Lets Us Know What You Think Of Yours

[pwcomputers]

i have had 2 ford galaxy's the first was a 1.9tdi w reg i bought for 18oo quid in 07 i had it for 7 month's then i had to sell quick as i had water problesm all over the place not just in footwells but in the rear as well dont ask where it came from as i have never found out i then bought another 1 a p reg around 3 mobnths ago and im loveing it

 

the only problem i have now is the bloody wipers on the front i am missing around 8 inch's view from the ide i cannot see out of the side at all when rainging so stops my view

[ez64]

Great drive and the engine still pulls like a horse and have managed to get 55mpg with 200k on the clock.

 

Only problem im having is brake lights burning out fast.

[mobile armchair]

:16: Best car of a bad category (7-seat MPVs). Would HAVE to buy another, need the space and really no competition. Espace, Peugeot. Citroen/Fiat van, Sedona, Lucida/Estima? Oh dear, no thanks ... But the Gal has been very expensive to own between 35,000 and 85,000 miles. Air con re-piped once, and re-gassed twice, not working again; recon auto box ( small FORTUNE); usual replacement of pads, disks, drop links, tyres, one tail pipe. But we all fit in it, the children's travel sick tendencies disappeared coz they can see where they're going, we can take their friends, grandparents, team mates as occasion demands, reasonable mpg from the diesel with decent performance and you arrive at the other end able to move and not having to unroll yourself from tiny car front seats. INjured basketballers and footballers return home iced up with leg on reversed front seat. Spills and stains easy to reach and clean off, interior fabric has worn OK, although all plastic seat levers had fallen off before I even got it. Every time it goes into garage (frequently) someone folds a sill rim over with the jack, but you just get used to tapping it back into shape with a block of wood and hammer and applying another layer of hammerite ... takes me 5 mins now! I can't even be bothered to complain any more, especially as both Gals I have owned don't rust and rot. Mind, I clean mine underneath a couple of times a year and apply fresh waxoil

 

All things work apart from aircon, but 'struth minor maintenance hard work! Replaced a sidelight bulb this morning, half an hour to get the headlight in and out and had to borrow a 30cm screwdriver! Next time I'll be quicker of course ...

Thought of selling it, but can't imagine anyone nervous listening to rattles and various humming and rattling of ancillary drive equipment believing it has a service history as long as your arm. YEs, I should have paid for the VAG belt tensioner so the power steering doesn't moan when it's warm. But it works, just makes a lot of fuss. Maybe I'll have to sell it on here to someone who knows what's serious and what ain't. :lol:

 

Best of luck with yours everyone, you will need it!

[jkspoff]

They're cars with character !

[Smilge]

Well, now having got rid of the ST for a Mk 3 Ghia and having owned a Mk 2, I can say that the MK 3 is a far superior car to the MK 2. One noticeable factor is the overall handling, in particular the lack of body roll and the sharpness of the brakes. Although I opted for the 1.8 (125) TDCi, the response and torque from the engine is very good for a big car and comparing it with the 1.9 (115) Tdi, much more refined and easier to drive. The interior is fab with all the toys except for the Navigation Unit and the seats are a doddle to fold down. These do not fold into the floor but onto it and in effect produce a second floor. My major concern is if a heavy load was placed on top of these folded seats, would it damage them? Overall, dead chuffed with it considering I wasn't too happy with the shape when they first appeared.

[Kieran McCarthy]

As others have said on here despite the problems I think it's the best car in the class.

 

I had a 01 115PS TDI LX and had a mountain of problems with it.

Drive belt came off due to sheared pulley,

Water in passenger footwell,

MAF sensor failed,

Windscreen wiper had a mind of its own,

Pipe to turbo came loose causing plumes of smoke from exhaust,

Parking sensors failed,

at least 6 bits of plastic broke in the cabin,

air conditioning could not be fixed despite mountain load of cash being poured into it,

Heater stuck on once or twice.

