Faults:

Coolant leak and thermostat. Water-pump changed with cam-belt, it was also leaking.

Reverse light switch failed.

Exhaust, suspension (wear and tear).

General Comments:

One of the best cars I ever had - the late 1990's Mondeo was simple and reliable, yet felt very modern; even today I remember the sharp handling and sleek looks.

My car was blue, "Zetec" sporty model. Nice inside and out. Boot spoiler, alloy wheels, and plush interior, very spacious and comfortable.

1.8 was actually the engine to have - test drove the 2.0 and found no difference in performance, and the 1.8 is slightly more economical (38 mpg or more).

Just a simple car from a simpler time, good to drive and reliable. Miss it a lot! Only sold it due to circumstance at the time, Mk 1 and Mk 2 Mondeo is a rare car nowadays, they used to be such a common sight on the road.

Faults:

Over my 7 year ownership the consumables were replaced as required (brakes, tyres, exhaust parts, belts, etc). I did every service. Engine was very reliable.

Fault wise the cooling system had the thermostat replaced, a common fault on these Mondeos.

Passenger electric window jammed. Fuel gauge sometimes gave inaccurate readings. And I had to get an auto electrician out to sort the immobilizer system as it would not start one day despite everything else being OK.

General Comments:

This Mondeo was one of the best value for money cars I ever had. The smaller electrical faults aside, this car never gave me any serious trouble.

1.8 LX was a very common model. Middle of the road. Not bottom of the range, and no where near top either, a bit basic by today's standards, but I liked it at the time. Front electrics and comfortable seats. That was all. Nice and roomy. Very 90's interior, but I miss when cars were like this, clean and simple ergonomics, not like nowadays where everything has to be a smart phone and 100 useless options and features.

The car was cheap enough to run at the time. The 1.8 petrol had a good balance of speed and economy. The 2.0 is probably the better all rounder though. And don't bother with the 1.6 - slower performance and about the same economy as the bigger engines anyway, so you might as well get the 1.8 or 2.0. If mpg is an issue however there were diesels, and if money is no object there was a sporty V6 Mondeo. But the 1.8 LX will do most people fine. Handled brilliantly. Gear change was slick and satisfying.

I traded it for a newer Mondeo back in 2010 still going strong at 11 years old and decent mileage on it. Overall just a very basic but very good family car from a simpler time. And I miss those times dearly.

Faults:

Faulty reverse light switch, new cooling thermostat, suspension ball joints and shocks, brake linings, and cosmetically it had bad rust in its final years. The car rarely broke down however - it was reliable and I kept it serviced and changed the timing belt.

General Comments:

99 Mondeo Zetec on a 'V' reg, this was one of my favourite cars. Modern for its time yet old enough to be simple and reliable - and that is what I miss most about cars from this time period.

The car looked great in black with big alloy wheels and boot spoiler. Inside was also smart and plenty of electric features (for its time) to feel very modern. Ride was smooth and handling was good.

2.0 petrol gave excellent performance and did around 38mpg which was great at the time.

I decided to get rid of it at 17 years old with 160K on it, as it failed an MOT. Was just uneconomical to keep. But I got my monies worth.