Help Needed Please.. I Want To Buy A Used Mondeo Estate!

[Mattboyd]

Hi I'm looking to sell my 1987 fiat panda and buy a mondeo estate. I'm a decorator and I've kids now so it seems to make sense.. I don't really like Mercs or BMW and volvo seem to be a bit unreliable nowadays..

So my mate has a mondeo estate ghia 2l diesel. I have seen a couple on eBay that might fit the bill but not being very experienced mechanically I thought I should ask for opinions from people who know..

This is the one I like the best. 2004 140k miles £1895

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171011672855?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Is that high mileage for a ford?

Anyone got any comments?

Thanks

Matt

[stooge75]

My personal thought is dont get one. Others might disagree

[Endless Summer]

IMO, buying off eBay is asking for trouble unless it's quite cheap and you are prepared to sort through any problems!

Best to see any car in person, give it a detailed looking over physically, mechanically and a good drive, at least 30 minutes and boot it on the motorway.

If your not mechanically minded, pay someone to check it over.

My thoughts on the car you provided are: It's a black Mondeo, Ghia estate

[bladeage]

Firstly, ask for the mot test number and log book number and check the mileage on the dvlc website, if the mileage is correct for the last 4 years then go have a look at it.

I fell for the 80,000 mile like new leather interior trick a couple of years ago on a 2004 Mondeo ghia X 150 (they changed the clocks!) , after I paid £750 for it I found out it had done 187,000 miles, there was no sign of wear inside at all that would suggest the mileage!

Top and bottom is I was lucky and only had to replace a drive shaft and an injector and actually resold it for £1500 but take care with the estates!

Look out for the seal strips at the bottom of the doors they are expensive! Front and rear suspension obviously,check the front top mounts for play and/or knocking on lock! Wheel bearings...i.e. look at the tyre wear, is it even across the tread?

good car if you get a good one!

[bladeage]

Its had new injectors as stated in the advert so make sure it is running ok, the fact the advert states it has had new injectors says to me there have been recent issues with it, it should pull like a train and with no hesitance or very little turbo lag, if it is hesitant to pull through the gears then walk away.

[stooge75]

Its had new injectors as stated in the advert so make sure it is running ok, the fact the advert states it has had new injectors says to me there have been recent issues with it, it should pull like a train and with no hesitance or very little turbo lag, if it is hesitant to pull through the gears then walk away.

snap. I bet he's had running issues,& finally thought "I'll replace the injectors & its gotta fix that problem". But probably never fixed it,so he's selling it. I'd be asking myself why any1 would spend that amount of doe on injectors/coding etc,only to sell it.mmmm nah

mind you,Im a 100% pesimist as far as car-selling nowadays. I look at it this way unfortunately ' everyone,(nearly) that sells a no-bad looking car(esp diesel),is doing it cause there's a fault with it somewhere & its !Removed! them off so much they've had enuf & decided to get rid of it'.

If a carw was such a good runner/reliable,ya dont sell it do ya.I mean if its sooo good,great mpg,pullslike-a-train etc,why the hell wouyld ya wanna punt it? I know theres genuine sellers but very rare nowadays,as cars get more expensive to fix & folk make bigger loses thru that alone

[Mattboyd]

I think I'll leave it! thanks for all your comments, it did seem a bit too good, high mileage had me worried I guess..

So I'm putting my budget up to £2500.. And hoping to find a sub-100k diesel preferably ghia from 2001 onwards... I reckon I'll find something, I'm in no rush. Just not sure where to look I guess, gumtree eBay etc seem a bit dodgy although I have had luck in the past buying £500 golfs and the like..

Is there a wanted section on this forum somewhere?

So thanks a lot anyhow, been a big help..

[Huddersfielder]

Please nobody shoot me for this but have you considered a passat estate Matt? Good on fuel, big boot and from past experience very reliable. I always found it more suited to being an estate rather than the mondeo (hope that doesn't offend anyone!)

[Mattboyd]

I was just looking at golfs and passats...! I've had a few golfs so I feel totally happy buying second hand vw's..

Good call!

[FOCA]

So whats the best Mondeo estate - a Passat???????

I thought this was a Ford furum?

[stooge75]

Please nobody shoot me for this but have you considered a passat estate Matt? Good on fuel, big boot and from past experience very reliable. I always found it more suited to being an estate rather than the mondeo (hope that doesn't offend anyone!)

excellent car. Had 2 o them,but not estate's)

[bladeage]

Passats are a very good alternative but are still prone to the obvious clutch,injectors,egr,dmf and so on.......this engine is prone to the throttle body going west along with electrical problems.

140k miles is not that bad! it will probably have had the dmf replaced (ask when?) and many of the other problems fixed (again ask?).

Any diesel nowadays will need a new clutch at 70k with normal driving around and up to 120k if mostly motorway miles, the injectors will need replacing more often on a motorway car with high miles as opposed to a run around with lower miles.

Got to look at the car and drive it, look at the owner and his surroundings and use some nounce! not every high mileage car is a bad one!

