Hi everyone, 

Just agreed on a deal for buying an used Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI 2010 (facelift - I think) with 280k km on the clock. The car at (at least the last time I saw it, I will have it in about 2 weeks) is in good shape, only a small rust bubble on the rear fender (where it has a small scratch, will need to be addressed ASAP), other than that, quite good shape. Its my second car and I am not the best with cars, but can understand the basics. I am coming from a Skoda Fabia MK1 1.9 TDI where I did most of the maintenance/repairs myself.  
So, what are the things that I should pay attention with this car, to make sure it serves me well concerning service (intervals, etc.), driving style (I am not a racer or something, normal, decent driving), usual weak points, and anything that comes in mind. 

Thank you in advance, I know that people on this forums usually prefer more strict to the point questions, but with my previous car, I learned a lot (most of what I know) from a similar Skoda's owners and I would be happy to get some insights from you as well. 

Gais,

I have this model / year myself, in the estate version.

As with most diesels, lots of short journeys are not good for the dpf and so try to mix it up a bit.

A weak spot exists in the wiring loom that feeds the door module that sits in the wheel arch!! The wiring is effectively wrapped around a thin piece of metal and the vibration of the vehicle acts as a sawing-motion on the loom. Of course eventually, the wiring gets damaged and you will get an engine management fault. You will need to get under the vehicle to fix it, but it is not too difficult for the average DIYer to do if you are reasonably competent. There is plenty of information on the Internet about this fault and I have had mine fixed a couple of times. The thing is, once one wire has been damaged, you can be assured that a number of others have been weakened and they will eventually go too!

just had the timing belt done on mine and also had to have a new battery as I do very low mileage and the original one just couldn’t cope any more; 10-years In’t bad though! The one on the Internet being touted as the best replacement is the Bosch S5, although it comes with a bit of a price tag! Decided to pay extra for a quality battery, as I need something that can cope with approximately 2000 miles per year of usage.

Last year I had to have a new AC compressor fitted, which cost about £300.

There are rubber lugs that hold the engine cover on and these are very difficult to get off if they are not greased. They are easily lost when servicing the engine, although you can get replacements off eBay. I would recommend getting some white grease, for example, and spraying some where the lugs come into contact with the engine. This will make it very much easier to remove the cover and probably save you having to buy replacements!

Generally speaking I find it nice car to drive and have no other complaints. Good luck with your purchase.

On 4/25/2020 at 3:45 PM, smallsteve said:

Gais,

I have this model / year myself, in the estate version.

As with most diesels, lots of short journeys are not good for the dpf and so try to mix it up a bit.

A weak spot exists in the wiring loom that feeds the door module that sits in the wheel arch!! The wiring is effectively wrapped around a thin piece of metal and the vibration of the vehicle acts as a sawing-motion on the loom. Of course eventually, the wiring gets damaged and you will get an engine management fault. You will need to get under the vehicle to fix it, but it is not too difficult for the average DIYer to do if you are reasonably competent. There is plenty of information on the Internet about this fault and I have had mine fixed a couple of times. The thing is, once one wire has been damaged, you can be assured that a number of others have been weakened and they will eventually go too!

just had the timing belt done on mine and also had to have a new battery as I do very low mileage and the original one just couldn’t cope any more; 10-years In’t bad though! The one on the Internet being touted as the best replacement is the Bosch S5, although it comes with a bit of a price tag! Decided to pay extra for a quality battery, as I need something that can cope with approximately 2000 miles per year of usage.

Last year I had to have a new AC compressor fitted, which cost about £300.

There are rubber lugs that hold the engine cover on and these are very difficult to get off if they are not greased. They are easily lost when servicing the engine, although you can get replacements off eBay. I would recommend getting some white grease, for example, and spraying some where the lugs come into contact with the engine. This will make it very much easier to remove the cover and probably save you having to buy replacements!

Generally speaking I find it nice car to drive and have no other complaints. Good luck with your purchase.

In addition to the points above, the 2.0 TDCi is generally considered to be a good solid engine.  Although coming from the legendary VW 1.9 TDi I'm sure you've got high expectations!

 

As per the advice for any remotely modern diesels, DPF's don't like lot's of short journeys and make sure you service on schedule.  Other than that, you should be good to go.