Mk3 Mondeos- how terrible?

[Lankytim]

Hi gang,

 

I should be getting a 2001 petrol Mondeo in next weekend, I don't know much about it other than it's a petrol, has MOT and doesn't have anything wrong with it. I've driven a few heavy oil versions and thought they were pretty good motors.

 

Do petrol mondeos make good dailys or should I flog/weigh it ASAP?

 

Any H8R or perv opinions welcome!

[philibusmo]

Mk3 Mondeos exist, I think.

I don't know, they really are a bucket of wall paper paste to me. I vaguely remember thinking that they looked quite smart compared to the Mk2 when they first came out and I think I may have witnessed a drunk girl chundering in the back of one.

If it's that one you're getting, I would also buy some oust. I doubt it smells too fresh.

[Albert Ross]

The 2 litre models suck throttle flaps into the engine. Rear subframes fall off. Tyres wear funny. They look shit. The insides normally smell of vomit and stale fags. There's ALWAYS* an odd child-size sock under the back seat, normally stuck to a half sucked hairy/gritty lollipop. Also under the back seat is a green tuppence, and half a bag of soggy Hula Hoops (Beef) The boot is always mouldy and the wheel well full of water. I hate them. Also watch for poor corrosion protection on the outer sills. But they're better than a Vectra. Just....

 

 

 

 

 

 

* I saw this once.

[Cavcraft]

Seriously dull cars, seem hard to sell and have precious few redeeming features that I can see.

The good point is that a petrol HAS to be better than a diesel. But then again getting a blow job off a hungry cannibal is probably better than a Mondeo Mk3 diesel.

 

*Oh, if it's some form of 2.0 PEZ the engines are poplier with old skool Ford boys. I think the engines are called black top or something.

[Spiny Norman]

This type?

 

I quite liked any of the ones I drove. Don't know what goes wrong with them but there are still enough about to suggest they don't fall apart or cost a bomb to fix if they break. Nicer drive than the competition (Vectra/Pisshat/Primera etc).

Diesels seem to all sound like the classic 'skeleton wanking in a filing cabinet' thing, some may put up with that, I wouldn't but the bog standard petrol engine is fine.

Trick nowadays must be to find one that isn't utterly fucked.

[Lord Sterling]

Thats the ine, the 3rd gen Mondeo ^^^^^

 

These are actually nice cars, the only one I have ever driven was a 2.0 Ghia X model, really nice car, a mate at work has one of these, a 1.8 LX, its not a terrible car, certainly alot better then the egg-shell bumpered mk2, I wouldn't turn one down as an everyday hack.

[RobT]

I had one and it was alright, Ghia spec with comfy seats and climate control - the LX interior was bloody miserable in comparison. Load area was huge with the seats folded down. But the door bottoms were showing signs of rust after 3 years (the rest of the car was mint) and the TDCi engine got on my tits after a while, the constant din on a long trip was tiring and the run-on you'd get in 2nd gear felt like it was racing away from you - my old diesel BX drove better and quieter!

[Morgan84]

MK3 Mondeo,let me see ....

 

Petrol 4 cylinders are Duratec,so will all be chain driven and belt free;the oil burners are also chain driven,but the fuel pumps do get upset when misfueled and sit and wee themselves.Diesels have DMF's which when fail cost a nasty amount to fix,but appart from that,no worse than any other car of its kind in fairness. The petrol 4 cylinder early engines I think had a issue with piston rings,so its not unusual to see a smokey joe spec smoking its little heart out.V6 engines - pass,but they exsist !

 

Rear wheel bearings are a common failure,but are bolt on hub units

Rear brake callipers and handbrake cables are known to die young is not pampered well

Auxiliary belt tensioners can get noisy

Water pumps can piddle out water when they decied to give up

Brake pipes like to rust ( nothing new there on a Mondeo ! )

Sill panels do suffer from paint/stonechip seal pealing and surface rust,but never seen a rotten one ... yet

 

Not a complete bad car,but a bit dull inside,but then again,not as dull as the 02> Vectra

[michael1703]

I had a mk3 2litre zetec, only bought it to pass on at a quick profit but used it a bit and it was horrible

 

Felt like a 1300, completely soul destroyingly bland, cheap for what they are though, generally owned by people that dont know when to stop breeding so vomit and beef hula hoops are the norm

[trigger]

I can't comment on the petrol models other them they seem very cheap now and seem quite comment on the council estates, pre-2003 models didn't have the climate or cruise unless it's a Ghia X where as 2003 on had all the goodies, even on the LX spec.

