Ford...Scrap and Complete Junk

Why don't you stop beating around the bush and say what you mean?

>

Couldn't agree more. I bought the Mondeo in June 2002 and it lived with the ford dealer! I now have changed it for a new Toyota avensis d4d. They are a really good car, sufficient to say i had 3 previous to this one and was recommended to drive the new mondeo,and did so,bought it and after a while the problems started. I wont ever buy another ford, the people driving them i think don't know any better because they never had anything else, the Japanese really design it right with reliability paramount, it may not be very exciting,but it is a good product. I agree Ford have a lot to learn. They are supposed to be the biggest seller of cars here, but who is their biggest customer?. Themselves ! Take out the cars ford register themselves and look at the figures,it then is a bit more realistic. I will be boring, i will stay with Toyota. All the ford drivers can laugh, but then when i go out at least i will get home, if you drive a ford then you run a high risk of not getting home at all !

Tell us something we didn't know already ;-)

Even the Fiat group can screw a car together better than Fix Or Repair Daily ;-)

We've been saying this for years ain't we Steve!

Well....

Let's look at the evidence.

1989 Ford Fiesta - Major hassles with staring the bastard thing on cold mornings - and even if you did, it would stall at the first set of lights never to restart again..... and the rust. Fuck. People said Fiats rusted.... that's nothing in comparison to a MkII Fester. And don't forget the death-rattle from the top end even after the tappets had been done. And all this from a 1-owner from new, full dealer history car with only 65k miles on it!

1989 Ford Escort. Hmmmm. Rust. Valve stem oil seals. Noisy tappets. And not forgetting the cold start issues (even after a new battery and alternator) - and then the diff bearings gave up the ghost...... again, this was a one owner, full dealer history car! And don't get me started on the build quality / interior trim!

So.... I saw the light.

Fiat Cinq Sporting. Bought on 13k miles. Ran it to 48k miles in under a year. Nothing went wrong. In fact, all I ever needed was a coil pack, water pump and rocker gasket in 70-odd k miles. (above usual brake pads etc)

Alfa 33 16v. Bought cheap, ran for 50k miles over 4 years. Major issue - knackered gearbox. Other than that - no rust, always started, didn't burn oil, never needed any top-end work. Sold it when it died at 14 years old and 100k plus miles.

Alfa 33 8v. Head gasket problem due to female driver, IYSWIM ;-)

Alfa 75TS - 114k miles and, looking at the history, nothing other than routine servicing (apart from the clutch). One tiny bit of rust.

Fiat 124 Spider. 110k miles old. A tad rusty, but never let me down in

1k miles. Not bad for a 25 year old Fiat. Much better than a (at the time) 8 year old Ford.

I rest my case......

OK, maybe Ford have improved... but they still need the Wops to teach them a lesson in rust-proofing.

Thereagain the 4x4 sieraa in my drive is far outalsting the Argenta before it.

Twas Tue, 2 Dec 2003 22:16:38 -0000 when "Olly" put finger to keyboard producing:

I had a Mk3 Granada (2.4) and had no end of electronic wierdness from it, bastard to start in cold or damp. Then there's the fiesta, buying it was the cheapest transaction I made during it's time with me.

Now I'm driving a diesel peugeot 405 estate, very near now to 200k, starts every time, replace the tyres every 18 months, brakes every couple of years (pads) and oil and filter twice a year.

I do like japanese cars but I'm surprised what the french came up with here.. damn well done.

-- Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.) ___________________________________________________________ "To know the character of a man, give him anonymity" - Mr.Nice.

mrniceATmrnice.me.uk

Trouble is just about every car you've mentioned has a poorer reliability record than Ford. Now obviously with reliability even of a poor car running at maybe 80%, individual experience can still be different, but statistics are statistics...

And just to stick my 2p's worth in.

