Mondeo 1.8 lx

Mr Joshua

Mr Joshua

Mr Joshua

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Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
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There's an 03 (facelift) 1.8 lx at a local dealer and I have to admit to feeling tempted by it and I'd like a change.

The car in question has 50k on the clock and the asking price is £2800 which according to Parkers is quite a good price.

Do these have any expensive common faults and how much does a cambelt change usually cost?
 
I believe the mondeo 1.8 is chain driven so no cambelt to change.

*edit* however the chain does need changing every 10 years, or 100,000 miles.
 
Check for any knocking coming from the rear suspension when driving over bumps. Also ask if it has had any handbrake cable problems.
 
It will be rear subframe bushes. Used to be a huge job as it needed a replacement subframe. Think you can get just the bushes now though.
 
[TW]Fox;12200966 said:
It will be rear subframe bushes. Used to be a huge job as it needed a replacement subframe. Think you can get just the bushes now though.
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Yes you can but the local Ford dealer ripped off my Grandad recently informing him he had to replace the entire subframe! ********!
 
[TW]Fox;12200966 said:
It will be rear subframe bushes. Used to be a huge job as it needed a replacement subframe. Think you can get just the bushes now though.
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I heard they were glued into subframe?
 
Mr Joshua said:
Thanks for the replies, I'm going to try and get a test drive tomorrow.
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if you buy it get yourself signed up to fordmondeo.org

i never planned on modding my mondeo until i went on there, it's got oem xenons, oem 18s, heated electric leather seats now ect..
 
MrLOL said:
*edit* however the chain does need changing every 10 years, or 100,000 miles.
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There is no maintenance interval for the chain. As long as you change the oil at least in line with the 12.5k reccomended intervals there is no reason why the chain wouldn't last the life of the car.

Subframe bushes are best replaced with Powerflex polyurethane items, although you can get replacement bushes from Ford now. A facelift shouldn't have any handbrake issues. Check the seams of all the doors, boot and bonnet for any signs of rust around the sealant - this was not cured entirely until late 2004.

The LX is best avoided - the seats are different to the higher spec models and are not as comfortable, it's got wheel trims and no climate control. A Zetec would be a much better buy.
 
blueboy2001 said:
The LX is best avoided - the seats are different to the higher spec models and are not as comfortable, it's got wheel trims and no climate control. A Zetec would be a much better buy.
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I can't tell much difference (apart from the material) in the comfort level of the seats between my friends 2001 LX and my 2003 Ghia X.

£2800 is a reasonable price for a facelift. I paid £3500 for my specced up Ghia X last month (similar mileage)

The facelift LX's gain cruise control but its still worth seeing if you can stretch to a bit higher up.
 
DannyW said:
the lx seats are uncompfy on long trips, was speaking to someone the other day about it
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b******s :D

I drove from Leicester to Wells Next the Sea, then onto Old Hunstanton and back to Leicester and felt absolutely fine (2 and a half hours each way). This is with an on going back problem in the first place!!! The seats have lumbar support and are absolutely perfect for trekking long distances with.

The Mondeo 01 onwards is a beautiful thing. I drove to Alton Towers in my mates ST170 (he let me drive it on the way home for a bit) yesterday and could feel everything on the road. My Mondeo is like floating on air compared to it :)

I had thought about getting some ST220 alloys for my Mondy but I'd rather stick with the comfort of hub caps now :D

Although I do quite like the heated leather seats in his st :)
 
Not a bad price, I paid 5295 for a 53 plate 04 registered Mondeo Mistral 1.8 with 28K on the clock last october.

Check the bottom of the inside edge of the door for corrosion / also inside edge of tailgate and bonnet. Some ford dealers have been known to fix this under warranty, my local ford did despite me not buying the car from a Ford dealer. Mind you it probably won't be difficult to do a reasonable DIY job depending on how bad the corrosion is if present.

Not sure if I'm hearing knocking from the rear now though!
 
Well I had a test and I was very impressed with it, the seats are very comfy and the engine noise is barely audiable in the cabin. There's a couple of minor marks on the dash but nothing major or unexpected.

Apparently there's been 3 owners - the garage, owner/driver and now another garage.

One question though - how do you operate the cruise control? The steering wheel had the buttons (on, off, set, + and -) and cruising at about 45 in 4th I pressed the set button but it didn't seem to do anything.
 
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The only time a garage should be the registered keeper is as the FIRST registered keeper, ie when the Ford dealership pre-registers the car. Any time after that a dealer can buy the car but is not listed as another owner. The salesman you spoke to has told you a porky - beware!

Give the air conditioning a good whirl while you're looking at the car and be absolutely certain that it makes a noticeable difference to have it on versus off.

Also, the chain is designed to last the lifetime of the car. It does appear on the maintenance schedule at 10years/100,000miles but this is to visually check the chain, not to replace it.
 
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Mr Joshua said:
One question though - how do you operate the cruise control? The steering wheel had the buttons (on, off, set, + and -) and cruising at about 45 in 4th I pressed the set button but it didn't seem to do anything.
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YOu probably have to turn it on first - the on/off one. Then press set at your desired speed and it should hold it. You can then press + or - to speed up or slow down in 1mph increments. There should be another button to cancel it too
 
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