I sold my 05 2.0 TDCi and I regret it. It had problems, but the space, the materials(it was a ghia), the power and the ride it was all fenomenal. Oh and the Sony radios are top class.
Still have my Mk3 Ghia X 2.5 V6 manual and I refuse to ever rid of it. Good power, good sound and great handling. Plan to put a few grand into it next summer to make it 100%.
I have a 2003 V6 Zetec S, cracking car.... Only problems have been a few broken springs and a few wheel bearings and rear brake pipes, nothing too bad....owned it since 06
@@markbro4427 We had a family owned N plate 2.5 Auto estate, NOT the Ghia model, and it ran for 120k over 20 years. What a car. It "died" of electrical gremlins that got too silly to keep lobbing out on in the end. I bought a 54 plate one owner very well looked after example, 2.5 Ghia X auto estate 4 years ago for £1k, and being 62 years old, that's the best grand I'll ever spend. I've spent the same again on it, and this car will see me out. What a motor. What's not to like !!!
Yeah if these cars weren't liked they wouldn't be do many high mileage ones about, just don't let the tank get low dirt gets through too easily to injectors, shell nitro diesel seems to sort the problem if you detect it soon enough, difficult starting and limp mode on hard acceleration.
@@marklittler784 yeah my mondeo is serviced every 10 000 miles. Emissions can be a bit of a problem but a good thrashing clears it. I'm just gonna put a set of injectors in it this week. Its still on the original at 367000 miles. Fantastic
120k, original clutch and flywheel, injectors,fuel pump, Steering rack, and gearbox, had a few a new water pump and belt, pas pump and belt,wheel bearings (3), Egr hoses(2) I’ll get a silicone one next time. Not cheap, but not a total disaster either. I could have spent a lot more on finance every month for 4 years. Hopefully keep it for another 4 years, and then it will be sold for pennies or for scrap.
Loved my MK3 titanium X. Loved it far more than my current MK4 titanium X. A. It was sharp looking. B. The boot actually had room where as my current Mondeo has a full size spare taking up all the boot floor. C. Felt sharper to drive. Really direct. D. My 130 felt quicker than my current 163. Less laggy as well. E. Mine did 48mpg when ragged, 56 mpg when steady. My MK4 does 41 tops. Maybe 45 on a long steady run but that's driving like a snail. Oh and bonnet struts. Where are they on a MK4?????
Guys why you don't use decimal measurements...when you talk about miles and gallons you mean Britain's or US's measurements? Gallon is 3,785 or 4,546 liters? My mk3 mondeo per 100 km is drinking some 4,5 liters on a freeway and some 6-6,5 liters on city-driving at most 7 in the winter conditions. It is good for me...
It's the opposite for me my mk4 2.0 duratec is way better than my old mk3 petrol. It feels tighter, handles better and the brakes are a lot more responsive. Also the handbrake is a huge improvement, takes just a click and the back brakes are locked solid. I will admit though the shape of the mk3 is is sharper especially in top spec. My old one was a Ghia x with black leather and with 155k miles.
Me same I have down graded from the MK4 back to the MK3 I have the 130 tdci had it remapped and boy she goes this 130bhp feels quicker than the MK4 140bhp the steering on the MK4 felt more heavy thank the MK3 this is my 3rd MK3 I had the 115bhp then the. 2.2 155bhp st and now this 130 and this 130 is the best ever out the 4 I have owned I got car for £400 with 102k and it's in amazing condition I have owned it 4months and covered 107k I have done 5k in 4 months and not one problem at all you get alot of car for your money with these the one I have is the zetec s with similar body kit to the st I have lowered it 60mm and handles amazing although standard springs was good too
My mate, a pro musician does well out of old mondeos. He buys a 10-12 yr old 1.8 petrol with low mileage (60-80k)for around a grand and drives them 20k miles a year. He doesn’t service them but MOT’s them. He usually gets at least 3 years out of them and then scraps them and gets the next one. They usually just get treated to 1 oil change in that period. He never seems to have problems or unreliability issues. His current car is a 52 plate 1.8 Zetec with 130k on it. Probably in its last year of existence.