 

So when it came to changing I was sorely tempted by an Espace.

 

In the end I decided to stay with what I know as I thought the Espace would be unreliable!! :wacko:

 

So I now have a 03 Alhambra 115PS TDI

It's much easier to appreciate the car when it is not going wrong the whole time!

[alanfp]

Had mine from new.

 

Had A/C system replaced after 2 1/2 yrs

 

Since about 20K It hasn't run properly.

 

Several H7 bulbs

MAF

Another MAFBrake light switch

ERG bypassed (as it chuggs if it's not)Oodles of black smoke! My mechanic tells me this is unburnt fuel (put it another way - My hard earned CASH)

No power under 3000 RPM

P1556 fault and none of the three experts who have looked at it have a clue how to put it right.

Faulty door lock

Faulty LCD display on Climate control display

 

Worst of all No money to buy a new car.

Hi

What were the symptoms when you needed a new MAF, and what were they when you needed to bypass the EGR? I think mine needs one or the other - don't know which to try first (or indeed Throttle Pos Sensor??)

[dgarner]

Despite all the issues we read on this forum on a regular basis, plus the problems I've had with mine, I still think the Galaxy is the best car I've ever owned, and currently the best in its class. Reading other forums about other vehicles I find that its very unlikely to ever get a car thats totally reliable in every way, even the Japanese stuff goes wrong. Its interesting to see if everyone still actually gets on with theirs, despite the reliability issues of certain components and if they would invest their hard earned cash in another one. It seems to get to a point after several years that the Galaxy suddenly becomes very reliable after most of the weak spots have been ironed out.

 

B)

After having a 1.9 td P reg for 4 years, my hubby and I decided to buy a new car. We looked at different makes but couldn't find one that we liked better so bought a 51 reg same engine size, and got it last Monday. We were sad to say goodbye to the old one, named Gary as he had been a reliable, for the most part! car and had done 50k in those 4 years. We love the new one, (Gary jr natch!) though as the spec is great on it and the girls love the fact it has tv screens in the head rests! The only problem is, it didn't come with a manual so the various controls on the dashboard are quite confusing, esp the heating/climate control! Love those heated seats though! Once we have worked out all the different settings etc we will really love driving it, never driven a 6 speed car before! You can't beat a Galaxy, in our opinion.

[big_kev]

The only problem is, it didn't come with a manual so the various controls on the dashboard are quite confusing, esp the heating/climate control!

 

Best i can do babe....link below

 

MK2 Alhambra Manual

 

Its for a left-hand drive bamma but 99% the same.

 

page 152 for the Climatronic B)

[darton]

The bloody ventilation system is my big gripe! ,which, is woefully inadequet for a car this size

 

,..seven people on a cold,wet winters day and the car is undriveable, its like a mobile Turkish bath! but at least its got aircon!! yes,

 

above 6 degrees! and thats only if it works properly in the first place!

 

All design features that are built in from day one that really get your back up!

 

because they know about them over the years and just ignore them and pass the cost of their ineptitude on to you!all things so obvious should be a recall!

 

Reversing lights on the facelift MKII,.."Lets put some silver domes over the top of the bulbs so they don't cause glare to other road users"!! how about,lets make them bright enough to be able to see where you are reversing !!...your reversing for goodness sake! how long are they going to be on for?...geess.

 

OOoo, I needed that! :rolleyes:

 

After 5 years of Galaxy ownership,I love the car,It drives like a dream,its comfortable,spacious,pokey,reliable,likeable,mmmmmm....just...something better about it! :)

[yaya]

After 6 months of driving it (51' reg 1.9TDI Ghia Auto) I'm now thinking of getting another car...

It's overall in very good condition but requires a prayer every morning that no warning light will come on...