 

I've had my ST TDCi two years and 21000 miles now and other then a noisy lower pulley, broken coil spring and tires that don't even last a year before wearing I haven't had any issues with it, I find it comfortable, spacious and it has a bloody good sized boot.

 

2005 Ford Mondeo 2.2 ST TDCi by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

[Pete-M]

I had a 1.8 LX on a 53 plate. It wasn't a bad thing at all.

 

Front wheel bearings were a bit expensive but otherwise it was ok.

[Partridge]

"'skeleton wanking in a filing cabinet’†That made my morning

 

I’ve driven one (petrol), and found it pretty entertaining. The interior looked like it was made of melted down Pot Noodle containers, mind. But if it has four wheels and goes, I’m all over it whatever it is...

[Station]

My dad has one and always hate driving it. It's a 53 plate Ghia X (aren't they all?) with the hardest, grimmest leather seats which feel like you're sitting on a church pew, just don't like the seating position at all, and my dads just developed a work retiring bad back which I could blame on these ridiculous 'seats'. Even in summer it feels cold. Aircon/heater controls are stupid, cruise control has never worked, body trim falls off, he's gone through 12 tyres in two years. It's a pain to start due to DMF and sounds terrible. I always thought they looked faithful to the early Sierras and like the look of this range of Fords.

I reckon they're just subpar on purpose because they inevitably sell millions anyway.

[Mr Lobster]

Had a couple and quite like 'em (though they were newish at the time).

 

2.0 petrol was ok, reasonable power and whilst unexceptional was ok enough, ST TDCi was lots of fun and I enjoyed the three months I ran that for. Trouble was it was a bit conspicuous and as at the time the future Mrs_Lobsta lived in a flat in one of the less salubrious parts of South Manchester it did get broken into a couple of times. Not the cars fault mind.

 

Even newish ones ate suspension bushes though and I can well see them becoming a liability with age.

[Partridge]

@ Station. I take it you don’t like it then?

[oman5]

Just a quick FYI for anyone thinking of getting the tdci one. injectors can throw a wobbler and they are not cheap to replace.

[Formula Autos]

Just a quick FYI for anyone thinking of getting the tdci one. injectors can throw a wobbler and they are not cheap to replace.

 

Yep indeedy!

 

I've got an '04 plate TDCi, which threw an injector wobbler in December. Megabucks to fix.

 

Having said that it's big, cheap, and thrifty on fuel* (for the size of car**). Plus it handles well and, as mine is the 130 brake version, it's got enough poke that it never gets too boring. Excellent for tip runs too, as it's mahoosive with the seats folded down (and this is in the hatch - the estate must be like a small cave).

 

So, pretty much like any decent handling family sized diseasel then, but with a few added problems - the aforesaid injectors, the rear subframe bushes (which go on all of them***), and THAT skeleton under the bonnet. Oh, and a DMF - which most modern diesels have anyway, to be fair.

 

Still, at least it's not a Laguna II diesel, eh?

 

*Essential for me, as I do LOADS of miles for work each year. I know though that for those who do few miles the petrol version is a much better bet, as it's far less prone to expensive bills, but I do up to 18,000 miles a year.Diesel economy comes into things in a big way then.

 

**Mine averages around 49/50mpg on mainly twisty country roads and the odd A road blat. Which I don't think is too bad for something the size of a small moon.

 

***Both my Mondeo and my father-in-law's petrol engined one had the subframe bushes go, as Ford seems to make them out of some substance they've bought in from Haribo. Both cars have had polybushes put in as a replacement, with no more problems. This does seem to make them seemingly sit an inch or so too high at the back for a while though, but everything settles down eventually.

[Bren]

I had a 2001 TDDi (chain not belt) model for just under 3 years and I racked up nearly 40k in that time.

 

During that time it needed two front springs, a rear caliper and subframe bushes - I did these myself using an old jaguar head bolt and a selection of spacers for under £50 (polyurethane items as well). You do need to keep an eye on the front tyres - if the alignment is incorrect the fronts wear at an alarming rate. I remember reading somewhere that a tyre fitted stated that he did'nt believe there was a car anywhere harder on its tyres than a mk3 mondeo.

