Ford SZ Territory Ownership Update! Is this once popular Australian SUV worth buying in 2024? 

Working as a fleet manager for one of the main car rental companies, we had both petrol and diesels on fleet. I can’t ever remember any issues with Territory. Granted they were brand new, but trust me, a lot of brand new cars had all sorts of issues from day one. What a shame Ford Australia is no longer with us.

It came at the end of when a simple vehicle was still available and despite being an SUV it doesn't have the obnoxiousness of one. The bonnet is sloped down enough that drivers can see past it, it's not impossible to park because it's designed for function and not for someone to live out a fantasy, it's a 7 seater in a footprint that only gets 5 seats now and it doesn't look like it had an ARB catalogue thrown at it.

I bought a used 2011 Territory. Diesel one. I love it. The one I bought had a damaged engine but my father and I swapped it for a working engine. Picked the car up for about $1000 NZD and got the new engine for $1200. Real good go getter and very practical. One Territory I do want however is the F6X. It's an absolute unicorn.

Ok this is great telling us what we have lost in the Australian car industry. I too own a 2010 territory, one of the best cars I’ve owned. First thing I did was replace the rear window struts. This simple fix allows the rear winds to basically open itself so you don’t lift from the flimsy plastic trim.

I bought a new Territory Turbo Ghia back in the day. What a phenomenal car. Had the same feeling as you driving home one night with sleeping baby and wife thinking wow - what a car. Liked a drink but fortunately I had a fuel card from work at the time so no bother. Great memories.

I don’t really like SUVs but this is one of the only ones I’ve always thought was cool. The fact they did an FPV version is unbelievably cool too!

Had 4 territory's in the past, all petrol, one being turbo. Has now been replaced with an Everest. I miss the last of the them because they were just a bigger falcon which really worked well. Shame we had to screw ourselves over with the car manufacturing here in Australia, would be awesome to see what we could pump out with all the new technologies coming

I recently got a 2007 SY territory with 300,000kms in immaculate condition for free with 10 months rego. Best thing ever. Super comfy, looks good, feels good to drive. Beautiful.

Quick anecdote, I was talking to the owner of a fairly large motor wreckers yesterday, standing next to a diesel Territory. He said he can sell those diesel Territory engines all day everyday usually to a guy who puts them in Land Rovers. They are actually a Ford engine they were made when Ford owned Land Rover. Ford Lion V6. It is essentially the same engine that is now in the new V6 Ford Ranger

They saved the best for last. Look at how many of them that are still on the road. They have their issues for sure, but they just keep going and going and they are cheap as chips for what they are. The barra is a monstrous combination for such a large car. They were already very thirsty engines in the Falcon. But how many SUVs have 195kw in their base trim level? And the barra itself is near unkillable. And the diesel is okay i guess.

Great review Shaun. I have owned two Terry’s and SY and SY2, the SY2 being a Barra Turbo Ghia. I still have it, I bought it at 7 YO and 130k, now at 260k, 8 years on. It does and goes everywhere, from Cooper Pedy to the snow. I normally swap the family car every 5 years or so, but cant bring myself to part with this one as nothing comes close to doing everything that my Terry does. Happy motoring

my mum just sold her 2007 territory turbo 300 thousand Kays, and yes things where going wrong, but motor was still flawless. was driving it on my L's and I loved it. so quick.

They are indeed a most comfortable vehicle to be passenger in. The local engineers who put the old falcon on stilts should be mighty proud of what they achieved with the resources they had available. If Fords marketing department had allocated the resources that the vehicle deserved, it could have sold in vastly higher numbers, could have been an export success. Maybe there in lies the problem, maybe Ford didn't want them Orzies building a better American car than their Merican engineers could?

Check the drivers side rear upper shocker rubber before you change all the bushes. It usually goes before the bushes.

I have an SZ diesel with over 300000kms, they’re great cars. The diesels have their own issues like you say, but I’ve learnt to love it. Regarding your centre bearing, super easy to replace, I’ve done mine as an exchange tail shaft from Grant Walker Parts, $750 for the change over. Highly recommend.

Thanks. An enjoyable look back at an iconic car. I still remember the excitement when the R7 was released at the Melbourne (I think?) car show.