So far the aircon is dead (re-gassed it once just to realise it's not the gas); passenger footwell swimming pool syndrome, drivers wiper missing 4 inches of its travel, power steering belt tensioner (horrible noise), One exploded airbag in the driver's seat (almost killed me that one...) and now the gearbox started slipping in the top 3 gears.

It's only done 85K and the engine is still going strong, interior looks like no but boy is this the most unreliable car or what?

Warning light for "check pads" comes up every now and again (the pads are fine) and the parking sensors system doesn't switch off above 16MPH...

 

So as much as we like the drive and the space, it's just takes too much time and effort to deal with (and cash!!!)

[chrispb123456]

After 6 months of driving it (51' reg 1.9TDI Ghia Auto) I'm now thinking of getting another car...

It's overall in very good condition but requires a prayer every morning that no warning light will come on...

So far the aircon is dead (re-gassed it once just to realise it's not the gas); passenger footwell swimming pool syndrome, drivers wiper missing 4 inches of its travel, power steering belt tensioner (horrible noise), One exploded airbag in the driver's seat (almost killed me that one...) and now the gearbox started slipping in the top 3 gears.

It's only done 85K and the engine is still going strong, interior looks like no but boy is this the most unreliable car or what?

Warning light for "check pads" comes up every now and again (the pads are fine) and the parking sensors system doesn't switch off above 16MPH...

 

So as much as we like the drive and the space, it's just takes too much time and effort to deal with (and cash!!!)

Hi there has all this happened since you have had the car? just going through your list 1. The air con system is prone to leaks usually around the condenser/drier and pipes, usually a good aircon specialist will test the system before filling with gas as the gas is quite expensive. 2. If its only the passenger footwell thats wet thats usually down to the rear windscreen washer pipe pulled apart easy to fix can be glued or cable tied, if that water has found its way under the passenger seat that is where the control unit and beeper for the parking sensors is so that may be related. 3. If there's no free movement in the wiper linkage the arm may not be fitted in the correct position. 4. Belt tensioner thats an easy one to change

[ncb]

Extremely dissapointed to say the least.

 

Good points - its spacious and nice to drive but thats it.

 

Bad points -

Rattly

Heavy on fuel

Seats are very very heavy to take out. Whats the point in making easily removable seats if there so dam heavy?

2 furthermost rear seats are too close together. Only easy for small kids.

Very hard to do any maintenace on the car e.g. could they not have placed the relay panel somewhere more convenient?

Definately needs a prayer to start and run daily

 

 

Parts changed/fixed in 1 year and 5000 miles of ownership:-

MAF

Front and rear calipers seized

EGR stuck

Air intake blocked

Turbo vanes sticking giving limp at 3000 revs

Driveshaft

Water in footwell, washer leaking at joint

Washer pipe to motor in rear tailgate keeps coming off

Seized handbrake cable (right hand)

Gear lever needed adjusting to use reverse

2nd gear dificult to engage

Reverse switch

Centre and Rear Exhaust

2 coolant pipes leaked

Driver door speaker sometimes cuts out

 

The only reason I am tolerating these amount of faults is that I have done all the work myself. Oh yes, and God bless Ebay.

[cotter]

I keep telling myself that I love our Gal, but there are days when I seriously doubt myself..........

 

97 TDi, bought last year as the doggie runaround. Stupidly bought from a family mate, supposedly fault free

 

Aircon doesn't work, got a leak somewhere and not worth the hassle of trying to fix it

Rattles generally like a goodun

Front speakers have decided to stop working

I'd be quicker walking - it's hardly a chariot of fire lol

Changed the MAF sensor last week and it's still not running right, and now getting code 575

 

But then, on the other side of the coin

All three dogs fit in the back with plenty room (three greyhounds)

It regularly takes us from Aberdeen to Lincolnshire without any grumbles

Pulls from pretty much no revs in any gear, nice and lazy driving lol

 

So today, I'm liking it, but ask me again tomorrow............ That said, when we change it, it'll most probably be for the same again. Father in law has had to give up driving, and has offered us his V6 4*4 Ghia X, seriously tempted.......... ;)

Edited September 28, 2010 by cotter

[gregers]

Father in law has had to give up driving, and has offered us his V6 4*4 Ghia X, seriously tempted.......... ;)

 

sounds good,if its free??

no doubt cost a lot in fuel??

