Faults:

Clutch.

Driveshafts.

Coolant system rebuild.

Slight misfire.

General Comments:

Gorgeous 1997 face-lift MK2 Mondeo, ST24 (sporty model) in dark red, four spoke original alloy Ford wheels, lovely looking car, body-kit, the lot!

Inside very comfy and spacious. Ride was smooth even with better suspension. The car drove very nicely. Electric everything. Boot space was huge, actually a very practical car. Despite higher insurance and not that good on fuel, it was otherwise reasonable on costs to run. Ford main dealers didn't seem to know much about their own car, had to source a Ford specialist mechanic for help with service and repair.

The car drove as well as you would expect. I enjoyed every mile. 170 bhp is not much by today's standards, but cars were lighter in the 1990's, so you really felt that power. 0-60 mph in about 6.9 seconds (with manual transmission). 2.5 V6 engine was one of Ford's best. Looked after well they are reliable. Fast enough for anyone, even today. Poor on fuel as expected though, I think I only ever got 22 - 26 mpg at best, but I did drive it hard.

When it was older and higher mileage in 2011 I sold it to a Ford enthusiast. What a fool I was - I should have kept it, these cars are only rising in value now for mint examples!

Faults:

Nothing beyond wear and tear, even after 100,000 miles.

General Comments:

The MK1 Mondeo was such a fine car that Ford got soo right on their first go. We had a few of these in our work place back in the day - normally using them for a decade or so without and major issues.

The 1.8 engine was the pick of the bunch with balanced economy and performance.

GLX model was a nice mid range spec with all the electrics of the time.

Smart looking car in dark blue with alloy wheels.

God I miss these times when cars where simpler.

Faults:

Nothing that bothered me enough to fix.

General Comments:

Purchased as a stop-gap off eBay for £225, so expected very little from it.

Surprisingly quick car and very sure-footed.

Huge load space, even with all seats in use.

Seats are comfortable, but not supportive enough if driving "enthusiastically"...

Very good fuel economy for a fairly big car.

The bumpers are made out of really brittle plastic and crack easily (newer ones are much better).

Parts are really cheap and mostly easy to fit.

Faults:

Water pump broke (no wonder, the original was plastic).

Heater speed only worked on high.

Heater speed only worked on lower settings.

Heater only worked on recirculated air.

Heater only worked on windscreen (each heater problem, was a separate problem at different times).

Front passenger electric window stopped working.

Rear right passenger electric window stopped working.

Traction control stopped working.

Speedometer became inaccurate and variable, and could not be corrected, even with replacing ALL parts: speedometer, wiring, cables, sensor, etc.

ABS warning light (seatbelt pre-tensioner) warning (five times).

Headlight relay stopped working.

Headlight bulb mount collapsed.

Dashboard lights stopped working (twice).

Heater fan ground to a permanent halt.

Wheel alignment was never able to be set right – always some wobble at some speed.

Power steering fluid leak – tank or piping.

Gear-shift / gear-box shaft snapped when changing gear.

Stereo display intermittently working, depending on humidity.

Number plate lights blew.

Cigarette lighter stopped working.

Driver's door leaked.

Boot leaked.

Some clamp inside the brake system broke.

Started blowing smoke at 80,000 miles.

That’s just the ones I can think of.

General Comments:

I bought this car for the handling, and have loved every minute of driving it in the last 8 years.

BUT, reliability is a different story:

Each three months, I have had more problems and spent more money in repairs, than the 13 years I had my previous car, a Toyota Starlet.