Ford KA 2001 - Engine misfiring/juddering - tiggywilson1980

hi i have a Y reg Ford KA Collection. recently it has started misfiring and juddering, especially when setting off in lower gears, the engine is also really noisy and loud. it seems to struggle to get going and then all of a sudden, it kicks in and moves off fine. it wasnt too bad to begin with but the juddering and spluttering is getting worse the more i drive it. when i first get in it, in the morning it isnt too bad but the longer the journey, the worse it gets. i dont know if its an engine or exhaust problem. or if its struggling to get petrol through to the engine. as sometimes when i get out theres a strong smell of petrol. its really bad at juddering when going up hills and when putting more foot pressure on the accelerator. ive tried looking under the bonnet but im no mechanic being a girl! there seems to be some bubbling around the engine which looks like leaking oil but i cant be sure. im going to take it to a garage after the bank holiday but in the meantime I just wondered if anyone had an idea of whats wrong with it? is it worth repairing or is it likely to be expensive? as car only cost me £850. thanks

Ford KA 2001 - Engine misfiring/juddering - unthrottled

its really bad at juddering when going up hills and when putting more foot pressure on the accelerator.

when i first get in it, in the morning it isnt too bad but the longer the journey, the worse it gets.

These two statements point to failing coil pack(s).

as sometimes when i get out theres a strong smell of petrol.

...but failing coil packs normally work ok at idle so there shouldn't be any smell of petrol when you get out of the car.

I'd suspect coil packs or Mass Air flow (MAF) sensor. You should be able to get either problem fixed for £100 or less.