[dieseldogg]

Oh Er ho hum,

Where do i start.

Looked at the Citroen Peugeot and Espace equivalents in 1998.

We wanted a vehicle to go camping on the Continent and bring back goodies.

I plumped for the Galaxy simply because of the VW TDI engine being more fuel efficient.

We bought an import out of Cork.

Alway absolutly useless at clearing the screen or glass internally when loaded with Pax, especially in humid weather.

The A/C failed at about three years. Not fixed after one abortive attempt.

the Aux heater used to work.

The brakes were never good.

They 16" tyres were too expensive. a set of 15" alloys & van tyres solved that.

The manual 5 speed gear box absolutly locked into third a couple of times, a spray of grease & a wheen of prayers later = fine.

Crankshaft oil leak and gearbox oil leak, keep topping them up.

Ran her in on Case No1 tractor oil.

Currently on 229,000 & still going strong

But********************************

Otherwise excellent.

Has definately delivered for us. It does what it says on the tin.

Absolutly has never let us down.

I do some of my own maintenance may help there.

Easy on fuel.& Tows very well.

No rust except for the "professionally" insurance repaired tailgate.

Cills/Sills? crushed stupid by tyre fitters. i am now very blunt with them. Tough.

But as sound as a bell beneath, and as i mentioned in my introduction, origional exhaust, clutch, gearbox, head gasket, the blinking water pump was only changed at 180,000/190,000 whilst still 100% but there was a hose leaking, the "Y" shaped one, down the front of the block.

Take a wee breather.

[dieseldogg]

I cannot seem to see the "edit" button, so to continue.

I forgot the saga of the hot starting difficulties at 50 or 60 thou miles, i searched on tinternet every which way after asking all & sundry locally who might be knowledgable. Without any success.

A local "guru" who was very big into car electronics, specializing in VW stuff, was baffled, strangly when he cracked the master injector open whilst I churned her she started,& we tried this repeatedly, but no wiser.

He later, (a good few months or years) said that he had seen this glitch referred to on some Audi forum and that a 5p resistor fixed it.

However in our case it fixed itself never to reoccur.

I paid £500 for an exchange pump, which did NOT fix the problem, it was supposed to be £1000plus, sigh I regretted paying owt , but a apparently decent respected local firm, which ceased trading very soon after?

The both rear brake calipers failed within a month of other at about 200,000 miles, fluid absolutly pishing out of them, and one of the replacments failed inside a 12 month(under warrenty at least)

The drop links are very short lived too.

But hey the coolant system has been absolutly perfect.

And the first alternator did to about 190,000 miles, the second only done 40,000 before the clutch in the pully failed. Gerrrr

oh and her eats bulbs, both dipped headlight and various brake /tailight ones

Another breather needed.

And here we go again.

I did try asking both the Ford( & fall about laughing) dealers about the starting issues, well to be fair it was really a VW of sorts so what did they know/be expected to know?

Watching them below the car discussing the mysteries was quite wonderful(in long time ago hindsight)it kinda went" I wonder what this bit does??)I think that was the Aux heater btw, It did NOT inspire confidence at the time.

The snooty sods at VW refused to lok at her......cos thats a Ford innit.

I must say i have been getting bits from the store man at the local VW place and apart from a bit of gentle teasing he has been very helpful.

PS

Mr Ford made a better job of the VW engine than Mr VW did

At least in respect of driving the water pump off an ancillary belt rather than the timing belt........from what i have heard anyways

whew enough already

cheers

M

Edited December 13, 2010 by dieseldogg

[Staceh]

I've got a lovely black mk2 115 tdi ghia.

