Faults:

Not much, it came with a decent service history, all oil changes done, etc... only faults are the rear passenger window jammed. Also the rear window wiper is a bit loose, but never falls off, even at high speeds.

General Comments:

Excellent car, much better than I expected, never gave the Mondeo a thought till circumstances forced me to need a car when I didn't have much cash. Picked this nice low mileage automatic one up for not much money at all. Very comfortable, nice to drive, economical for an automatic 33-35 mpg average. I thought the 1.8i 16v engine with an auto box would be slow, but it goes well when you need it. Sport mode is fun...

I'd recommend it to anyone, the mk1 Mondeo is a bit bland looking, but to be honest, it's a very nice car. I've had lots of cars from small hatchbacks to larger executive sport models, and I'd always heard the Mondeo wasn't that good, but I can tell you it is, I was surprized. Make sure you get a decent spec - 'LX' upwards, to 'Ghia' models with all the electrics, and put a nice set of alloys on so its not so dull looking and you've got a great car that's reliable and cheap to run.

The only things to look out for that I've heard from other people with Mondeo's is that the wishbones (suspension parts) wear out a little earlier than most cars (lasting only 30,000 miles I've heard). Also if you have a manual transmission Mondeo, the clutch is an expensive job to do for some reason.

Faults:

Spark plugs and leads perish quickly.

Squeaky suspension and joints.

Misfires when thicker oil is used.

High fuel consumption when cold.

Highway fuel consumption higher.

Tends to overheat in heavy traffic and in summer (sensor issue?).

Shaky and unstable at higher speeds.

General Comments:

Good performance with high performance oils.

Good driving comfort.

Easy and flexible power steering.

Accelerates easily when thinner oil is used- 5W-30/10W-30

Engine does not hesitate when gears are changed from 3rd to 5th.

Faults:

First thing after buying it, I replaced the timing belt (300$) and, after one year, the clutch (350$).

On cold rainy mornings it becomes very steamy inside.

The central locking system is often freezing in winter. I got to be very careful to let it dry inside, before parking for the night.

General Comments:

I am very content with this car.

It is a very reliable car and very comfortable. I really enjoy driving it, especially on long trips. The space is OK for my entire family of 4.

It is also very stable. Last month, even after hitting a rock and with a damaged wheel I did not feel any push aside for the next 100 km to the mechanic.

Faults:

Fuel computer with clock failed (common Fault) Alarm system failed (Common Fault)

Nothing else.

General Comments:

Has been converted to LPG which makes the running costs a lot better.

4x4 System work really well together with traction control.

Not the fastest thing, but very comfy and reliable.

52 Litres unleaded £49.08 range of 300

52 Litres LPG £20.75 range of 297

71 Litres Difference in Price 405 Miles.

Faults:

Nothing has failed so far, though on collection the front bumper was damaged. Dealer quoted £300 to replace. I replaced it myself, in primer, for £65 including post and VAT.

General Comments:

I'm impressed by the ride comfort, handling, steering and responsiveness of the engine. The gearbox is good too. Although it will happily tootle in fifth at 1200 rpm and accelerate smoothly from that, it also loves to be revved in lower ratios and, despite its size, has a surprisingly 'nippy' feel to it.

I'm not a fan of the larger car, nor of things like sunroofs and electric windows, computer management systems et al. That said, I am actually enjoying driving it - it's almost as much fun to drive as my old Hyundai Pony!

I haven't owned it long enough to make a sensible judgement on things like reliability and running costs, but if nothing untoward happens in the next few months I might well hang on to it a while longer. There seems to be acres of plastic and fragile-looking accessories, as well as far too many 'gizmos', and I baulk at the thought of how much such things might cost to fix if they go wrong. If the front bumper low cost is a measure of general component costs then the main discouragement to running this vehicle would seem to be the dealer charges for replacing things.