 

Bodywork was very good - no rust anywhere - the front of the bonnet is vulnerable to getting chipped.

 

If I needed a cheap car I would have one again in a heartbeat.

 

Before this I had a xantia estate with the XUD engine - the mondeo was far nicer to drive, had more power and was more economical (50mpg for the mondeo is the norm on a run), compared to mid 40's for the xantia (I always remember that when the aircon was turned on in the cit it felt like the handbrake was being applied such was the load on the engine). However I did work the xantia harder than Esther Rantzen's tooth brush, not sure the mondeo would have withstood the abuse. That is why the xantia is the best car I have ever owned.

 

Regarding the earlier comments about the 02- vectra, I replaced the mondeo with an 07vectra CDTi SRi. I miss the heated screen of the mondeo, the electric windows in the back, and the way the mondeo handles when being pushed - it shuffles surprisingly well for a large front wheel drive car.I did consider an equivalent mondeo, however they have a bit of a reputation, they are no longer a cheap family car like the cortina /sierra/mk1 mondeo - at least I know the vectra will go wrong and won't cost the earth to fix.

[dollywobbler]

Rear visibility is hopeless - think Lamborghini Countach. They're also bloomin' enormous. No good for punting down country lanes. They're alright to drive, but I never understood why the media seemed to absolutely rave about the handling. It's no Datsun Stanza for sure, but it's no sports car either.

[Formula Autos]

Rear visibility is hopeless - think Lamborghini Countach. They're also bloomin' enormous. No good for punting down country lanes. They're alright to drive, but I never understood why the media seemed to absolutely rave about the handling. It's no Datsun Stanza for sure, but it's no sports car either.

 

I've taken to reversing mine - Countach driver style - with the door open. That is the only way in which it even slightly resembles a Countach though* - other than it having a means of motive power and four wheels.

 

Sexy, it ain't!

 

*Though you could possibly argue that the cost of repairs for it has been Lamborghini-like.

 

Or you could argue that it's as likely as a Countach to be parked up outside a nightclub, in an attempt to pick up women - though as a minicab, obviously. Not as something Peter Stringfellow would drive.

[scooters]

yeah but handling is much much better than the rival Vectra of the time. Got a 2002 LX CDTI estate for sale at the moment.

 

Pretty decent no nonsense hatch, petrol will give less trouble than CDTI. For a daily hack they are fine - 0 shite credentials though and i think the Mk2 is a better car despite the egg shell bumpers! Especially in V6 form!

[Pillock]

They're transport.

I don't find them offensive but they do have somewhat of a reputation, helped by and also assisting the fact they're cheap as fuck in petrol guise. I was offered a 2004 Titanium for £600, tatty but tested. Seen in LX spec on council estates everywhere with a rotty on the back seat and dubious little packages in the glovebox. A mate at work has a 2004 Titanium also (which he paid substantially more than £600 for) and the insides are nice, but very German-esque. Bland, flat, cold. I also think the interior plastics are shite, if I'd had a car like that new I'd be very disappointed.

 

Disclaimer - Trigger, the ST seems to have escaped the council estate branding so I'm not trying to brand you a scumbag

 

The diesels are more expensive but also seem to have more go wrong, my sister has a 2004 TDCI Ghia X and I keep dropping hints that it needs to get moved on before it jams an injector in the DMF or something. In all fairness all that's happened so far was consumables (the backbox fell off, and fuel filter clogged) so maybe they're lucky.

[pompei]

I had a diesel and only kept it for about 3 weeks. It was the most uncomfortable thing I'd ever sat in.

[scooters]

I've got quite a lot of experience with the TDCI engines in these things - looked after properly they are pretty decent but you need to understand what the issues are and how to fix them and forget taking them to a non diesel specialist and never to a dealer.

 

In the last 6 months I have repaired injector issues on 2 of these cars where both dealers and mechanics have failed.

