Faults:

Knocking from the steering wheel when pulling away or speeding up on 2nd. Fixed by garage as per a Ford TIB. It's a very common problem.

Leaking rear door.

Dash mounted cup holder stuck in, greased by the dealer and seems about 90% reliable now.

Wind noise on drivers door, living with it until the service is next due.

General Comments:

Not quite as pokey as my Mk2.

Brakes no where near as good as the mk2, others have noticed it and I have also noticed it on other Mondeo's I have test driven.

Climate control works very well, it won't blast you with cold air on a cold day until the engine has warmed up!

Very good seats, good upper back support.

Faults:

No problems as yet.

When bought the car there was a piece of plastic hanging down from the rear bumper, although I think it can be easily stuck back.

General Comments:

Good performance - quicker than my previous 1.6 Focus Estate.

Black interior shows up dust easily and upholstery marks easily - take care.

Stereo excellent and build quality is first class as with all modern Fords - will give those German cars a good run for their money.

High depreciation problems.

Very comfortable seats.

Poor illumination distance of the lights.

Faults:

Only two problems of note presented.

The first was a hesitancy when accelerating between 1500 and 2500 rpm. The dealer indicated that this was a known fault on new model diesel Mondeo and required the "chip" in the engine management system to be reprogrammed. It took some time for the dealer to get the correct chip so that the work could be undertaken.

The other fault concerned the very poor handbrake. The car rolled into another one when parked on a slight gradient. This was corrected by the dealer who advised that a clip was missing from the original assembly.

Otherwise nothing has gone wrong and the dealer service has been pretty good.

General Comments:

The Mondeo is a good looking, well built car.

In Zetec trim it comes with lovely alloy wheels, spot lights and very supportive sports seats with silver trim in the interior.

The heated front windscreen (not even available on my new BMW 320d) and mirrors are invaluable in frosty weather.

It is a great car to drive: good handling, great steering feel and very little roll in corners.

There is very good passenger and rear boot compartment space. Sadly the same can't be said of my replacement car, a BMW 320d.

Faults:

Drivers seat cover replaced due to the stitching coming un-done.

General Comments:

I wanted a car that offered me an exciting driving experience, but with the space to carry 3 growing children. Enter the Zetec S.. Fantastic looks, great road handling, (Although not looking forward to replacing the 225/40 18" tyres) and a fantastic free revving engine.

Although I currently think the car is better than sliced bread, I am waiting for the squeaks and rattles to appear as the car gets older. Hopefully I'm proved wrong!!!

As for the dealers... Can't be as bad as the Mercedes dealership I used to go to.