[stooge75]

It all depennds on whether you go for a PD engine or ordinary. The PD's 'can' be bad for injectors,& expensive but we only tend to hear of the worst stories regarding them. clutch,egr,dmf will go on any car so.....

Put it this way,if all the eastern europeans drive em,that's a pretty-good sign

And as for him asking if dmf etc has been renewed,do you think the seller will tell him the honest truth?somehow I think the words "It was renewed a wee while back,but not got the receipts,as a mate-mechanic did it on the cheap",will be more likely to be heard

[FOCA]

Passats are a very good alternative but are still prone to the obvious clutch,injectors,egr,dmf and so on.......this engine is prone to the throttle body going west along with electrical problems.

140k miles is not that bad! it will probably have had the dmf replaced (ask when?) and many of the other problems fixed (again ask?).

Any diesel nowadays will need a new clutch at 70k with normal driving around and up to 120k if mostly motorway miles, the injectors will need replacing more often on a motorway car with high miles as opposed to a run around with lower miles.

Got to look at the car and drive it, look at the owner and his surroundings and use some nounce! not every high mileage car is a bad one!

Good post !-

All cars have faults/ problems/ things that go wrong - a lot of Mondeos were sold and many did very high milages - thats why you hear a lot about DMFs injectors EGR problems -

The Passat is not nessisarily any more reliable than the Mondeo - the Mondeo mk3 is a very good estate being fwd with a redesigned rear suspension it has a very wide, flat loadspace, with no lip, (eg the BMWs 3 & 5 series suspension/ diff etc encroach on the loadspace (as do 4wd Audis) - the mk3 has more load space than a 5- series or a Passat)

Eastern europeans used to drive Moskitches and Trabants, why do they like Passats - who knows?. Corsas used to be a boy-racers favorite - does not mean its a good car!

[stooge75]

Theres a reason they used to buy trabants at that time & it was because of the cost of them and ALSO because they werent allowed to buy non-communist made cars under the early iron-curtain days. What cars did they start driving after trabants? Lada's,another solid running car,virtually bomb proof. As the Iron curtain came down & import/export/private trade opened,up,more money was being made so their standards went up.Then they went for skoda,vw,BMW,merc,etc etc.These companies made an absolute killing in eastern europe/russia etc,and still do.(for a reason).

[baitman]

all being equal, you will probably get a better mondeo for your money than the same age/mileage passat.

rather than spend more on a better 'badge' maybe you should spend more on a better mondeo B)

[stooge75]

Have u thought about an octavia? Brilliant car also. Old man's got the ambiente 90. No guts but upto 70mpg on m/way & 55mpg around town. Great engine if you get the common-rail & not the PD. built like tanks. Pretty damn good in snow/ice,but then the mondeo is ok too. I'll sell you my mondeo if you want one

[Mattboyd]

You're up near Aberdeen right?

I'm in Dorset!

[bladeage]

lol......

We also have a 55 plate vauxhall Signum 1.9 cdti Elite that has now done 140k, the clutch and dmf was done at 85k and other than an absolute mare of decoking it over 3 weekends recently everything is good, except for the big plume of smoke when started first thing in a morning .....probably turbo seals or valve seals or dripping injector,one or the other!

I brought this car for £2300 with 113k knowing it had a new clutch and dmf and reckoned I would get another 40k out of it without much problem, touch wood the car will do the next 13k without much problem, in the event of the turbo or other bits needing doing in that time then I will gladly chuck £600 at it to put it right, and if it is still good at the terminal mileage I gave it from buying then we will keep it and overhaul it properly.

That is my missis's car,

I just recently brought a 2007 Mondeo 2.0 tdci Zetec with 103k (old shape), the guy wanted £2,400 for it, there was no history over the phone and up front it had been damaged repaired in the boot area (hpi clear!), I had the conversation with the bloke over the phone, decided it was worth a look and was that impressed with it I gave him £1,800 with full mot, it is a very nice unmarked car and absolutely runs like new, no issues whatsoever!

Tip......

If buying a second hand car then a newly repaired car is sometimes a good option if done well etc as the accident and insurance claim is the reason it is up for sale and not because it has some problem with the engine etc etc.

Anyways back to the crux of the conversation.....

If it is a VW, Ford, Vauxhall (Fiat), Renault, Citroen etc etc then they all have problems that will arise sooner or maybe not later?, it is down to the buyer to check the car out properly and make informed decisions on mileage,service history,intended future usage etc.

Each engine manufacturer in the case of Fiat (vauxhall,Saab etc) sell millions of these engines and they are on the whole very good for 100k if the service and driving limits are met; Ford have sold the 2.0 tdci in the absolute millions, I guess I am one of the lucky ones to get one with no problems over 100k???? I think not there are loads out there with plenty more miles than mine that are still running strong.

When buying a car,especially a diesel,it is imperative to take a look outside the box and weigh things up, why is it for sale? does it pull well, is it hesitant? History of new parts,whats been done at what mileage? how many owners sometimes says a car has had lots of faults?!

We have to remember that loads of people on the various forums have joined up because they have brought a car on the cheap and are here to get advice on repairs, which is great because hopefully they will get a result and a cheap car!