Had a 2.0 TDDI mk3 mondeo and sold it with just shy of 250k. I was so happy with the car before I sold it I wanted the top of the range mk3 so I bought one, an st220 and I still own it to this day. Love them and its great
I once met the guy who designed the dashboard on these. Went out to do a job for him and he was telling me how that particular day was his last day working for ford and how he designed the dashboards in these. With the duratec he engines I always found at higher mileages they become very fuel hungry and start burning oil if not looked after. I know of vehicles where 23mpg or thereabouts is the Norm on a 2.0 duratec especially if auto. Had to do a few subframe bushes but have a nice tool for doing them.
I'd love to buy that guy a pint, he made an excellent job of the design. Every time I sat in mine I felt happy at owning a great looking car. Especially the font choice on the gauges, good design is a neglected art but he nailed it. Compare it to the shitty art-over-function rotated numbers of the Skoda gauges, I could never bring myself to buy one. Did you remember his name at all?
tree goo I don’t know if he is still with us unfortunately. Was about 2 years ago now and the reason that day was his last day was because I think he said he had cancer and because he was slow getting up and down the stairs in the ford building he worked he had to take retirement on health and safety grounds because they said if there was a fire he can’t use the lifts. He was already past retirement age but I assume because he loved his job he just carried on working until he was effectively told he had to go on health and safety grounds. But he had a mk3 Mondeo himself but his daughter had an accident in it. So he got me out to take any refrigerant out of it, as he was repairing it. And while I was doing that I had a short chat with him and he was telling me how he designed the dashboard in the mk3 Mondeo. Was a bit of a privilege to meet him. At his time of leaving he said he was designing exhaust brackets lol which was a little less glamorous. Can’t remember what vehicle he said that was on now. So he probably had a hand in designing quite a bit on various ford models. Looking at the house he had I’d say he was one of the higher up or lead designers.
@@Clicksystems- thanks for the reply, that's so sad :/ But still, I bet he'd be happy someone out there appreciated his work. A couple of years ago I was talking to a couple in the industry, she worked at Bentley and he was at Ford, and I was having this same conversation then. Mostly about how using Sony radios with a completely clashing sloped button layout ruined the whole aesthetic.
I had a mk3 2003 mondeo, 2.0 tdci I got 155000 miles out of original injectors and dmf/clutch. Only sold as both started to fail. I think mine did so well as it was serviced regularly. Not used on cheap fuel and not thrashed. Power steering pump was the worst job I had to do on it.
I'm in a relatively low mileage 2006 2.2TDCi with 110K miles and absolutely adore it. Still on the original injectors, so on borrowed time with them, but so far, so good. :D
Use good quality fuel and put some system cleaner through every now and again. The original injectors can last a long time if looked after. The problem is the fuel pump not getting lubricated, it wearing out and throwing swarf into the injectors. If you look after the HP pump, you wont have an issue.
Nice video Alan. After 260,000 miles i only recently replaced my mk3 zetec 130 tdci with a mk4 zetec 140. The mk4 is a much more refined drive. But that mk3 felt much more zippier. My miles are mainly motorway, but I never had to replace injectors or clutch in all those miles, although the dmf was just starting to play up. All 5 mondys I've owned have given sterling service and all taken to over 200k
@@alan4x Yep. Buy a car that you feel is nice enough to keep for a long while. Then use the bledy thing! These people that replace their cars every other year and fear of adding mileage on the clock are the losers....And we are the ones to gain from their cast offs! I've had more problems with cars that have been sat on the drive most of their lives than with high mileage but properly serviced cars.
@@alan4x totally agree. People are duped into driving cars they couldn't otherwise afford, with the trap of a high purchase cost at the end, or a high added cost consisting of mileage premium and cost of every minor dink. The trap means that they will often take the only way out they can afford which is to lease another car. However in the long term the market will collapse, as the second-hand market will be flooded, which means the depreciation cost (the only part punters actually pay for) will be much greater in future.
My 2006 TDCI Ghia has 427,000 miles on the clock. Changed DMF twice! Tried the solid one and had it removed after a week. The car had lost its smoothness and drove like a sports car! You just knew that something, crankshaft or gearbox, was being overstrained. Also, I've had the injectors reconditioned twice for about £350 each time! I still taxi with her here in ireland! They were the best of the Mondeos and even the Garda, the Irish police, will tell you....... THEY ARE BULLET PROOF!
