A real bargain
Nothing - this car is top quality.
This car is a really nice drive. Its roomy, not slow, it has good standard equipment including: all round electric windows and air conditioning.
It also has a sporty feel to it, which is surprising for such a big car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th October, 2002
After approximately 50 miles of cruising constantly at motorway speeds it jumps out of 5th gear.
Initially impressed with the car (my previous being a Mercedes C180) I had looked at VW Passat & Vauxhall Vectra, but chose the mondeo because it represented a good all round package being practical great to drive handles like a dream. But if the gearbox problem cannot be rectified the car the car will have to go back.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 11th September, 2002
Non starter gone to the pub!
1. The first thing that went wrong is it would not start on cold days.
It still takes two or three atemps to start on normal days, fords say that there is nothing wrong.
2. Sycromesh on first and second gear went when I was in Wales so came home crunching the gears when I had to stop.
3. I have one of the new Mondeo, so that means that I have an electronic switch on the boot lid, this has never worked since day one.
Big car with lots of toys excluding the wife. Shame about the faults.
I am a company car driver so I did not care what went wrong because I have had some interesting loan cars from our local Garage.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 14th June, 2002
Over rated commodity vehicle
From day one the clutch was like a switch, either on or off! At the same time I noticed the fuel gauge would zero when the engine stalled. After a few weeks I complained and a new clutch and fuel sender was replaced under warranty. The clutch was much better although it annoyed me that a new car should be shipped with a defective clutch and sender.
Although the car has all the extras like Sat Nav, I have never really enjoyed my Mondeo, and long to replace it with my old Xantia or better still a brand new Citoren C5.
Recently, I took the car in for its 10,000 mile service only to be told my front tyres were worn and illegal! Clearly something is a miss here and I will no doubt have to go into battle for Ford to fix the tracking, to try and stop this excessive tyre wear.
Being a cynic, I suspect though that there is more to this than meets the eye. I seem to remember the old shape mondeos fitted with the diesel engines also used to eat tyres. Can anyone confirm this?
I've also had a fuel filler that wouldn't shut (fixed now), but after 8 months of this car it feels like millstone round my neck. Anyone want to buy this car and put me out of my misery?
Overall design of car good.
Sat Nav useful.
Diesel engine really noisy compared to others (Peugeot/Citroen) and heavy as lead.
Not very economical for a diesel.
Day one clutch and fuel sender problems resulting in replacement in first weeks.
Excessive tyre wear - worn out in 10,000 miles!!!
Would never buy another Ford ever!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 2nd April, 2002
A super car spoiled by rattles
There is an irritating tapping sound which appears to come from the front passenger door. This disappears when the window is lowered a couple of inches, which seems to indicate that the source is the window control mechanism. Matlock Ford have looked for the fault twice, and say they have replaced the window control mechanism, but the noise is still there. They say they have consulted Ford and concluded that the noise is attributable to "body flexing". I do not accept this. I have twice written to the Ford Customer Services Department, who refuse to do anything further about it. Any ideas for a "self fix" would be appreciated.
There is also a vibration in the centre of the dashboard under certain conditions - right in the centre in front of the air vent. If I apply pressure to the top of the dashboard, the noise stops. Unfortunately the fault is intermittent and impossible to reproduce on demand. It is, nevertheless, very irritating.
Overall, the car is extremely good value for money. The miles per gallon of diesel is quite unbelievable for a large car. Pity about the rattles and the attitude of Ford Customer Services!!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 12th January, 2002
The Skoda Octavia's cabin space is only the size of a VW Bora. It has much less rear leg room than the Passat or Mondeo. The Skoda Superb is the Passat equivalent, plus 100mm longer.
To the original reviewer, if it makes you feel better, my 3 year old VW Bora V6 4Motion squeaks round corners and bumps too.
I too like my new Mondeo, though I do find the ride a bit firm. I totally agree about the rattles, I have the same one as described on the dash, can't trace it.
Ford did replace a rear grab handle that rattled though.
I have just taken delivery of a new TDCI Mondeo, and have been really surprised. It seems to be an excellent car. Apart that is for an irritating buzz from, yes you, ve guessed, the centre of the dashboard. Seems to be worse on coarse surfaced roads.
With the appalling incompetence of main dealers these days, I've put any ideas of buying a new Mondeo out the window. My current Vauxhall has had minor niggles which main dealers are hopeless at sorting, and after reading the comments on the Mondeo, I'm positive that all main dealers are just as bad as each other. I like the Mondeo, but after reading the comments on this site, have had a rethink and will be buying a 3 yr old high mileage ex-fleet one from the auctions. Minor niggles will hopefully have been sorted, and I'll just have the usual regular repairs & maintenance of a higher mileage car.
My Mercedes 190 had a rattle in the dash, in the end I decided that if the worst thing I could find about the car was a rattle, then the car must be pretty good!
17th Jan 2002, 12:11
Totally agree - I have similar Mondeo with similar faults - overall nice to drive and a bargain but Ford dealers either unable/unwilling to help and Ford Customer Services a waste of a phone call.
Its a real shame Ford can't simply make a car with better interior trim - the engines/chassis etc are fine but the car's interior is the environment their customers sit in - and they squeak and rattle, so the customers get unhappy. My next car will be a Skoda Octavia RS - pace of an Audi TT, built like a Passat, price of a Mondeo.