Today I went to look at a 99/T Mondeo 1.8td glx estate with 103k at a small 2nd hand dealer. The car has had 2 owners, has a full-ish service history up to 87.5k and then nothing after that...am i right to be concerned about this as i thought these older diesels need regular (6k miles) servicing. Obviously the dealer is offering to do a service before it is sold and it also needs a new (re-con) alternator which will be done.
The sticker price is £1995 which I said was a little dear compared to what parkers guide says...£1995 for the same car with 60k miles.
So here are my questions....
1 - What price should I try to haggle for? He's shown signs of giving me a year warranty with lloyds but thats it.
2 - Is the service gap a worry?
3 - When I asked for the last owners phone number he said he didn't have them. Is this correct or is he hiding something from me?
I'd quite like to speak with the previous owner to discuss the servicing gap.
4 - Any minor/major problems with mondeo's of this age?
This will be the first car I've bought and I want to make sure I've covered everything.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
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imo walkaway
Cambelt changes vital
NO sh.. oil changes vital.
No help = something to hide.
Lots more elsewhere.
madf
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You should be able to look up the previous owner from the logbook (V5 document), if he won't show you that then walk/run away very quickly.
Those engines last for a long time *if* looked after. Without any evidence, you have to assume it's not been service since 88K.
15K miles without an oil change is far too long for this engine. One I had one I did it every 6k and it ran like a dream at 100K miles.
I had another version of the same car (one of several Mondeos I've owned), also with 100K but only with services every 12K and there was serious compression problems.
Makes you think, eh?
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Also, FWIW: the original Ford service intervals were 9k for this engine.
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Yeah there is evidence of the cambelt being done and it not needing it again for a while (144k).
The service history with its first owner is a very comprehensive print out of all the work carried out as it was a company car. It's the time that it spent with the second owner that is the tricky bit as that's when the gap in service history appears....hence I'm extra keen to speak with them.
I don't think I'll take it any further with this car. Just seems a bit too dodgy.
The frustrating thing is that I've been looking on autotrader.co.uk for weeks now and this is the first suitable car (price/size etc) that I've seen in person that's come up locally.
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Walk away
1995 seems expensive, remeber even if loked after the 1.8 td ford engine is a bit of a dog
My uncle just sold privately a 98 1.8 td GLX estate with 120k FSH for 700quid
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I disagree that the 1.8TD is a dog. Sure, it's not up to modern standards, but taken on its own merits it's ok.
Decent economy, a reasonable amount of torque and just enough power to pull away with spirit. Refinement isn't the best, but for the money it's livable IMO.
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Yeah there is evidence of the cambelt being done and it not needing it again for a while (144k).
The service history with its first owner is a very comprehensive print out of all the work carried out as it was a company car. It's the time that it spent with the second owner that is the tricky bit as that's when the gap in service history appears....hence I'm extra keen to speak with them.
I don't think I'll take it any further with this car. Just seems a bit too dodgy.
The frustrating thing is that I've been looking on autotrader.co.uk for weeks now and this is the first suitable car (price/size etc) that I've seen in person that's come up locally.
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Pour scorn an ridicule if you like but the Mondeo TD of this vintage is quite a relaxed and capable cruiser on a motorway around 70,80 mph.
I know this 'cos I used to own one.
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