 

totally love the car, its space, comfort, power and economy are perfect for family life and hispeed commuting to work every day.

 

However,

 

The electrics are shocking,

 

Parking sensors fubar

Clock fubar

Central locking outta sync

DVD headrests not working

trip computer resets every trip

front speakers crackly as feck, rears not wonderful.

 

I've had the waterpump impellor go, got the cambelt done at the same time.

last MOT required a windscreen, track rod end and two typres, perfectly acceptable.

 

As winters here very soon, I'll have time to start figuring out somes of these issues i hope!

[jinksy]

yes i,d buy another galaxy.i love mine its a lovely drive and very versatile.ive only had it 3/4 months and had to put a few things right like aircon not working.new cambelt and full service and just had parking sensors sorted so ive spent a few hundred on her but the service and cambelt i,d have had done to any second hand car i bought so i dont count that really.needed new compressor for climate control and new pipe and regas which cost me about 500 odd altogether but i had it for a tidy price anyway.rear washer wasnt working but i fixed that myself as it was the usual problem.carpet needed drying on passenger side where washer had leaked.all in all she,s lovely and in good nick .i only bought it to get me back and fo to work and take my dog out but i use it more than the 08 focus weve got.some times its worrying when you read of all the problems on this forum but you can expect a few when you buy a used car of 8/9 years old i suppose.not long part exchanged a zafira for the focus and this galaxy is a nicer drive and more miles and 4 years older.i think i prefer the mark 2 like mine to the new shape galaxy.heated screen not working so that may be next job to sort out.

[mobile armchair]

Mine has done 108,000 and is 02 plate.

Most irritating is that no matter how well you look after car, usual suspects fail.

Air con ... keep switching it on as advised, still needed new pipes and 3 refills in 6 years +.

Spare tyre winch ... twice a year have wound it down, cleaned and repainted wheel, greased cable. Still it twisted and seized.

Front suspension bits ... one new pair of track control arms and 4 or 5 drop link arms. Noise on minor failure unbelievable.

12,500 mile service interval a joke, Do it every 10,000.

Auto box lasted 80,000 and 7 years. Recon supplier thought I had done really well, says he wouldn't expect more than 3 years coz of weakness in internal casing design.

Pricey! Recon 1836 + VAT + fitting =

[jinksy]

i love mine and the only other car ive loved as much was the merc i once owned.ive spent a bit on the air con but its ok now and just costs me mormal running costs ie.mot and servicing,cambelt change.its a brilliant car and does what i want. i got a set of steels to sell.only four as still using spare.email me on _ adeathome31@yahoo.com i,m in bridgend south wales if anyones interested.off my 52 galaxy as i bought alloys.also got the proper ford wheeltrims for them also for sale.16 inch wheels and trims.ade. Edited June 14, 2012 by jinksy

[Sher]

After 130,000 miles and 2 weeks under 10 years. Spending 6 months plus over winter months in Spain.

 

Just about the most unreliable car I ever owned. Cars with comparable mileages but owned by me from about 1year old are with expensive problems mentioned.:-

 

(1) Hillman Imp 875cc -Stuck once Oil drain plug fell out my fault (Inexpensive)

(2) Rover 2.7 Stirling - Stuck once Motorway. Auto box broken. Used replacement half shaft from beakers 3 weeks later Auto box oil had to much leak away.

(3) Nissan Micra II (bubble) MAF failure at 82,000 miles

(4) Mondeo II 1.8TDi Air Con Evaporator failure

It would be unfair to compare them with other cars that I have managed only 50k miles in.

 

 

2002 Galaxy Ghia 1.9TDi 115bhp new:-

 

63,000 miles Clutch slave cylinder goes south of Bacelona near Tarragona with Caravan on the back. Repair around £800. NO DMF required but dealer tried it on.