Mondeo Mk3 1.8 petrol with 367000 km right now... good car. Needed a fair amount of repairs over its lifetime so far, but nothing too excessive. Let's see how much longer it lasts.
However, I have the feeling that Ford's reputation in general and the Mondeo's reputation in particular are a lot worse in Germany (where I live) than in the UK.
Great video. My 55 plate 2.2 TDCi is on 255k now and on it's original injectors still! I do about 25k a year in it. The trick I think is regular servicing (car has been properly serviced at scheduled intervals all its life). DMF lasted 160k, alternator was recently replaced at 245k, pas and water pump at 230k. I don't think that's too bad. I'll keep it until the ULEZ comes in in London and it will be uneconomic to commute in it.
I'm looking at getting one in a few months for a work car and it's either the mk3 Volvo S40 or possibly a 406 all diesels. And the biggest thing I hear about the Mondeo is injector problems. But some with high millage....same as the other 2 but the Mondeo looks the best of the 3 easily.
@@1blackballed The injectors fail mainly because people don't service the car properly - you need to change the fuel filter with a genuine Ford (Bosch) one every 12.5k miles. A lot of Mondeos don't get serviced and that's when you start to see a lot of expensive failures.
The MK3 Mondeos were and still are good cars. Ford created them at time where they wanted the Mondeo to be a viable competitor to the 3 Series, C class and A4 rather than just seen as a cheap fleet car or family run about as the Mk1 and 2 were. As such they were over engineered and had a series of very good competent engines in petrol and diesel format. They also were well equipped with even the basic models having electric windows, seats, mirrors etc. The engines, body shells and suspension components were also used by Jaguar on the X Type. Though mainly this was because Jaguar were owned by Ford and in financial trouble at the time, but that's another story...
Ford took everything wrong with the mk1 & mk2 and corrected it to make one hell of a car. I had a 99 1.8zetec mk2. Only complaints i ever had was rust and the seats getting saggy. Now have a mk 3 2.2 duratorq Titanium X and they solved the problem. Complaints for this one are water gets in through pollen filter way to easy, powerfold mirrors are annoying as hell in winter. And the dreaded duratorq aux belt rattle (i hate the guy that put so much load on 1 belt )
I brought the Mondeo MK3 2.5 V6 a month ago at a cracking price (£420 with 10months MOT), engine makes a great noise. I've recently replaced the 17 in Ghia alloys with 18in alloys with low profile tyres £160. Just last week installed halos + HID kits, look fantastic £80-£100 off ebay. Took the exhaust off and now running a straight through scorpion exhaust from the catalyst converter (£70). Plenty of more stuff still I would like to do tho. Tint the windows, lower the car 30mm etc. Cracking car
Love the mk3 so much I've had 19 of them, and currently own and run 5 of them (not taxis) have had mercs beemers, discovery's etc still can't beat a mk3 mondeo for overall handling and poke.
I can definitely relate to the alternator being a pig of a job. There is absolutely no space tot use any tool to remove the pulley. Honestly, I driller a hole throw the inner wing to be able to loose that stupid pulley and be able to repalce the belt. Mine is '02, later ones had an updated alternator suport and the job would pe easier. As I write I have to replace the waterpump. I can relate to all the problema actually but still, I like the care and use it as nu daily commute some 1500 km monthly
I still drive one , the bad one - TDCI .435000km's and still goes .CR pump and injectors should be repaired but that would be more expensive than the car . I also learned how to go 180KM/H without car going into limp mode . I am happy , good handling , leather interior and car was cheap to buy .
I had one on an 03 plate had screens in headrests and outlets that I plugged a playstation in which was great as I was homeless at the time so lived in th car wish I hadent sold it but we can't keep them all
Hi there all the way from Albanian 🇦🇱 Bloody hell Mate u'r a Fooking expert on mondeo . By the way we got steel the 2.0 TDI diesel " the slow one not the TDCI 😂 " is a beast . U have my Subscrition u deserv it ✌️👋
Ford definitely learnt a lot from the success of the B5 Passat when they designed these MK3s. That really shook the fleet market up at the time and made manufacturers raise their game in this segment.
Just brought a ex showroom mk3 mint all round 50k on the clock on a 03 plate 2l petrol ghia x.... What a drive and comfort and boot space is amazing....