Yes we want more Territory videos! I bought a petrol 2015 in July last year. The transmission in mine died after a couple of months. Fortunately it was under warranty so the dealer replaced it. It has driveline vibrations now so I need to get the tail shaft balanced up, I think the dealer f*cked it when they switched the transmission. Besides the ZF issues it’s been fantastic. I love the ride, the power, how quiet it is. The Barra is so torquey it basically never has to go above 2k RPM around town. I get around 13 L/100km but that’s basically all driving around the suburbs.

I'm glad you didn't get a lemon. It's pretty common where I live that Territory's have no plastics on the tailgate. Might be a good idea to do a video on the Centre Bearing replacement & another video on the Diff Bushes. Hopefully there's a Nolothane set you can buy. The older Territory models I used to see in my mates smash repairs all the time & the owners basically thrashed the nut off them.

Great to see an update of the Territory on the channel. 👍

You made a good decision there . I love my Territory. Also you'll notice there's not a lot of videoes about Territories on RU-vid.

Thanks for the niche tips! Was looking at getting this exact series.

We are taking a look at a 2014 diesel one tomorrow. 122,000 k's and $5,000 but both right side doors need bodywork or the outer skins replacing. The owners are elderly and both have recently handed back there licenses. If we get the Territory we have a 4T 2 post hoist which makes the servicing and repairs a lot easier.

Great video, enjoyed your realistic feedback

Great video as always!😊

You just drover past my local mechanic and coles supermarket hahaha - awesome video mate

Awesome cars. They really captured some lightning in a bottle with the Territory. Glad you dig it!

G'day Sean. I've had my SZ for 8 years now. The longest i've ever held onto a car for. Yep, i broke a tailgate bracket, but apart from wear & tear things, it has not let me down once. I'll keep it for a few more years i reckon. Great reliable Barra motor as well. Keep up the great videos mate, & take care.

Barra is remarkably robust, there is a lady from my partners home town who uses the accelerator like it's an on off switch in her territory, always amazes me it hasn't blown up yet!

Great video and great truck. I was lucky enough to find a SY2 Ghia here in NZ with 28km three years ago. Now done 45km, no problems at all.

that's a very nice example of a Territory 😎

Good ol' Terror Tree, there's a reason why so many of them are still kicking about.

thanx for the review i've been considering buying a territory

I have a June 2016 Terrirtory Titanium CDI purchased new now done 49,000 klm best car ever not keen to ever sell ever as its one of the last Aussie built cars.

I had a late model diesel one as a work car. I loved it. Drive from Strathpine to Mackay on one tank of fuel.

As a Mitsubishi man, he seems why I followed you TH Magna build, well done by the way, the last Ford Territory always appealed to me. I would never buy one but I am going to enjoy following you on this journey.

We nearly bought one of the Diesels as our family 7 seat SUV, but i found a lot of the issues you mentioned, spent a bit more to get a recently modern Santa Fe Diesel, seems they are quite reliable, though the DCT 8 speed does scare me a bit with memories of Fiesta/Focus hehe, although its a Wet Clutch which is better apparently. Our Santa Fe Diesel does between 5.5L to 6.5L/100km on the Highway, combined of 7.5L, and i'm still adjusting my driving style for it plus it has some Multi Terrain tyres on it already which I will replace with more efficient Highway tyres when they wear out.

I enjoy your vids good sir, keep em up!👍 Added benefit, get a tour through Ippy and I get to see the main drag, even though I haven't been there in ages! 😂😂

Drove a TX rear wheel drive, blue 7 seater. Beautiful car.

We had the FPV version for about 5-6 years. The 270kw turbo barra is such a fun car but preventative maintenance is expensive. I would definitely have another territory, but id want the turbo one. Great video as always mate

Was a self employed sales agent servicing most of NSW regional areas from 1997 to 2016. Purchased a 2005 Territory from new and did 212000K within 3 years without a blemish. For reasons I can't explain went with Holdens (again without any issues) for the next 15 years averaging 85000K per annum. Once retired in 2017 purchased a van so went out and bought a petrol 2009 Territory Ghia which, although an older car, served me well apart from body rattles and small oil leaks. Fast forward to 2023 and with another heavier van went for a 2014 diesel private sale Territory and turned out to be a real disaster. Would go into limp mode absolutely at random which can be deadly on the M1 towing a 2 ton van. Despite months of investigation at 3 different experts could not be fixed. Sorry to say the worst experience I have had after so many cars that never let me down.

