Mondeo 1.8tdi opinions

I'm a Ford fan; I've bought nothing else since 1983.

The one car I wouldn't consider is a Mondeo, and especially a TDCI (which an '03 will be).

Clutch life on any car is impossible to predict because it depends so much on driver behaviour. Replacement is a bit more expensive than on similar cars; it's not one to do on the driveway!

More of an issue is the dual-mass flywheel, which *will* fail at some point in time. Replacement, including the clutch at the same time, will be the thick end of a grand, and more if the starter motor has filled with iron particles.

Injector failure is very common; the injectors are coded, so need specialist equipment to fit. Their life may be less than 60K.

Both front and rear suspension are likely to need parts replacing at MOT time on a Mondeo of that age. Front springs are prone to breaking.

There have been three Mk3 Mondeos in my friends and family group. All of them have needed a lot of work done on them, and have been unreliable. (I know that's a small sample size, but google will produce a lot more evidence.)

Chris

Thanks for the input, points noted and will be passed on.

It turns out that it's a 2.0 TDCI 2004 (assuming it's the same one as is listed on their website (at £350 less than the price that they had on the screen). In case that makes any difference.

As a ford fan, what is is that you do buy? Are Focus any better?

so: clutch problems, fuel pump faults, injector aggro, handbrake faults, ECU problems, reverse switch failure, fan resistor packs, crank pulley, suspension faults (lots), door handles (these are the tip of the iceberg faults that I saw regularly on them, I now turn them away)

One of the first things Honest John says is: Older 2.0TDCIs can become money pits.

I bought a new Focus in 1999, and spent less than 100 quid on it in non- consumables over 10 years. I then foolishly drove it into the back of a Discovery, writing it off.

I went straight out and bought an '03 Focus, which has been equally painless over the last 2 1/2 years.

Before that, I had two Escorts and an Orion, all bought between two and three years old, and kept for around three years. None of them broke down, or failed to start. The biggest repair I had was a rear wheel bearing. I mostly do my own maintenance, and am possibly a bit anal about it.

Unless your MIL has specific needs, I would advise getting the best Mk1 facelift Focus petrol she can find. (Diesels are only worth the extra pain of ownership if doing more than 20K/year.) This will be possibly an '04 plate.

If fuel economy is important, the 1.6 engine is between 5 and 10% more frugal; the 1.8 is a nicer drive, especially if you regularly drive in hilly areas, and/or fully laden. The 2.0 can feel a bit harsh, and is thirsty, and avoid the 1.4, if you could ever find one!

If comfort is more important than absolute handling, avoid the Zetec trim level; it has slightly harder suspension. If it's going to live outside, you *will* want a heated front screen! A fully loaded LX would be my choice, or a Ghia if one can be found with a 1.8 engine, and at a reasonable price.

I still enjoy driving the Focus, and have always preferred it to anything more modern I have driven. It still handles exceptionally well, and is comfortable.

Chris

Largely my experiences too, I liked them so much I got one for myself! and that really is rare. Diesel focus tend to have quite a few expensive engine bay faults, like injector pump, alternator, etc.

Me too. The only thing I have replaced other than normal service parts was the water pump on my Mk 1 04 plate 1.6 petrol Focus. My wife is having difficulty changing gear due to arthritis in her left hand so we are considering changing it for an automatic - any opinions or recommendations on an automatic Focus? John Weale

A similar age Focus mk2 1.6 or 1.8 petrol will be several orders of magnitude more reliable than a Mondeo TDCI.

Tim..

Right.

Based on everyone's input, we will rule out a Mondeo and focus on the Focus. Plus i've been to see the car she had heart set on and it's a demic.

I've always believed diesels to better from a 'pain of ownership' point of view, is this not good thinking anymore, or are the Focus diesels not good?

Ta, Rick

My POV is that old technology diesels were slow, noisy, but reliable, and new technology ones are fast, quiet, but unreliable. This applies to them all, not just Ford although Ford's record in this respect is not the best!

Unless you are going to be doing higher than average annual mileage, or particularly like the driving experience of a modern diesel (which is very different from that of old-school ones), then they make no sense at all.

Chris

My 1.8 TDCI Focus is great on the motorway and for overtaking in 5th gear... Massive amounts of torque !

Avoid the MkII 1.6TDCI - it was an awful, gutless and surprisingly thirsty heap of s**te.

Oh, and the 1.6 petrol autos are equally rubbish, and even more thirsty.

I keep looking at the new Focus, but can't find any with all the features of my 1.8 Mondeo Satnav, without adding them as extras.

I had a Focus MkII for a few months from our car pool - finally managing to chuck it back at them as it was absolutely awful.

On the other hand, the MkIV Mondeo I hired in December was really quite good in 2.0TDCI Zetec Powershift trim.

I wouldn't bother with integrated navigation again - my Prius had it and by the time I sent it back to Lex, it was 5 years out of date and cost more than buying a new TomTom or similar to update. I use Navigon on my iPhone now.

Mine is a 54 plate, and I rarely run out of data, even though it has the original CD, nearly 8 years old. It would be a pain to have to unship and hide a satnav every time I leave the car.

I would have the additional features like speed limit and speed camera warnings I suppose...

When i say Mk2 I am refering to the facelifted old shape pointy nose Focus, the proper original Focus. The diesel option was the Endura-DE 1.8 TDCI only.

Tim..

Armed with the advice, for which I am grateful, we turned her off a Mondeo towards a Focus.

We have gone for a 1.8 TDCi though which on balance I reckon was the right choice as out of all the cars we were looking at which were around the same price, including a 1.8 petrol model, the TDCi was a stunner, a Ghia model and had a new clutch last year.

Cheers, Rick

Thanks for the feedback; I'm sure she will enjoy it!

Chris