Faults:

Had some minor repairs done. Ignition switch, sway bars and shocks replaced, a leaky hose.

In a previous post, someone stated they paid $100.00 for a battery. I had mine replaced for $54.00. It is in an odd position.

General Comments:

I really like this car. It handles well and has enough punch to get me where I am going (4 cylinders).

The backseat is not roomy, but I don't sit back there.

It is extrememly comfortable on long trips.

The body style is still in fashion.

Faults:

Just recently the air conditioning system failed, apparently the compressor failed. The cost of repair and recharge was just over $400.

Had the water pump replaced with the redesigned pump as they tend to fail on V6 models.

Sway bar bushings replaced a few months ago.

General Comments:

It appears these cars may be a better buy used, as they can be had for a decent price. The previous owner kept all the maintanence records and as the second owner I have had all services performed according to the manual and in return the car has performed with very little trouble.

The engine is as strong as a friends 97 with a third of the mileage. The car as far as I know is still on the original clutch, however the 5 speed transmission can take some getting used to as it is somewhat rubbery

Rides almost as well as the European Mondeo, although I can't compare the engine as the Mondeo I drove had a diesel, that got great fuel economy.

The V6 seems to be a wise choice if you do a lot of highway driving, as it is very snappy when required to be.

Faults:

When I bought the car, the front end alignment was off. The dealer agreed to repair it, and eventually did. Sort of. Within 3 months it was again out of alignment and has continued to revert back out of alignment regularly despite having it repaired often.

When the car was two years old, the alternator went out. Initially, I was told the battery was at fault, so I replaced that first. This car requires one specific battery costing in the neighborhood of $100.00. When I then also had to replace the alternator, it cost an additional $500.00.

Last October 2000, the alternator went out again, requiring another $500.00 repair within two years of the last replacement. It was determined that the alternator had also damaged the battery and I again had to replace a $100.00 battery.

Less than one month after that, the timing belt went out. That was another $300.00 repair.

From the moment I purchased the vehicle, the trunk has leaked every rain storm. The dealer informed me that it was not under warranty and could not repair it without additional cost to me.

Both cup-holders broke off within one year of the purchase of the car. The spring action is such that if you bump the release and do not catch the cup-holder on its upward swing, it breaks itself off with momentum. I was quoted $300.00 to repair them since it would require replacement of the entire console. $300.00 for cup-holders...

Most recently, the thermostat has gone out. It will require the removal of many other components just to replace a simple thermostat due to the cramped engine compartment. The thermostat itself will cost less than $10.00. The labor, due to the difficulty level, will be over $50.00.

General Comments:

In my opinion, a car less than 5 years old should not need this many large dollar repairs on a regular basis.

This car has proven to be very costly.

I rarely make long distance trips as I cannot trust that I will arrive incident free.