They remind me of an XF Falcon wagon a mate had back in the early 2000s. Hot or cold weather, it was just a comfortable rig to get into and get where you wanted to go without wanting to hurry, but also it had good torque to motor along easily.

As to diesel, I think you have been listening to those people who buy cheap, long ks, unserviced, and not maintained. After running two bara Territorys and currently 2 diesel Territorys, I have had no problems with either engine type. I only buy lower ks, well serviced and maintained vehicles. Running them to about 300,000 ks. Current 2013 diesel has only had the belts done at 190,000, front link pins, both front window switches, and brake pads. At over 200,000 ks, it is as good as gold and nothing to replace, just oils. The problem with seeking info from fb forums on any vehicle is that they are full of "dollar wals," buying cheap and then winging because everything went wrong. Not realising that the reason the vehicle was sold in the first place and cheap was because its time was up.

Hi Shawn sounds like the car is going well.Good advice for someone looking to buy that model.

Just got a 2011 SZ TS Petrol for $8K with 220k on clock. Loving it. Thanks for info about center bearing & Trans cooler.

I grew up in a SX TS RWD (weirdly with cream leather that was supposed to be a Ghia thing? might've been an optional extra or something) and later a SZ mk. i Titanium petrol. honestly pretty great cars - one of the few soft roaders I actually like, although the 2nd row was really hard, uncomfortable and had little bolstering, and fuel use was through the roof. the UA ii Everest we have now gets similar economy towing 2.7 tonnes as the Territory did with just being a standard family car. beyond that I loved the sound of the engine, especially when it gets to about 4k RPMs or more, plus the amount of little cubby-holes there are is fantastic. you can tell the people behind Territory actually had kids and so they hit the nail on the head.

I had a 2013 SZ Titanium diesel that I bought with 60,000 kms on it. Superb car for all the same reasons you mentioned, plus the diesel was fast, quiet and super economical. 7L/100 country and 8.5 to 9L/100 town driving. I sold it with 130,000 kms and never missed a beat. Only sold it because my driving routine changed to lots of short trips, so not suitable for diesel’s. But great cars for the money.

I have had 2 of them - both fantastic cars.

Had a 2010 SY 2 RWD Ghia, great car. Had a few issues but. Bushes, uneven tyre ware, hated towing, door handles broke!! Loved it till the misses got t boned!!! CX 9 now, so good!!!

As a mechanic that works on these things daily, save yourself the heartache and get a petrol over the diesel. Yes they do have issues but are easily fixable.

Ive got an SZ mk2 and for open road travelling they are awesome

I bought an SZII diesel late last year. Absolutely love it. The biggest issue with the diesels is skipped maintenance. Mine is an ex-Ford company car so hopefully nothing was missed.

Haha wow I can't believe you got a territory aswell! I upgraded from my TJ magna wagon to a 5 seater petrol 2011 SZ territory. Only problem I had was the fuel pump dying in my drive way (not fun to replace... facing downwards on a hill and having to drop the tank) and also a rouge leak on the interior when it rains really heavy... I'll be honest though my.magna was way more fuel efficient at 8 litres per 100km vs 10 in the territory at the exact same routes every day, heck even my VE ss manual ute was more economical than the territory, the ZF seems to rev too much at 100-110 on the highways driving from Brisbane to Gold Coast. After 2 years so far with the territory I still think it's a great hauler regardless.

I had a 2012 CX-9 Grand Touring, and it had all the bells and whistles for a 2012 car. Bose audio, 7 leather seats, 20 inch rims, 7 inch touch screen, TomTom GPS, sun roof and auto tail gate. We got it for 12k with 189,000km, it was floor less and an awesome car, it was also powered by a 3.7 V6 Ford engine.

Much better than the Craptiva

this quote fits the Territory to a 'T' "the after market has your back!" the amount of after market support for the Terri is amazing, BTW when it comes to replacing bushes DO NOT GO OEM! always go Nolathane! and never have any trouble again.