I would never get rid of my MK3 2.2 ST TDCI. I am due to change my car early next year for work, but am still going to keep the Mondy as a general workhorse. People are amazed at how much I can get in the hatchback with the back seats folded flat. I was trained as a mechanic in the early 90's and even though I'm not in the mechanic life anymore, I still follow the same principles now as i did with cars back then. With the Mondeo, i've learnt the following:- 1. Check the MAF sensor readings. Normally after 60,000 miles they do start to act up and can lead to bogging down on power.Check the BARO reading is correct. Use brake cleaner to clean the resistors inside it. Don't touch them with anything as it can damage them. 2. Injector leak off test. This will give you a good indication of what the injectors are doing. They should leak off at the same rate. 3. I would always blank the EGR off. Mine is and i'm still getting over 50 MPG with 110,000 miles on the clock. 4. Fuel filter should always be a Delphi or Bosch. 5. Run a full can of Liqui Moly diesel purge through the fuel system every six months. This should be done neat and not put into the fuel tank. Disconnect the flow and return rubber hoses from the fuel filter and immerse in to the neat fuel system cleaner. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7UUlOU-VAQw.html 6. Replace gearbox mount with good quality ones as the cheap versions don't last. Same with 2 piece crankshaft pulleys that rattle. Ford did correct this with a revised version. 7. When changing the pollen filter under the bonnet, the plastic cowling and rubber seal under the windscreen never goes back properly and allows water to get in to the pollen filter and then eventually into the passenger footwell. Hasn't happened to me yet but I know plenty of people who have leaked.
Really good advice here. Backs up everything I've come to know about the TDCI as well. Nobody I've known who used good diesel and the odd Redex + itallian tune up ever had injector problems. Mine's a petrol, but I have had the pollen filter leak. You can use silicone along where it meets the windscreen to cure it. There is supposed to be a plastic strip the holds the scuttle down at the back there, but they get too opened out with age and repeated removal. I've tried to get one from ford on a few occasions but they can't find it on the parts catalogue. They can get scuttles, but the strip is missing from the diagram. I wonder if it's considered part of the windscreen? I pulled over a litre of water out of my carpet when it leaked through the scuttle, and it still had loads more in it. I had to remove the carpet to dry it out. If I was looking after another mk3, I'd run the silicone just as a precaution even if it didn't leak, especially when changing the pollen filter.
Passing my classy lady on to my nephew; only letting her go after 3 wonderful years to get a brand new car. Going to miss her though. Even my mechanic said it right; "they last forever".
I've had 3 mk3's. A 2004 2.0 Ghia X tdci that was 14 months old when I got it. It'd done 74,000 miles when the injectors went, 76,300 when the turbo actuator packed in and the egr valve was a joke!! And don't start me on the fuel pump!! I kept it 7 months and lost over £2,500 on it! Then I had a 2003 1.8 petrol zetec. The head gasket went on the way home from buying it then it dropped a valve about 2 months later! Last one was a 2006 2.0 petrol ghia x. Despite a full service history, a full service the weekend after I bought it and the replacement of numerous consumables it drank more petrol than the Imprezza estate I now have! I'm sure there are some good mk3's out there but I never had any issues with either the mk1 or mk2 mondeo I owned before! Mark
Most manufactures update models every 6-7 years, you are right the mark 3's still look nice its shape along with that of the mark 1 focus which are both polygon based.
Love mondies....had a MKIII estate..."bertha" cos she was big...currenty have MKIV..."bridget" cos it's like sitting on the bridge of the starship Enterprise....
Zed Man 50mpg on a 2.0 petrol engine??? How?? I am buying a mk3 2.0 duratec Ghia x automatic next week and I have been told that it makes 35mpg What I am missing?
