I've got a 2013 Mondeo business edition, it has the USB port under the armrest so I can plug my phone in but it's a bit temperamental and irritating. All the climate controls are displayed on the stereo screen. I already have an aftermarket stereo that I had in my 06 ST220 that I want to put in and have seen a facia on Aliexpress to take it. Has anyone done an aftermarket replacement like this? I'm wondering about losing the displays around the climate control since none of the actual buttons are lit when on I wonder how annoying it would be losing visibility of when the AC is on or off or what speed it's at, and the temperature etc.

As you have the business edition, isn't the climate controls part of the MCA sat nav unit? so if you remove stereo/sat nav you will also be removing the climate controls (buttons and knobs) too.

Before I bought my TXS back in 2013, I looked at replacing the standard stereo's etc etc but seeing the trouble people were having ( with that, controls and the Convers+ ), I decided to get one with the built in sat nav and just left it. Sound was very good anyway for a standard stereo (although yours probably does't have the better "blue" speakers), though during lockdown, I did unplug the two front door tweeters ( too harsh) and fitted a pair of Infinity speakers that I had removed from my ST24.