2003 Ford Mondeo LX 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Ford's finest

Faults:

Brakes, suspension, exhaust, belts, all the expected items of age and mileage were replaced.

Flat battery - my fault.

Couple of sensor problems, but nothing serious.

Cosmetically the car was not great when I was done with it, could have done with better quality paint in my opinion, seemed to mark/chip very easily.

Interior was hard wearing however.

General Comments:

My old 2003 Mondeo with the 1.8 petrol was one of the most dependable cars I ever had. I had it ten years and traded it for something else, but never had the same reliability since.

1.8 LX is pretty basic but is the model to go for - enough equipment and a reliable, fast and economical enough simple petrol engine. Friend had a similar model with a diesel engine and he had lots of problems (see relevant review) and I am glad I got the petrol engine.

The car was good to drive and comfortable. Spacious also, does well as a compact executive or family car.

The early 2000's were the last time cars were simple and reliable in my opinion, and I miss this time period a lot.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th February, 2023

2003 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi 115cv from Spain

Summary:

Honest car. Fast for its specs

Faults:

Servo direction pump changed at 140000kms.

Cam position sensor changed at 185000 (ten €).

Glove box handle broken at 160000.

Sony multi-cd original player jammed, time to upgrade to a Bluetooth aftermarket Sony.

Climate control not freezing, new gas charged but no solution. It will stay till the end of the car, it's not too warm here.

Rear suspension linkages making too much noise. No problems on MOT, no handling or comfort issues more than noise on bumps.

Some issues with the fuel filter. The car gets in limp mode, solved by changing the fuel filter, happened twice every 40000 kms more or less.

General Comments:

A reliable car for me, after 100k kms no major issues, everything apart from the CD changer and the aircon works as it should.

The engine is still powerful enough (here in the old small Europe) to take the car to the 200kmh mark, and the handling and the comfort with new shocks at 185000 is very good.

Fuel economy is not top class, very difficult to get down to 6 l/100kms, and with the air con working you've got to slip the clutch a bit to start.

Very roomy interior, not top class seats but comfy enough. A little noisy in the back seats.

Good boot but better 5 door version; the sedan is a pain to put big boxes in the boot due to the small opening.

Still running it and happy, an easy thing coming from an absolute crap Laguna 2.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th August, 2021

2003 Ford Mondeo Zetec Duratec HE from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Junk at 80k

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.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 3rd June, 2016

4th Jun 2016, 13:31

if the piston rings have really gone at 80k, I would be inclined to think there's something up with the air filter (i.e. the element is missing or has a hole in it).

My experience (as a former Vauxhall mechanic) is that Mondeos are mechanically quite robust and will generally run well past 100k without issues (the electrics are a different story though).

In reply to 4th Jun 2016, 13:31

11th Jun 2016, 16:06

Or maybe the 77400 recorded miles when he bought it was false and it had been clocked?

In reply to 11th Jun 2016, 16:06

12th Jun 2016, 16:57

Hello,

Yeah I was wondering about this - although it had several past MOTs and service history & such like, but does not mean impossible. I know clocking is endemic in the motor trade, but 20 years of buying cars said the mileage was genuine to engine condition... but hey, I might be going senile. However it seems the 1.8 Duratecs are known to smoke a lot, and does seem to be oil control rings as the most common fault.

In reply to 11th Jun 2016, 16:06

8th Jul 2017, 07:53

Yeah this is the most likely. However I have significant experience of buying and selling cars, and the mileage and all the documentation looked 'right'. But you never know - if it was a rep car, in the first 3 years could have clocked up big mileage, then clocked before the first MoT. However compression on all cylinders was very good.

In reply to 4th Jun 2016, 13:31

8th Jul 2017, 07:56

if you were a mechanic, you'd know the difference between compression and oil control rings. The compression rings were giving very good compression across all cylinders. I thought maybe the oil control rings were 'stuck' - which happens on some cars for sure, but extensive 50/50 paraffin/oil 'washes' (an extensive approach someone should only do when they really know what they are doing) never changed oil usage. I feel it was unlikely they were stuck, but still possible. It is more likely they were worn out.