 

73,000 miles Overheating again. Impellor detaches from shaft on French Motorway North of Lyon, with caravan on the back. Ford Dealer/mechanic no idea. Thought it was Thermostat. Total cost around £550

 

118,000 miles Overheating again Spanish Motorway, 40 miles from destination, caravan on the back - dreaded pressurized water bottle, no oil in water. Head gasket with skim and new bolts etc. £1300 Tried belt and Pump first as Spanish mechanic did not believe me again!

 

Just to illustrate my driving:-

 

Rear Pads 68,000 miles

Front Pads 108,000 miles

Rear Disc, Pads + 2 Re furbished rear calipers (Total cost £160 for MOT and selling purposes)

3 full Sets of Tyres -last set Bridgestones symetrical look to be the best after 11,000 miles ( £500 always XL)

Oil changed every 9-10k fully synthetic 5W-40 or 5W-30 from 2nd service after I discovered local Ford UK agent using Ford 10W-30's after close inspection of the 2nd bill. Lost my faith (again) in main dealers after that.

 

Alloy wheel refurbed stove enamelled (£220)

 

No DMF required, (Don't trundle along and try to accelerate from less than 1500rpm.

Air Con checked twice, partial refill 1st time 20%, 2nd time 75%. (FORCE system to work, even in winter, by selecting lowest possible temperature, once per week at least. DON'T rely upon Auto mode)

 

Of course there are all the other normal bits, alternator clutch, drop links,top front suspension bush/bearings, ball joints, exhaust 1 complete- one part, glow plugs, aux heater failed 60,000 miles no fix as I spend winter time in Southern Spain etc

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

My real grouch is about the faults that lead to breakdown on motorways - All VW/Audi related and repeated on VW/Audi marks by those from Belgium and Germany I know own them.

 

Major:-

 

(1) VW famed reliability - Cra@p and Double Cr@p = big time.

 

Minor:-

 

(2) Gearbox (manual) always notchy and I can imagine with unsympathetic drivers replacement required. Noticed it was getting worse and had oil changed (special) at 120,000 miles and was somewhat better. Not expensive €20 + Labour, part of the servicing/ inspection.

 

(3) Rear two seats damned heavy to get in and out

 

(4) Noisy listening to radio at 70-80mph engine noise.

 

(5) Front seats slightly too short along the thigh for me. Seat height tended to compensate.

 

Now we know why Ford made their own Galaxy III. This time I went 2nd hand just in case the Peugeot based engine 2.0 TDCI is fractious ad I can dump the car sooner, plus my mileage has dropped from 15k/annum to around 11k.

 

Look here for one set of reliability figures :-

 

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/ratings/best/MPV

 

Note S-Max is sister vehicle to Galaxy III. Only some body panels are different. Built on the same production line in Genk (?), Belgium, with Mondeo I believe?

 

The Galaxy mentioned lower down the scale may show a III pic but data relates only to earlier Models. Note VW is further down still.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Tows really well, 2000kg is correct, easy to drive, good visibility, spacious, good on fuel efficiency but totally negated by engine related faults AND 40,000 mile belt changes. Seems well rust protected but I suspect as most modern cars that are built for/in Northern Europe are nowadays.

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Wish list:-

 

Mondeo II - reliability, economy and ultra low cost of ownership/maintenance..

 

Galaxy III - space, quietness, but with rear seats folding to form a completely level rear compartment

 

Galaxy II (Sharan) - high up seating,ease of entry (seats swivel)

 

Towing Capacity of at least 2000kg.

Edited September 16, 2012 by Sher

[cugsy]

This is my second Galaxy. I had a 2.3 petrol S reg lump before. It was cheap at £750 with 107K on it. I had it for about 18mths and it sailed through mot's. The aircon didn't work though and the trim was fairly shagged. The previous owner used it for car boots and it ponged a bit. But it was a rugged thing - I took it down trails that 4x4 drivers chickened out on. Ultimateley though, at 23mpg it had to go and I sold it cheap.