@@alan4x you too mate, I currently have a 2008 mk4 2.0 duratec he petrol and your video helped me alot doing the pcv hose, do miss the mk3 tho I went from a R plate escort to a mk3 mondeo and at the time it was a major change
I preferred my old mark 3 estate to my 10 years newer mk4. Both 2.0 tdci new one looks a better but that's about it. My old 130 felt quicker than my new 140
Nice video! I remember those days when I owned an Mk3 Mondeo Turnier mechanical TDDI 2001year, from 2010 to 2014, crappy condition... and have driven for 100000kms. Only the best memories! As I was young and stupid, EVERYTHING that could happen, DID happen. I drove it with 5 litres of antifreeze in summer, got some water inside cylinders, used cloth and hot water in winter -30C to start the engine (one of the spark plugs was broken) and it took it like a man! A typical car wouldnt survive, I am absolutely sure. Inspired by that, I decided to sell it and buy an S-Max TDCI 2.0. And this was the bigest mistake in my entire life. Since the moment I bought it, up to now, this car is just a constant pain in the ass. Its easier to say, what I didnt Fix Or Repair (Daily), then what I did - Power steering and a AC compressor. Everything else - engine rebuilt (cylinder head cracks), injectors, high pressure pump, alternator, starter, turbine, gearbox bearings, and so on. Looks like FoMoCo started to save its money after Mk3... Nevertheless, I love that car for having a look of wagon and a power to challenge some sporty cars, if you are experienced enough.
Had 2007 Titanium X TDCi until 2016 selling on 100,000 and had no engine problems or failure and with original clutch etc as came out of factory. Only repairs (not normal wear and tear items like brake discs, tyres etc) was fitting 2 new shocks that failed when over 80,000 miles. I learnt it was far worse, happening more often on the Passat but it was the first and only time I’ve had such a repair though as I tow a caravan 5-9 times every year with it that may have have accelerated their shorter lifespan? Great car, loved it and had many good comments on it given. Powerful, quick, refined and smooth without paying really silly money for it unlike other brands equivalent. 👍
We have at family 16 years almost now mk3 2.0 130 TDCi with 215k kms. It never missed beat, except in city it kills DMF rapidly, it's on 3rd clutch now. No rust at all.
When i was a student i bought a mk1 Mondeo diesel with 176k on the clock. Judging by the amount of screw holes drilled everywhere, i would think it had been a taxi.. I only lifted the bonnet to refill the washer bottle. I got through 3 MOTS straight thru. It even got bumped once or thrice..She wasnt pretty but just kept going. I sold it with 250k on the clock. Then i had a MK3 about 10 years later...a 2.0 petrol I needed something cheap and reliable. I ran that thing on a shoe string and all it ever needed in 3-4 years was a droplink. It passed every MOT, never broke down...brilliant. utterly soul destroyingly boring to drive but she just kept rockin'.
Very informative enjoyed learning I got a 176000 05 estate v6 3.0 Ghia X in metallic honour green polished regular. Had loads of compliments on it . Solid all round. Meaty and practical. Lovely smooth drive . Looks great and must be rare now so it's a keeper if you find one
Ask me to think of a car, and these are what comes to mind. I've traveled more in these than probably all other cars combined. Very different styling and build to 90s cars really, interior felt decades ahead. I agree with the ending, they marked the start of the 00s. I knew about 6 people with these and none said a bad word of them. My old car was a piece of crap that kept breaking all the time, and I wanted something I knew would be solid, so I bought a mk3. 5 years later and I've spent less on it than what it cost me to run my old car for two months. I've got all the history, and parts wise, all it's had in 14 years are a battery, a bonnet latch, an aux belt and a thermostat. Two of those weren't even broken, just precautionary replacements. The biggest problem I've had are leaks. Some don't leak at all. Mine is a sieve. They tend to leak from two places. The most serious is the scuttle pannel. It's the biggest design flaw of the whole car, but easily fixed. Run silicone along the top edge of the panel where it meets the windscreen. The second is the door membranes. This can be fixed by replacing them with plastic sheeting, but I've yet to find a sealant that lasts more than a couple of years. At lest the door cards are very easy to remove. No plastic clips to break, just screws, the way it should be. I'd suggest the estate version over the hatch if you can get one. I kind of wish I had. More room, better rear visibility, and much less prone to the rear subframe bush issue. There's also more headroom for tall rear passengers. Add a set of roof bars and you've essentially got a pickup bed on top of a very large car. I've seen them carry things you would not belive.
Hi . Alan, what can you tell about mondeo edge 2006 ,1.8 petrol duratec , I'm about to buy one on 62k have a little rust under on the subframe , suspension , hubs No error codes Tell me please is it a good choice engine and gearbox wise ?