I have a xr6 turbo and a sz territory exactly the same. And I wanted 2wd barra to. And I got it for family car and daily and I absolutely love it. And at first I was going to upgrade grills and fender indicators to titanium. As I don't like leather and planned to get kayhan which I did. But the black grill and black fender indicators have really grown on me. Kind of makes it tougher looking reminds of a cop car. With black bits on white.

My dads friend dropped a boss 260 in a 2004 or 2005 territory it goes hard and is so cool haha

After having a few falcons as daily cars I always wanted to try a territory, ended up picking up one last year and it's been a solid old bus. Then this year found a screaming deal for a turbo Barra territory and had to snap it up and couldn't believe how quick they can be.

I agree they are great value for money. I'm currently looking for a VF Commodore sport wagon for my wife and for 15 grand I'm blown away with the value they have right now.

Got two 1 SX and 1 SYII, both AWD and LPG and parents have SYII RWD, mine is the SYII AWD with the 6 speed the others have the 4speed box, 4 speed is better for towing but the 6speed is a dream. Use the right fluid and keep it at the right level, ie... watch for leaks and get it fixed, 4 speed on the other hand can run till you cant change gears top up and it will continue to run like nothing happened. Rear window glass is fine, it is the hinges you need to watch there is a pin that drifts out over time and is easy to fix/watch, take the cover off and tap the little pin back in and you will not have an issue. The plastic is only bad if you don't know how to open the rear glass as people will just pull on it or push the door button and pull breaking the clips, it even says on the rear what to press... but easy to fix yourself only an issue if all of them break. Driver Window switch is an issue... who in there bright mind designed it to lay flat and water gets in there even on a light sprinkle... easy to fix and cheap, most have a spare handy to swap in. Center bearing is a maintenance item, feel it fix it or can lead to other issues same as diff bushes once one goes it can put wear on the others and lead to them failing faster, and when you replace one it is a while you are there job, 3-4hrs if you know your stuff, drop craddle and have at it. Some shops charge like a wounded bull and some people just work on bushes and you are done for $400 in and out. Brakes are simple as you know. Diesel was more about the range and economy, for city it is stupid most fail as they don't get the extended highway runs to get everything up to temp and burn the buildup off, but if you are regional/bush it is great.

Love the Territory’s. I’m currently driving my Mrs old SX after she upgraded. We were on the fence wether to get the newer territory but ultimately decided on a CX-5. We got a 2013 top of the line petrol for $14000. Have owned it 9 months and yet to have a problem (touch wood).

Love the sound of my diesel. Puts out more black smoke than I’d like but no DPF. My footwell is wetter than the lawn after Sydney’s few days of rain. Spent loads of money and several forums and can’t seem to fix it. Water flows down from behind the dashboard. Even had the dash removed at one point.

I can agree with putting a bigger exhaust on the barra 6 - I remember the first time I saw a hot rod in a small speedway circuit in about 2006, and that thing sounded absolutely terrible. The high-pitched growl/scream scared the kids off, and the crowd was just wondering what the hell was going on. I'm glad they've gotten quieter in the speedway cricuit since then (most likely noise restrictions), but the single cam i6's have a very nice note to them that can't be matched

We have had 2 territories an SY turbo ghia and now an SZ barra , both have been flawless , with over 400,000 km on the SY with only front suspension ball joint replacements . Unfortunately it was destroyed in a fire not related to the car and now we have a SZ barra with over 300,000 km and the only repair out side of normal consumables is front ball joints. We have some dirt roads to travel frequently and no other vehicle has handled the dirt as well as these particularly around suspension repairs. Great cars and I dont know what I am going to replace it with in the future.

That elusive person who looks at a Territory and goes “ohhh… *chefs kiss*”? Yeah, that’s me 😂 it makes me so happy to see you enjoying this car so much, I feel exactly the same in that I wouldn’t have anything else for that sort of money. I’m about to sell my SY Turbo Ghia and I already know I’ll regret it, but I’m hoping I can convince my partner to keep our petrol SZ2 Titanium for a good while longer.

