Faults:

Small leak from water pump, changed when I did the cambelt.

Front disc brakes have warped (common old Ford complaint, not restricted to Mondeos).

Broken dash air vents (it is 17 years old).

Slight rusting of rear arches.

Lower arm bushes had failed when I got the car.

Despite the above mentioned mechanical failures, on a mk 1 and mk 2 Mondeo, all of these items except the broken air vents can be put down to wear and tear, not individual random faults. I was a Ford mechanic, and we would repair these items on a daily basis, so these can't be taken as an indication of a poor car.

The Mondeo, despite its boring reputation, is a very good car. I have personally seen examples with over 250,000 miles on their clocks, without so much as a blown bulb. If looked after and serviced correctly, they are very bullet proof.

General Comments:

Seats are very comfortable (has the bucket type seats as its the SI model); can drive all day with no aches from my back, which I have problems with. I find the only thing that does become uncomfortable after a few hours is that the throttle pedal is slightly closer to the driver than the clutch or brake, so I can get a bit of a sore ankle after a while.

Massive boot. Never been lost for space in the car. Plenty of cubby holes for the passengers as well.

Being the 2.0, there's still plenty of power. I had it dyno at 132 bhp, so it's only lost 4 bhp over the years. Not as quick as my old V6, but it balances performance with economy, as I get 370 miles to a tank, costing £62 to fill up.

The very sure footed handling SI model came with lowered suspension from the factory, and it still works great after all these years.

Despite having drum rear brakes, there is more than enough power to stop safely in most instances. ABS is unobtrusive; only kicking in when really needed. Warped brake discs gave a pulsing through the steering, but were easily sorted with new discs.

The car cost me exactly £500. Cambelt cost me £64, lower arms were £24 for a pair, tin of silver paint and sand paper to restore the rear arches £17.95, water pump and antifreeze came to £45. Total £650.95. This proves that Mondeos are very cheap to buy and maintain, and even cheaper if you can DIY.

Faults:

Exhaust fell off - £120.

Problems with springs - £230.

Battery kept losing charge, leaving me stranded, new battery - £50.

General Comments:

Car cost £350 from eBay.

Aside from the above problems, the car seems to hate cold starts when the weather is cold. It judders for the first few minutes, judders and bunnyhops. I have changed the spark plugs, air filter, had an oil change with 5W30 oil, a new oil filter and an engine flush, but it isn't much better. So, I'm just going to ignore it and not waste time with coils and plugs etc. It's not worth it.

The main complaint is that it drinks petrol. It's ridiculous. Petrol can rise and fall from 85p to 120p, and I still only manage 60 miles driving for £10. And the thing is I drive with so much care to be frugal and efficient, and 90% of my driving is 55mph country road driving. And yet, 60 miles for £10. I got more mpg from my 3.0 V6 Toyota Camry and that was much better. Speaking of my old Camry, the insurance was literally a couple of pounds less on the Mondeo than the Camry. Why?? A 2.0 vs a 3.0 V6.

The car is OK I guess. All electrics work, the air con is cold, it is in good condition.

Better than no car.