 2003 to 2005 car, a dead horn or a window that won't move can be the first sign of a failing security control unit, the part that can eventually leave the car undrivable.

Look at the tyres for uneven wear and feel for vague steering, because worn lower steering arm bushes upset both. An ABS warning light on the dash isn't always serious: the ABS fuse sits on its control unit inside the car, where clothing can knock it loose, so check it's seated before assuming the worst.

One owner's 25 spent 14 days in the workshop over two years for repairs ranging from a faulty window catch to a new engine block, a third set of tappets and rust repairs to the body. That's one car, but it's reason enough to check the paintwork for rust and to ask exactly what's been replaced on the engine.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.