2003 Ford Falcon XT sports pack 4.0 Straight 6 engine

Summary:

Good car.. not sure about long term running though

Faults:

Car stalled.. tranmission apparently got locked up and the entire car was shaking violently. Couldn't start the car again for like 10 minutes (this was during the run in period (about 200km when this happened). Haven't had the same problem since.

Car stalled again for no apparent reason at about 1200km.. engine was turned off and oil lamp was beeping and flashing... checked oil, but it was all fine.. so start again.

General Comments:

Very good to drive. Smooth acceleration and very powerful.

All is very good apart from the hiccups at the start during the 41-1500km period. And the stalling was caused by changing gears in tiptronic mode..

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 21st February, 2004

2003 Ford Falcon BA XT 6 cyl 4.0 DOHC EFI

Summary:

Made for warranties

Faults:

1 rear axle to be replaced

Automatic transmission to be replaced.

Computer module needed to be replaced.

Disc brakes needed to be machined a few times.

Steering rack needed to be replaced.

Fuel gauge fault.

Water pump needed to be replaced.

ECU needed to be reprogrammed for the VCT.

General Comments:

Very comfortable car to drive, but it spends most of its time in the dealership getting warranty fixes.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 7th January, 2004

14th Jan 2004, 14:51

So much for COTY winner eh.

I have the N/A XR6 and has had more issues than yours. Come on Ford make Falcons reliable as they use to be.

12th Jul 2004, 23:11

What are you doing with that BA falcon. are you thrashing the hell out of it?? I know loads of people that have the BA and have never had any such porblems.. The only way a rear axle breaks is from major burn outs...!!!

31st Aug 2004, 22:56

The axle suffered from severe clunking and it made a terrible whining sound.

2003 Ford Falcon GT-P 5.4L 290kW

Summary:

The thinking persons Australian performance car!

Faults:

Absolutely nothing.

General Comments:

This is a fantastic performance car in terms of acceleration, handling and braking. It also has the unexpected bonus of a surprisingly compliant ride considering it's handling abilities.

The build quality is streets ahead of my previous car, and considering it has 50% more power than anything I've owned previously, I was surprised to find the fuel bill is only 5% greater.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th November, 2003

2003 Ford Falcon XR6 4.0

Summary:

An average handling, sporty looking car

Faults:

1: O-Ring in back of water pump failed. Lost water from engine, didn't get damaged.

2: Front brakes warped 4 times, Replaced disc's once and skimmed 3 times.

3: Suspension rattle since new. Dealer won't fix in case ford won't reinburse them.

4: Gear shift boot split in cold weather.

5: Battery going flat due to moisture getting into a connection near the radiator.

6: Motor starting and running rough, due to VCT solenoid being blocked, before service, and within one week afterward.

7: Major water leak into boot in wet weather through poor fitment of spoiler.

General Comments:

This car is comfortable to drive, but has a lot to desire in the way of handling, compared to the 1997 Subaru Liberty RX 2.5, and also less top gear acceleration at 110km/h+.

Very comfortable front seats.

Steering is to twitchy, but precise, with little feeling in it.

Has very good headlights, especially if you put in +50 globes.

Blue dash lights are great at night.

Fuel economy is 11-12 litres per 100km, with easy driving on flat country roads, at 110km/hr.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 28th October, 2003

23rd Aug 2010, 07:27

I have had a 2005 BA Futura since 2007, and it had a steering knock or clunk (whatever you want to call it) when turning slowly, or even when turning quickly into tight bends.

So after hearing and feeling the clunk, I called around to see what could be done and after that searching I found that Repco sold uprated Nolathane suspension rubbers for the whole suspension. So I bought the entire rubber kit for a BA Ford (other than balljoints) and fitted them myself (which was very, very easy to do). Now there are no clunks or noises and the car tracks, turns and rolls so much faster that you would not think that it is the same car.

Get Nolathane bushes for your Ford BA and you won't regret the very minor cost.