Faults:

Clutch, oil leak, and the A/C broke.

Small electrical faults, mostly stemmed from a bad alternator which was eventually changed.

The rest was wear and tear expected of age and miles (exhaust, suspension, brakes, and so on).

The car was serviced on time, all belts changed as applicable.

General Comments:

For 16 years old, this Mondeo is still soldiering on!

I have the Ghia model - a high spec for Fords so that means alloy wheels, and all electric in the interior. Very comfortable seats, nice and quiet on the move, love driving this car. Boot space is huge.

Outside mines looks good in silver, although a very common color.

Biggest let down is the engine - the 1.8 TDCi is not very fast nor economical. It is OK for daily driving, but nothing special. Was expecting around 50 mpg, but really struggles for 45 mpg most of the time. I have heard the later 2.0 TDCi is the better one to go for. Still, this old 1.8 diesel is reliable enough if serviced on time.

Plenty on the used market if you just need a cheap used car that is reliable and modern enough, but at this age watch out for rust and only buy a looked after example.

Faults:

Misting on shocks, had both at front replaced.

Centre exhaust section.

ABS sensors.

Air con useless.

Really nothing out of the ordinary for an older car.

General Comments:

Great looking and performing car. This Mondeo looks great in top Titanium spec. All electrics and leather. Very comfortable car. Spacious.

A relaxing or fast driving experience, this car can do both. Rubbish on fuel though - 35 mpg at very best. Tax is a ridiculous £365 per year also! Insurance is cheap enough though and repairs can be cheap if you know a good garage.

15 years old now, but hope to have this car a few more years yet - seems to be plenty of life left in it. Keep up services and these are reliable cars.

Faults:

It leaks oil. Nothing else really.

General Comments:

Great worker's cruiser.

Gets you from point A to point B with little hassle, and relatively high comfort. It is, however, not a highway cruiser by any standard. The seats are too hard and the posture just isn't right.

The engine makes an uncomfortable roar that is heard clearly in the cabin. There's nothing sporty about this noise, but rather a "whine" from a clearly underpowered engine.

Otherwise the build feels solid and the ride is extremely stable. Considering that the car basically stole the undercarriage from Volvo, it rides like a Volvo (a bit like a tractor).

It is rather un-smooth in first and second gear (it takes a while to get the gear changes just right, and even then it's quite jerky), and in 5th gear it really struggles past 140 km/h with a horrendous whine from the engine.

Generous trunk space and cheap maintenance. Typical Ford in other aspects. Simple and reliable without sacrificing looks.

The stereo has a rather strong bass which can easily blow your speakers out if you're not careful. You'll be fine as long as you're not listening to reggaeton or hip hop.

All in all I like the car. I especially like how reliable and solid it feels. The driving position could be improved, but I can't complain too much about it.