Key open bonnet for me it is perfect . I own this car (state). Today serviser cleaning cooling sistem from oil. I buy oil cooler cause I think it is problem, maybe, I guess 🙄. Until the end of day, I hope. Car will be fixed. I hope no more than 80€ hands 👐.
As far as I am concerned, my 2006 1.8 duratech Mondeo is car of the year since I bought it and watching this video gives me xtra peace of mind knowing how hard the existence of a taxi is. Great video.
Brilliant video of the history of the Mondeo I had many over the years I had an ST tacit from new I had it 7 years with very little problems other then brake pads and an exhaust egr valve that I blanked off but it was one of the best cars I had and you are spot on about changing the oil frequently as I did
I have a ford mondeo from 2001 got it at 201.238 km and now 2 years later im on 252.190. the car did not have any major problems other than the usual maintenance (brakes, oil change) i am very satisfied and im about to get me a platinum one from 2007
@@alan4x Ah :D I recognized the accent :D I own Ford mondeo mk3 myself. Its benzine 107kw 2.0 16V and i have a question about swirl flaps. I can hear them and i am thinking about removing it but my car is 2006 and i am thinking if i should do it or not. Do you have some experiences with this problem?
I have a Mondeo ST mk3 2.2 tdci and love it. Only had it 11 months, I had to put a new clutch and flywheel in it which was exspensive but other than that shes good. And ye agreed the pully system is a pain in the ass
Im pretty sure that many workshop have changed high pressure pump in vain. almost all cases would have been sufficient few injectors and pressure regulator and fuel filter. After that is good clean up the fuel tank just in case. Im talking tdci motors, of course.
At least the Mk2 Mondeo had different sheet metal & lamps to the Mk1. They DO look different Stag owners annoy the hell out of me. They refer to a later Stag as being a Mk2 when there's virtually no difference at all.
The mk1 and mk2 caught on in the banger racing community mainly in the 2l national bangers whenever the 2l bangers was on it would just be a field of mk1 and 2 mondeos that is most likely the reason you don’t see them anymore because they are stock piled in the lads yards the mk3 and 4 is now catching on so in a few years you’ll most likely find you don’t see them anymore
tdci ahhhhhh injectors injectors fuel pump injectors injectors flywheel injectors flywheel injectors. only becase taxi drivers never put more than £20 in the tank and fry the injectors
Tony i have 2.0 tdci...can you pleas explain me..is there any relation btw injectors and driving with almost empty tank...I use to drive until it is empty and pour 25-30 liters diesel and again drive until last drops..is it bad habit? Until now my car is not shut-down due to lack of fuel ... should I avoid this? Tanks in advance if you explain me..
Still got a 2001 2ltr petrol in daily use! And still a very solid car! 140k original exhaust original steel brake lines. Out of curiosity Alan what’s the highest mileage you’ve seen on a petrol mk3
@@Tiffany.1970 it could be your cv joint or your track rods could be wearing out, or bad wheel hub bearing. It could be many things darling i wont be able to tell without having it jacked up, but those things I've stated are usually the main ones that can cause that.
Very good advice, mate. My mother has a 2006 2.0 150ps TDCI Ghia-spec Mondeo Estate, and everything is fine with it, genuine 90,000 miles, it's been solid & reliable over the last 6 years. Didn't know about potential TDCI injector failure after 100,000 miles, something to bear in mind, at the moment it runs fine & is getting 50+ mpg. I was thinking of using Redex Fuel Treatment to clear any gunk & deposits out of the fuel system, especially the injectors. Any thoughts on this or similar products, i.e. will they prolong the life of the injectors & improve the health of the engine, or are there potential drawbacks to using Redex on low-ish mileage engines?
hi, i only use redex when i have a smokey diesel and want to clear the injectors fast for an mot test...it does work very well but i don't use it as routine...but it is pretty good stuff....it would not hurt to use a bottle every six months
We have lot of mk 3's in Denmark. Not a lot of mk 4's or 5's, so the normal Ford to see, is a mk 3. I have the 2,5 v6, and it's a good engine. But expensive to work on, and prone to some errors, if not maintained (overheating and ignition for instance). When the camshaft-chains or the clutch wear out, the car is dead... it's so timeconsuming to change, so it's more expensive to get done, than the car is worth. But not a sign of rust anywhere, and in our climate, that's very good.
