I was about to purchase a Mondeo TDCI until I came across this site. Are the problems re starting, glow plugs, misfiring, poor mpg and so on resolved or are they so bad that I ahould re-consider. Are the problems in most Mondeos or is it in a select few? I expect to do around 25,000 miles per annum so reliability is essential. I have driven a couple of these and was quite impressed with power and torque.
Sorry if this is a repeat of previous mails but I would appreciate any feedback possible.
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I can't speak for others and the threads on this site show that there are plenty of people with very valid concerns about this car. In the end I took the gamble (even after having read the threads on this site and having considered HJ's advice) and have had mine for a month now and have not encountered any of the problems people mention. The mpg isn't brilliant but there again its not bad either and I've driven diesels for a decade now. The mpg does seem to suffer more than other cars I've driven if you use the power of the car more. If I drive it carefully then I'm getting 47 mpg on general motoring, but about 42-43 if I test out the torque more. My old Cavalier would do 49-50 no matter what. My way of rationalising this is that there has to be some pay-back for the substantial gain in power I have achieved by buying the tdci (80 up to 130 bhp).
I am delighted with the car so far and know that there are many other happy owners too. Its such a comfortable smooth drive ot sometimes feels like I'm driving a V6. I'd go for it if I were you! Good luck!
Splodgeface
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Unlike Splodgeface I have had problems with two of these cars now - the first was replaced by Ford at 8000 miles due to the number of problems I encountered with it. The second one started with the misfire with about 8 miles on the clock. I should have rejected it there and then. However......
I do like the car very much. I love the power and torque and enjoy the handling. I know that if you get a good one- and surely most of them must be ok as there are only about 8 owners on this site with problems- then they are great. I have had a couple of hire cars for several weeks that were everything I hoped they would be.
But it is a lottery whether you get a good un- and if you dont then Ford dont seem able to fix it. There seems to be a communication breakdown between the dealers and Fords technical people, none of the software upgrades appear to make much difference and the dealers dont seem to have any ideas on what the cause may be. The fuel economy can also be dissapointing- see other threads.
Although I rate the car, personally if given the chance to swap now I would have a passat or vectra. I have been bitten twice.
I am delighted old Splodgeface seems to have a good one- at least mine is a company car so at the end of the line I will walk away. Splodgeface- If yours was a bad one you would have known about it by now. My advice is that if you do go for it then get an undertaking from the dealer that if the misfire appears in the first 200 miles that you will reject the car and be supplied with a replacement without question. And I would go for Goodyear or Pirelli tyres- every car Ford turn out of the showroom seems to have different tyres and some suit the car much better than others. Its no problem for the dealer to exchange before delivery. Autocar did some comparisons on tyres for the mondeo in February and back copies are available. I would avoid Continental and Bridgestone- but thats only my opinion. There was a thread about this at the time.
Best wishes whatever you decide- let us know how you get on.
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Kurnal, I really would like to get to the bottom of why some cars have this problem. When were the two cars you had the problems with manufactured and where? I was just wondering whether the problem cars were manufacturing "teething problems" and it's just a matter of time for old stock to work through the dealers. I see your car is a company car how about the rest of your fleet? Pity because 47 mpg with lots of get up and go would suit me fine, but I'm using my own money!
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I too am in the same position with my own money at stake. We now have a family and desperate for another Ford bigger than our excellent little Fiesta. I have read a lot about TDCi problems and the bads still appear to outweigh the goods.
I noticed that the volunteer ambulance driver where I work had one so I thought I\'d ask him how he felt about his TDCi 130.
Essentially this is what he said:
\"I had a few teething engine management problems (s/w upgrade??)but that seems to have been sorted. It goes though rear pads every 30,000. I think there is a problem with the clutch because if I go around a roundabout is second or third, sometimes the engine cuts out...(EMS problems still present perhaps!!)
The TDCI engine performance is great - much better that the old 1.8TD Mondeo I had, mind you that went for 256,000 miles\"
So I\'m not buying until I\'m confident and I have to say at the moment I am not confident!.
Think will buy a Mk2 Mondeo until the probs are sorted - should last me 250,000 miles or so..;-)
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Hi querty1
Both cars are identical zetec hatches in metropolis blue, I believe they are made in Belgium.
I'm the only one at work with a mondeo- its a funny company car scheme in as much as you can have any car , any make as long as you pay the difference between the firms contribution and the leasing fee,the cost of course depends on your mileage. I pay £140 per month as my contribution to the mondeo at 20000 miles per year, thats fully maintained. So its not a bad deal for a new car on the drive and no worries- till the tax man takes his cut! I could have had a astra free as the base line. Fords come out very expensive compared to many others- I could have had an old model vectra for £30 or a 405 for £70.But I was hooked on the idea of the mix of power and economy and prepared to pay.
The first one was delivered 28 May 2002, manufactured in February. At first it was great- 45 mpg but gradually started putting out a lot of black smoke and misfiring, finally broke down on the way to Devon in July with my caravan on the back, 3500 miles on the clock. Off road a month, fuel pump failure the problem- a common problem- caused by incorrect case hardening of cams and rollers within the pump, entire fuel system contaminated with small chards of steel. Got it back mid August, but then, after several breakdowns due to bad workmanship by the dealer in Devon who fixed it, with 6500 miles on the clock the fuel pump failed again, same problem, off road another month. It was during this time I drove several other mondeo hire cars and they were lovely. Mine was doing about 38 mpg and had very bad misfire which despite another two weeks in the garage they could not fix. After much pressure from my lease company ford agreed to replace the car. I said I wanted a VW next time but Ford would only co-operate if I agreed to have another mondeo. They said they had every confidence in the mondeos built after May.
So on 28 November 2002 I took delivery of my current car, manufactured on 12 August 2002. On the way home from the garage- I think with about 8 miles on the clock, I noticed the tip on, tip off misfire between 1800 and 2000 rpm. Much less severe than on the previous car but there all the same. Should have taken it back there and then- but I didnt.....
The misfire is really not a major problem, its just an irritation. I can predict when it will happen and flooring the throttle clears it. The big problem is that the economy is nothing like as good as it should be. Those cars I have driven that did not have the misfire delivered 45- 49 mpg every time no problem. This one runs about 38mpg on the same journeys - I did manage 43 mpg on a very long journey once, driving very carefully. So if it delivered the MPG I would forgive the misfire. But I feel sure the two are linked.
Just had version 24 of the software installed- misfire a little better and too early to comment on the fuel consumption. Theres my life history! Hope it helps. There are some good cars out there - and because I have sampled them I keep the faith.
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Hmmmm, still seems far too patchy for me to be risking my own money! One for the fleet customers still.
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