2000 Ford Falcon Forté 4.0 petrol from Australia and New Zealand
Summary:
Solid workhorse, reliable all-rounder
Faults:
Just some wear & tear items.
Both front wheel bearings were extremely noisy when I got the car & had movement in them, so I replaced them (having as many km on it when I bought it, they have probably been on the car for a LONG time, so I wasn't that annoyed about replacing them, as they're pretty cheap parts & easily replaced).
The exhaust system is now starting to rust out; also typical for the amount of km on the car.
Something snapped one day on the driver's inside door handle, which means now when I get out of the car, I have to pull up on the outside door handle once so the door will latch. It was annoying for a while, but don't think much of it any more & will probably get it fixed one day.
The driver's rear passenger door lock broke, meaning when you lock all the doors, you can just pull the outside door handle & open the door. For security reasons I'll definitely be getting that fixed.
The upper ball joints in the front suspension are very worn out & need to be replaced (another wear & tear age-related problem, simple cheap fix).
The central locking keypad stopped working, got a new-old stock one from Ford for $40, no problems.
General Comments:
This is the AU series 2 Forté. It's one of the most reliable cars I've owned. It mostly just gets me from home to work, which is only two suburbs away, & gets me all around town, but I occasionally need it to go on long trips, which I've done quite a few in it now, & that's where these Falcons are most comfortable. Very spacious, quiet & smooth on long trips, & the cruise control works perfectly well.
I chose to fit Pirelli Cinturato P1 tyres on my Falcon (215/60r16 standard size), which I think make it quieter & handle better.
The safety feature in the engine that let's you keep on driving if it loses all its coolant is comforting to have in case something does go wrong. It sure is a solid workhorse, & doesn't have any feeling that it's going to let you down.
I really can't complain about this car. The styling could be a little better, but I personally think they look pretty sleek. The Series 2 that I've got DEFINITELY looks better than the Series 1, but styling aside, they are a solid, well-made car. Highly recommended, but before buying one, check out all the components I listed above for signs of wear. These cars aren't getting any younger & most have led a hard life, but are hard to kill.
Great car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 16th May, 2015
6th Feb 2011, 17:10
Nearly all the stuff you've listed here is the result of abuse of this car by either yourself or the previous owner. Things like the holes in the exhaust is a maintenance issue. How can you blame cigarette burns on the seats as the cars fault? You probably bought it for $2000, what do you expect?