Faults:

Front suspension spring snapped (randomly).

Smokes.

Clutch release bearing broke up.

Coolant expansion tank cracked.

Coil pack stopped working for cylinder 3.

General Comments:

Ford state this engine is disposable, meaning the car is disposable. The oil control rings wear out prematurely, thus making the car junk. You will not easily get through the MOT once this occurs, and this has been designed into the car (engineered obsolescence). So there you go, we have come full circle. Back in the 1960s cars were worn out at 70-80k (rebore needed); today the same deal - just designed into it.

Faults:

My Mondeo has been very busy; nearly at 200,000 miles on the clock and still going strong.

Only one problem to report in my ownership, the car has gone into limp home mode a few times (only happens when the fuel level is below 1/4 tank). Although turning the car off and back on again removes any problem.

General Comments:

I paid £750 for my mk3 Mondeo Zetec. It's the 2.0 litre TDCi Zetec with 130 BHP and the very nice 6 speed manual gear box. I was fortunate enough to find the car, as the original owner had been given a new Mondeo as a company car.

The car has 188,000 miles on the clock, which is impressive considering the car still runs with no problems at all. Has been a pleasure to drive the last 8,000 miles, which have been trouble free minus a few issues with the car going into limp home mode.

Eats up miles on the motorway, feels very nice to drive and the TDCi lump is very quick and punchy. In gear acceleration is good, handling feels very nice, and the car feels very well planted on the road.

Starts first time with no issues on freezing mornings, and the quick clear screens shift ice and mist from the windows very quickly.

Many people report problems with their Mondeos; personally mine has been a very good runner.

Faults:

After purchase, had to replace reverse light switch.

Had a rattle at idle; went away with clutch action. Replaced clutch/flywheel, clutch was fine, but flywheel was in bad shape at around 190k km.

Coolant hose leak around 193k.

Front stabilizer link bad around 196k.

Rust starting to form on all doors.

Hood/bonnet would not open at 199k.

General Comments:

This is in my opinion is a very comfortable car.

I have the Ghia edition, and the seats are very comfortable, and clean up easy.

Unlike some of its class competitors with the same mileage, it burns no oil and has no leaks.

I drive on the autobahn for 100km every day, regularly average between 5,7l/100km and 6,2l/100km as long as you don't have a heavy foot. It has a 55 liter tank, and I regularly get 850-1000km per tank.

Definitely not the best handling, but very secure. Do not feel a lot of roll, and the steering is not too light, not too heavy.

The backseat is very roomy with plenty of knee and head room.

Trunk/boot area is very big, and the seats fold down almost all the way flat, so it gets big in a hurry.

The above mentioned repair issues I consider to be nothing more than wear and tear. The service records were last updated with 67k more than 4 years ago with the first owner, so what was fixed until I bought it is a mystery. Underneath it is very solid, easy to work on, and parts can be found easily for reasonable prices. No joke, at least in this area of Germany, mk3 Mondeos are rare in junkyards.