Common Problems with the
1997 Rover 100 Series

The Rover 100 received a redesigned front end in late 1994, but its underlying bodyshell remained virtually unchanged from the 1980 BL platform. In the 1997 Euro NCAP crash tests, the passenger cabin suffered catastrophic collapse in a 40 mph offset frontal impact, with severe intrusion of the A-pillar, steering column, and pedals. This infamous 1-star safety rating caused sales to collapse and led directly to Rover withdrawing the model in December 1997. For used buyers today, structural integrity is acutely compromised if any sill or pillar corrosion exists.

Late Rover 100 models (111 and 114) continued using the 1.1 and 1.4 K-Series petrol engines with single-point and multi-point injection. Just as on earlier Metros, the small coolant volume, plastic head dowels, and vulnerable radiator matrix mean that even minor coolant weeping leads to catastrophic overheating. The cylinder head quickly anneals and softens if overheated, requiring skim machining and an upgraded multi-layer steel (MLS) head gasket conversion.

The Rover 100 carried over the interconnected Hydragas fluid-and-gas suspension system from the Rover Metro. Over decades of use, the nitrogen gas charges above the rubber diaphragms in the displacer spheres gradually deplete. As the gas volume decreases, the car settles closer to the ground, leading to a stiff and bouncy ride that fails to absorb road humps. Connecting pipes under the car also rot from UK road salt and road debris.