I can match your 414 woes
with a 214 that had two gearbox failures, three clutches (these were related due to incompetence at the dealer, we only paid for the original one clutch replacement out of that lot), and a gone head gasket.

We got £100 for it in part ex, as it the head gasket went the day before we were due to swap it and it was still driveable - with what looked like mayonnaise in the engine.
( Fronds are waving gently on, Wed 28 Apr 2010, 17:06, 1 reply)

Yeah
They were notorious for head gasket problems on the K-series engine, I should have kept a better look out for it.

The second gear box was a recon one, and I'm sure it was the shoddy recon rather than the part as such. I got a better recon out of it and I traded that and my Carina in against my first Laguna.

My Carina was awesome, but was full of rust I remember the dealer's face when we brought it round after he'd agreed the deal. Serves him right for not leaving enough petrol in it to even get to the nearest petrol station - we managed to coast it onto the forecourt and push it up to the pump!
( VandenPlas can't think of anything clever - no change there!, Wed 28 Apr 2010, 19:04, closed)