I got my 2014 SZ titanium diesel a few years ago for 15K. Has been an absolutely great vehicle with minimal issues

Re the brakes - worn callipers can cause pads to drag. Have overhauled the callipers with eBay kit and cleaned up piston and solved or drastically reduced warping of discs on 4 falcons in the family.

Thanks for the look at and feedback on the Territory mate.

lol. We have the exact same model, similar k’s and year rwd petrol. We had the same window issue, same window, I had to pull the switches out to be able to lock the car one night before replacement. And after owning more Fords than I can remember, I have never heard about the brake pedal/booster adjustment. The rotor pulse has started again and I’ll be doing that next change. I don’t know what car we will get when we need to replace it one day, nothing compares.

I have the turbo version of this car from 2006. What a beast

When you service transmission update the pan to steel , and always change the megatronic wiring sleeve at the same time.

One sleeper option for a good family hauler is a 08+ XC70 Volvo. Surprisingly plentiful and cheap parts. Easy to work on. The 5 cylinder diesel is amazing and well known for 500k km on the motor, plus 400k+ on the 6 speed auto in them. Stupid cheap and amazingly comfortable car.

Love my 2012 FG. Only issue has been a bad brake booster. The correct booster was quite difficult to find new.

So I’ve recently bought a 2008 SY. Love it and shattered I didn’t make the plunge sooner. The biggest surprise is that I can fit a pallet between the rear wheel arches. Friend bought a new 2WD Everest for $75k. I can get more stuff in the territory than he can in that. It makes one wonder what we’ve done by loosing such a great car.

Check the top thermostat housing as they warp and cause the leak. We have an sy turbo with 500 plus km. Still a beautiful car to drive.

Bought one of the last Terri's from the factory in '16, converted it to liquid LPG. I don't intend on replacing for a long time. It's only 40,000kms.

i think the ride quality can be attributed to it being the same platform as the Fairlane, LTD and long roof wagon. the chassis isn't very much longer but it does seem to make a difference. also the extra weight helps it glide along.

Great review always entertaining I always enjoy your laid back informative approach My friend leased a turbo petrol version of the territory when they were released did you look at purchasing one of those or are they rare or too expensive👍🇦🇺🙏...

watch out for the struts and bushings, common problem in the falcons and it costs a tonne to fix the bushings

Nice - Seems the Territory was a great alternative to the BA's.

Speaking from personal experience my 2014 SZ Diesel RWD Territory has been a great buy. Bought it at 60,000km and have now done 150,000km. Apart from regular servicing have only had the drive belt & tensioner replaced, and am just about to do the 10 year camshaft timing belt, high pressure fuel pump belt and coolant flush etc major service - which is a known expense. Comfy for trips and loads of space for luggage and tall people. Overall I think the diesel Territory's get a bum wrap. I see way more SZ/SZII diesels on the road than petrol models so they are obviously still very popular. Great fuel economy on trips and not too bad around town either. I'd buy one again tomorrow.

ive had three of them here in new zealand love it great car wish they still made them my later ones a diesel

Holden Captiva m8 😎

A friend of mine has one the same as this but unfortunately he bought the diesel model! He’s owned it for approximately 7 years now and in this time he has had quite a few issues with it. A lot of front end components have needed replacing,the fuel injectors went on it,the main fuel pump went bad which costs a lot on a diesel,I recall him saying it was an insane price and to top it all off he’s now dealing with some rust issues as well. But still he keeps it. I would have gave up ages ago.

Had the turbo for 12 years. Lots of repairs, 279k now but it has been retired to a weekend car and is a torque beast and still goes as good as ever thanks to a new turbo at 250k

When I bought my G6E back in 2011 as soon as the warranty ran out I fitted an external transmission oil cooler because if the Ford method goes wrong then it's an expensive replacement transmission of 10K+. Because of what happens to the transmission's computer it completely kills it requiring a whole new transmission. Ford told me that my warranty would be voided if I went ahead and fitted the external oil cooler. But I pointed out to them that was not possible for once a car's warranty has expired then there is no warranty left to cancel. With later Aussie Ford autos an external oil cooler is a wise investment and money well spent. I had mine done for me and it cost $500 price plus fitment which is a hell of a lot cheaper than 10K+ for a new transmission. The ZF 6HP26 is a very widely used transmission being used in Jaguars, Maserati and high end BMW and is still superior in it's shifting patterns and selecting the right gear to be in over other transmissions. My G6E was built in 2009 with the external oil cooler being fitted in 2012 and here we are in 2024 and no transmission problems.

