1998 Ford Mondeo LX 1.8 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

It was the best

Faults:

Mostly just maintenance and wear and tear items replaced over the time I had the car. No major issues.

General Comments:

One of the simplest and most reliable cars I ever had, the 1990s Mondeo remains undefeated in the reliability department for me.

Bought used in 2006, the car looked and drove great. Blue with alloy wheels, I still think they look modern when you see the odd one still on the roads today.

LX model was middle of the road, enough electrics for its time. Seats were comfortable and ride was smooth. Handling was sharp.

1.8 petrol engine did 37 mpg or more and had plenty of power. Cheap parts / service.

Miss it a lot, sold in 2013 at 15 years old, it was still going strong. My new job forced a reluctant sale. Ford never made a better all round car in my opinion.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th October, 2024

1998 Ford Mondeo ST24 2.5 V6 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Great looker, and terrific sounding!

Faults:

Washers have stopped working, think the water pump has packed in, and can find NO ONE willing to do it. Had the car 10 years now, and I am still in love with it. Had rear door handles sticking, but some grease and WD fixed that. Eats front tyres, or is that just my right foot?

General Comments:

Looks great and sounds fantastic.

I might even buy another until I find someone to do my water pump.

New shape Mondeo is not a patch on these.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 10th January, 2011

1998 Ford Mondeo from UK and Ireland

Summary:

It's awesome

General Comments:

I love this car. It is seriously quick and is also very reliable. I have owned it now for over a year, and have never had a problem with it.

It's comfortable to drive, and is one of the most safe cars to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 21st July, 2010

1998 Ford Mondeo LX 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

You're better off going for an early Mk 3

Faults:

Failed mot due to excessively worn front brakes and cracked suspension springs. Items were replaced and passed the re-test.

Boot lock no longer works, access to the boot has to be from the back seats.

Can't unlock the car from the drivers side, but you can lock it, has to be done from the passenger side to set the alarm.

Brakes sometimes make a "moaning" noise when driving along.

There is a metallic tinging noise coming from somewhere that is really annoying.

General Comments:

Bought the car last November from a relative for £150 and a 28" CRT TV due to my 416i been scrapped.

Always starts first time and has decent performance.

Has really nice steering with 15" wheels on with just the right amount of weight in it.

Cruises nicely on the motorway, although the steering wheel has started to develop a small vibration at about 70 mph probably due to the wheels.

The interior is roomy with nice big padded seats, but the plastic dashboard does creak a lot.

Probably won't put it through another mot.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th September, 2009

30th Aug 2020, 16:28

I know this is an older review, but at £150 sounds like you can't complain, and I have to disagree about the mk3 Mondeo, myself and most others who have had one said the mk1 and mk2 were much more reliable. The mk4 is an improvement on the mk3 however. And the mk5 too new to tell what any long term reliability looks like yet.

1998 Ford Mondeo Si 2.5L V6 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Very good car, often under rated

Faults:

Rear middle seat belt locked and will not extend at about 60,000 miles.

Need new brake discs at about 60,000 miles. I wouldn't say it's a fault, they just wore out. Old discs were very difficult to release because they were corroded to the hubs. Had to use a big hammer!

Intermittent airbag warning lamp came on at about 80,000 miles. It was due to a loose connection under front seat.

Near side lower arm bush wore out at 110,000 miles.

Anti roll bar bushes wore out at 110,000 miles.

Near side front wheel bearing at 120,000 miles.

Front brake discs warped at about 120,000 miles and had to be replaces again.

Near side CV joint at 125,000 miles.

Developed a slight oil like from about 80,000 miles.

Slight corrosion of rear wheel arches. Not serious but worth noting.

General Comments:

Very under rated car. It is so common people think it's not a good car. Handling is great, much better than the Audi 80 I had before this car. In my job, I drive a lot of other cars, but I always look forward to driving the Mondeo.

On the V6 models performance is good with reasonable fuel economy. The engine is very smooth and sounds good if you push the engine. Ford did a good job at balancing ride quality with good handling. But you do notice the heavy engine up front.

If I was to buy a Mondeo again, I would go for the 2.0L petrol or the 2.0L turbo diesel engine.

The interior trim quality could be better. This is an area Ford need to improve on.

Front tyres do not last very long. No more than 15,000 miles. In the 80,000 miles I had the car for, I am always buying new tyres.

Pull away is not as good as it should be. It can bog down a bit before it gets going again. The clutch is heavy and is not recommended for heavy traffic work.

All problems with the car were low cost repairs, and most of them were things that wore out.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th September, 2009