 

first thing to do is any car over 80k on the clock - remove inlet manifold and clean it out - if you don;t own your own soda blaster (ahem) then it's carb cleaner, about 10 cans of the stuff and bottle brushes galore, it's plastic so you can't use the oxy torch route!. Next get onto ebay and buy a blanking plate for the EGR valve - post 2002 you will need a blanking plate with a small hole in it. 90% of the running problems and injector faults are caused by smeg from the EGR system. The one with the whole in it is needed when a vehicle has an emissions warning light - cons the car into thinking that the EGR is still working.

 

replace the TDC sensor (there are 3 different types)

remove and replace the fuel filter (this should be done every 6000 miles NOT 20,000 as ford say especially if driven in town a lot - bacteria grows in diesel and is rife in these filters, it shits water and this causes problems with the injectors.

 

Once you are happy that the fuel and air systems are clean you can start on the computer stuff.

Pre 2002 cars will need a cable sold by a chap in Prague (ask me for details) post 2002 is general OBD2 stuff. You will need to recode the injectors, if you don;t have the codes then you will need to take the injectors to a Delphi specialist and ask them to bench test and recode. These codes tell the car computer the tiny manufacturing differences in the injectors so the comuter can compensate - setting this up is easier than you will think BUT it is vital to leave the vehicle for 24 hours before attempting it - the car must be stone cold and the injectors and CPU clear and in dormant state. If you try and do this without waiting then it simply won;t work.

 

This will ensure that you don't start replacing injectors willy nilly. The problem is that all this takes time, a good 2 days of swearing and then another day of computer work. As most customers would baulk at the labour costs then mechanic route 1 is to replace the injectors, this is expensive as we all know and WONT FIX THE PROBLEM. It is a sad fact that most mechanics are simply fitters these days. To fix diesel injector issues you need to strip back the air and fuel systems, clean them, make sure they are spotlessly clean, replace the TDC sensor and then re assemble, only then can you start to look at the injectors.

 

My mate jason has a 2002 Mondeo TDCI Ghia X estate, spent £1200 on new injectors and £800 on further work - none of this worked and the car was in pernament limp home mode - I fixed it in 2 days and charged him £300 mates rates - the only parts I needed were the fuel filter and the TDC sensor. Been as good as new since.

 

The other area that ford TDCIs play up in is in starting problems - white smoke (uncombusted diesel) this is usually due to lack of battery crank due to poor quality battery cables and earths but can also be due to a poorley starter motor (this won't be evident until you strip the motor down) or a dual mass fly wheel (bad luck -an expensive part)

 

TDCI engines on the whole are pretty miserable articles, but the ford one is not as useless as the Mercedes Chrysler one which has such pisspoor injector seals that they rapidly leak spilling tar like diesel gunk over the top of the engine. Merc owners call this 'black death' becuase fixing it can cost thousands. If you are willing to gety dirty and spend a bit of money on tools (injector seat grinder and pullers) then you can do it yourself but it is a tricky repair. I fixed a mates last year and will be doing the seals on our neighbours sprinter van in the next few weeks.

[HereHareHere]

In response to the original question - 2L PEZ HE NEVA DIE. The Mk3 2.0 auto estate I failed to shift on here done me proud for 9 years. MPG was dispiriting but it never broke down and barely even deteriorated. Still on original exhaust and shocks after 140k. In the last three years I did nothing but change front tyres (+9 on that issue) and oil AND IT LOVED IT, THE DIRTY BITCH. Sold it to my brother for £500.

[Lankytim]

Cheerz for the input guys. I don't know much about this car, i'f it does turn out to be a turd i'm going on a tank driving experience day which would be enhanced by squashing some chod.

[binboy]

Had three of these in the last year and there ok if you pay very little money for them. The first was a 52 plate diesel drove ok but had a horrible noisy engine and took ages to try and sell, I put it though Northampton car auctions in the end just to get rid. The second was a Y reg 1.8 petrol that I took in on a px really crap engine in these smoked like a train and drank oil like petrol. The only one I had that was any good was a 53 plate 2.0 petrol, still only cost £400 in the trade and only sold it for about £650. I would never touch a 1.8 petrol as there suffer really badly from piston ring problems. If its really cheap id give one a go.

[Pete-M]

I paid £60 for this a year or two ago. Cost me £58 for a wheel bearing, but otherwise it was spot on.

 

[warren t claim]

What are the V6 models like?

[Pete-M]

Faster, smoother, worse on fuel.