I got a 2016 TS Petrol in a semi matte looking grey for 16K , last year, recently put a "fumoto oil valve" made in japan on it, if you havent used one before, get one that fits the falcon, works on the territory. I Will do anti milkshake soon.

Hi there, you may find it is the rear lower inner control arm bushing thats clunking, its a cradle down job on my 2003 ba xr6 so if it is the diff bushes do them too

Love the territory We have a 2010 petrol 4 speed Yes it has cost us a bunch in maintenance but there is nothing comparable on the market at this price point or value

they had a wonderful knack of blowing the diff bushes / centre bearing shortly after the new car warranty expired

Buy cross drilled rotors too. Worked a charm on my old wagon, stopped the overheating and warping.

Agree, they are brilliant cars for the money. Now they're getting older, they have aged well & ALWAYS drive so well, being based on the BA wagon is reason why.

I owned a diesel version.It was pretty good.If you miss timing belt service you will be in trouble plus belt for fuel pump.After 10 years aircon died couldnt open any windows,tailgate buggered.Also previously did ball joints,diff bushes.Ranger Rover engine that is.

I’ve got a BA fairlane 5.4 and the diff bush set up on the territory at the back is the same I’m told the four-wheel-drive territory has double the issue because it’s the same set up at the front and the back Nolathane do a diff bush kit I use the original Ford on mine because I was told that the design and the rubber used has been revised and improved and I’m aware Nolathane can give a bit of a hard ride but I doubt that diff bushes will make much of a difference to the ride feel……. Id go nolathane in your case……

Ive got a discovery 3 with the 2.7TD, doesnt really give too many regular issues and ive got 440,000km on mine. Cant imagine why the territory would be any worse. Most of my concerns with the engine can be related to plastic component in the cooling system - especially at the age mine is at!

Territorys are such great cars! They are a bargain, big and easy to drive! The RWD barra (if not going gor a turbo barra of course) is the way to go, it's a dependable and easy to work on drive trrain. The SZ and the SYII Ghias are definitely the way to go, but always look look for a clean example, it may be a couple of grand more but we'll worth it. And the 10-15k they cost, they look at least double that to the general public who have no idea what they cost

This looks like the Ford Freestyle in the US. That was the best car I owned. Bought a 2005 model with the 3L, 24v V6 with 44, 000 miles on it in June of 2007. Gave it to my son's daycare provider in November of 2013 with 245K miles. She drove it another 2 yesrs, put another 50,000 miles on it and sold it to someone for $1,000 US I miss that car....

Was travelling from small city NZ to small town NZ a few years ago in my G6E-T following a Territory Turbo who was gunning it hard (nothing dangerous, straight roads and minimal traffic) - my Falcon (slightly modified) was having no trouble keeping up, I was sticking behind him... but then some member of the public we'd passed must have phoned us in and I got pulled over for a warning whilst the territory driver, whom I was only following at the same speed, continued on... always thought the G6E-T was a bit of a sleeper - but the Territory had it beat apparently. As far as the thermostat goes - those things all seem to leak - my G6E-T leaked, my sister-in-laws NA FG leaked - I replaced the gasket in mine and it still leaked, so I pulled it out again and RTV'd the sh*t out of it - no more leaks. Also regarding the transmission heat exchanger - spoke to my local Ford service techs about it - the later models had a different heat exchanger fitted which is much more reliable. I still replaced mine - just a few weeks before an idiot looking at their phone drove into it and wrote it off unfortunately.

I’ve been running a vapour injected 2015 SZ2 for almost 2 years as an Uber vehicle It’s been good but they’ve been running costs - suspension bushes and shocks, brakes etc. I drove it for 2 months on petrol before the LPG conversion and it goes much harder on LPG especially in the midrange It’s been a great car and I’ll hang on to it - just make sure you use super pro diff bushes because the standard rubber Mackay bushes are rubbish Make sure you replace the control blade bushes with super pro too

should have put the 20gs onto this thing instead of the magna......jokes mate love the channel.