 I've had a few big cars and always preferred Jap cars. My first 2 mpv's were Nissan Prairies and I ran them both to death. Absolutely reliable but eventually they cost more to repair and parts for them were lacking. I had a 2.0 petrol auto Espace which was beautiful but a bugger for the electrics...worse than the Galaxy. It was probably the most comfortable vehicle I ever drove. I'm a big boy, 6'3 and a lard arse with lots of arthritic bits. But that Espace was nice. I had a Toyota Yaris Verso for 6mths until it got flattened by a camper van. The decision to buy another Galaxy rather than an Espace was from feedback both on here and the garage I use. A no brainer - 'don't buy a french car they said. Get a diesel Galaxy. 

 This one came with a new cambelt,waterpump,new shocks,head gasket recently done too. And the auto gearbox stripped and rebuilt...all in the past 4-6 months.  Of course, it could all go tits up but I rang all of those garages and they stood by their warranties. After a trip to Fords in Stevenage (where they spent 4 hours doing jack sh#t and charging £300) its now in a local auto electric garage and they solved more in 4 hours at a quarter the cost that Fords charge..no news there then. The aircon is next. Currently, after tires and electrics it stands me at about £2500 - a 12 year old car with 97k on it. But, if I get 3 or 4 years out of it I'm happy. Towbar next and a caravan. Oh gawd    John

[daddyfixit]

had it 8 years @ 162 k miles ;

2 x batteries

2 cambelt kits,

2 waterpumps,

aircon compressor,

aux-heater blower motor repair,

3 heater plugs for the above

run-on waterpump brushes renewed

1 set front discs

2 sets front pads

1 set rear pads

6 droplinks

1 rear exhaust box

2 rear brake pipes

2 grille badges

1 tailgate badge

1 full drivers mirror (paid for by person who smashed it off)

1 x drivers seat reclining adjuster wheel 

1 osr light lens (smashed by anonymous person in car park)

4 sets wiper blades

countless tailgate loom repairs

2 drivers door loom repairs

16 tyres !!!!  yes 16..michelins (but now bought 4 x evergreen reinforced)

 all repairs done by me except the aircon pump ---done and regassed by a mate.

 

been worth ever penny and no intentions of getting rid.

[Scorpiorefugee]

I've just found this and enjoyed a lot of interesting reading. I think I must have been very lucky with mine. Possibly because I diagnosed and usually fixed most of the problems myself with a lot of help from this site. The first bought at 140K was by far the best doing another 100K with very little expensive work. I inherited a few problems when I bought it, like wipers, temperature sensor, Maf and I had a full service and cambelt, all in the first few weeks. After that it went for the next few years with none of the problems listed above apart from one full set of brake disks and pads and a couple of minor issues usually cured by a squirt of oil. My attitude to servicing is to keep it away from Fords and have it serviced every 60K with the cambelt then oil changes every 15k or so.

My MKII Ghia was bought 6 months after the other as a "going out/holiday" car but I always enjoyed driving the MKI best. This was used less and cost far more in maintenance but I always felt that this was down to poor maintenance when the previous owner trusted Ford.

I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed driving any other vehicle as much. My son now has the MKII and, in spite of his very reluctant acceptance of it to get him out of trouble he now absolutely loves it and won't let me have it back even as a swap.

Sadly, I now have a 12 reg MKIII Titanium.

The MKI was comfortable, a delight to drive, economical and much loved by all who went in her.

The MKIII is NONE of these. Even my 2 grandaughters aged 5 and 3 prefer the MKII. I think Ford have lost the plot completely, or possibly it's what the designers come up with just to prove that they can do it. Does anyone actually design cars to move people about reliably and economically at legal speeds and in comfort or do they go more for high tech. fashion accessories?

Edited October 14, 2013 by Scorpiorefugee