I've got a Mk 2 Mondeo, and have had it since 15 months old back in 1999, and apart from a CV joint failing, it's been trouble free for the >4 years I've owned it. It's now shy of 110k miles, and still going strong, on virtually all of the stuff that was originally fitted).

Before that I had an Orion, which apart from a starter motor was also perfectly reliable. (Right up until I let the oil get too low, and it had hydraulic lifter failure!)

The OP has obviously bought a lemon (apart from the handbrake, which is a known problem). He can also blame the PSA group for the engine, because it's one of theirs! You can't damn an entire company because one car is a total Friday Afternoon car. Ford are now near the top of the reliability stakes.

Pete.

Was the tracking out when they delivered it then, or did someone drive it into the kerb and forget to tell you? If you managed to wear the tyres out without uneven wear then you might be caning it a bit :P.

years.>SMELL

Bought my Mk1 1.6 Mondeo at 4 years old with 110k+ on the clock, ran it 4 years to 135k before I sold it. The only breakdown I ever had was the wiper linkage. Slight hesitation at 1500rpm. New vacuum pipe. Apart from that, no probs. Passed every MOT 1st time. New back box *and* puncture repair was < £30.

I got in a 405 a couple of weeks back with 249k on the clock :) Didn't sound any worse than a CVH with 50k on.

I got through a set of front Fuldas this quickly in the 405 :)

*Cough*

Fiat as in the manufacturer may well do, but their dealers know sod-all about Fiat Stilo Abarths - I know that from bitter personal experience. The ineptitude of Co-Op Fiat Derby is incredible and painful to witness.

No, but from reading other people's recommendations on here about how to flush it through, it gives me a fair amount of confidence that it's easily repairable - I just haven't got the time nor inclination to do it. Basically all it wants is the head putting back on (+new head gasket), a new cambelt + tensioners fitted (as this is due anyway and the cambelt had to come off when taking the head off anyway), then a replacement radiator, heater matrix and coolant pipes (good second hand ones would do) fitted, a brand new oil cooler fitted, then the cooling system thoroughly flushed through (possibly with diesel as some have recommended) several times, and this would make someone a good reliable van.

Peter

Well, yes, the dealers are, on the whole, pretty useless.

My only decent local dealer dropped the franchise a couple of years back

- but I have a good independent that I go to anyway.

Did they resolve your popped HG on the Stilo in the end??

Tim..

I agree. I had an old fiesta registered in 1990 which went on and on. So decided to replace it with a newer mondeo Big mistake I won't touch any of the modern fords now.

My experience is quite different.

1983 Sierra 2.0 GL estate bought by my dad in the late 80's (can't remember exactly when). Bought with 115k on the clock. Sold in 1994 with 205k on the clock. Towed a horsebox, carried bales of hay and other stuff in the back, and the only time it let us down was a coil failure at about 140k. Still ran well when sold, although it did use a bit of oil. 1983 Sierra 1.6L hatch - my second car, bought in 1993 with 105k on it. Driven like every 18 year old drives, so in other words, had the shit beaten out of it. Original clutch went at 120k, coil (same scenario) at 130k but other than that, never missed a beat. Sold to a friend in 1995 with 178k on it. A bit of cosmetic rust, but sailed through the MOT and ran as well as the day I got it. 1994 Mondeo 2.0 GLX - bought by my dad to replace the first Sierra. 80k on it when he bought it. 160k on it now. Still on the original clutch. Only fault was a vaccuum leak caused by the failure of a £3 hose. Been blindingly reliable. Still rust free and still tudy inside. 2000 Focus 1.8 TD LX - company car acquired from previous keeper with 40k on the clock. Put another 60 on it in 13 months and not a single problem. Beat the shit out of it as well. 2000 Fiesta Zetec-S - bought in 2001 for my wife, sold this year having put 20k on it. Knocking anti roll bar link was the only problem. Never broke down or failed to start.

You people keep slagging them off. Keeps used values low so I can buy 'em cheaper. Great cars, but I agree the dealers suck!

Dan