A reliable, good-looking and speedy motor
None.
An excellent car. No mechanical or electrical faults experienced.
My only niggle is driver seat comfort - I get backache after 50 miles. (Previous Mondeo, Sierras seemed more comfortable in this respect.)
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 15th January, 2003
A smooth powerful tourer
Air conditioning unit. Fixed under warranty.
This is the third that I have owned. The other two being Si variants. The Value for money that I have had from each has been outstanding. Each was bought with the intention of covering 25000 miles year, and each done this with easy.
Current Car
Very comfortable. Very reliable. Very smooth possible to find that your going far faster than you thought. ST24 Rally Sport Appearance Pack smartens the drab exterior considerably.
Motorway MPG a little heavy 32-33. Sure I'll have another probably a new shape TDC.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 27th November, 2002
Wolf in sheeps clothing!!
Drivers door central locking motor failed (under warranty).
Free Safety recall - Hand brake replaced.
The handling on this car is very good especially as it does not compromise on comfort.
Good driving posture and very modern cabin make it a pleasure to drive.
The only thing that lets it down is the Ford dealer (what a pity!!)
Easy to Mod..
Superchip, Exhaust, Free flow filter give it a very nice growl!!
Still a head turner and a very rare sight on the road.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th August, 2002
Build niggles spoil a good package
High level brake light fell off of mounting after 4,000 miles. Replaced at 10,000 and 20,000 miles service. Fell off within 500 miles of replacement.
CV (Constant Velocity) joint failed at 15,000 miles.
Air conditioning failed at 22,000 miles.
CV joint failed again at 30,000 miles.
Now due for 30,000 mile service - and I have given up on getting the high level light fixed properly!
For a mid engined family saloon, the Zetec Mondeo is a good package.
Excellent chassis and suspension setup give great feedback to the driver. Power steering does not affect the direct involvement of the driver.
There is enough in the way of creature comforts and gadgets, without being overwhelmed with buttons.
The high level brake light has been irritating, particularly when it detached at night. Swinging around inside the car, flashing on and off as I hit the pedals. Very irritating.
However, the main falling down point for me has been the poor build quality of the CV joint. A car that can be pushed through the corners should be engineered to be able to cope with the strain of doing just that.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 22nd July, 2002
I have a Zetec-S 2001 (Mark 2). Bought secondhand at 46k seemingly in excellent order. At 50k CV joints both replaced due to wear, along with two front springs as one had just broke, previously had new anti-roll bar bushes to cure handling problems. Was not expecting suspension work for a long time, but after reading above review maybe we'll be in the garage again shortly? Admittedly the car is driven hard, but how do Ford expect their customers who buy sporting models to drive?
There is a known fault with CV joints on some late mk2 Mondeos. It's caused by a build error where the rubber gaiters were fitted incorrectly at the factory. Water and grit gets in and the grease gets out leading to premature failure.
Replacing the joint, gaiter and clips (don't reuse any of the old parts!) and fitting the new gaiter carefully and correctly will resolve the problem.
My 2000 Mondeo's CV joints were clicking and popping when I bought it. It cost me UKP 80 for two quality aftermarket CV joint kits, and an afternoon of work. The car has since done 30,000 miles without further problem. The seller dropped 250 quid for it as well! Bargain!
Not a big job to do either. About an hour per side to get the driveshaft out, and about 20 minutes per side to swap the joint, grease it and fit the new gaiter and clips. Nice bit of engineering the Mondeo too - everything comes apart and slots back together nice and easy. Much better than earlier Fords, and overall a lovely car to work on.
24th Apr 2006, 14:01
Sure is a wolf in sheeps clothing mate, good review!!!