Mondeo Mk3 TDCi Issues (Buying Advice)

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What's the consensus on the reliability of the 2.0 TDCi engine in facelift Mondeo Mk3 (2003 on)?

Do the injectors die and the DMF explode?

How's reliability etc...?

Also, any general buying advice please.

A 5 year old example doesn't seem to differ in price much compared to the petrol.

My Mk2 petrol wasn't too bad on fuel, how is the 2.0 TDCi on fuel?
 
common issues/issues to look for:

DMF
injectors
turbo unit
intercooler hoses split
subframe bushings
sticking handbrake cables

I say common, but IME most of those issues are common on similar sized diesel motors

expect to get 50mpg
 
Dale V said:
common issues/issues to look for:

DMF
injectors
turbo unit
intercooler hoses split
subframe bushings
sticking handbrake cables

I say common, but IME most of those issues are common on similar sized diesel motors

expect to get 50mpg
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Don't forget the rust either, especially door bottoms which Ford will dodge out of fixing under warranty at any opportunity, also leaking windows and doors which my mk3 suffers slightly from
 
with mine my mate whom is a mechanic made sure that the clutch was ok, he said that they frequently go on them.

Cheers,

Stelly
 
Mine's been reliable since I got it. Its a 2006 model but get around 40MPG and don't do too much motorway driving. No major faults or fixes in 3 years.
 
Mine is a 52 plate, pre-facelift, currently has 90,000 miles on it, i have owned for over two and a half years and have put 45,000 miles on it. only problems i have had are back box had fallen off, had it welded back on, but came off again, so now replaced, both front springs replaced, but apart from that has been fine, oild change every 6,000 miles, rest of filters every year or 12k miles. it averages around 40mpg, but i dont do many motorway miles, mainly A roads.
 
Thanks guys. What are the symptoms of a failing DMF, injectors or turbo? Is there a mileage figure failure is common at?

Also, does the engine feature a cam belt or chain? I think the petrols are chain driven?
 
Tesla said:
Thanks guys. What are the symptoms of a failing DMF, injectors or turbo? Is there a mileage figure failure is common at?

Also, does the engine feature a cam belt or chain? I think the petrols are chain driven?
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DMF causes a rattle, but often before it rattles you get a squealing clutch. If it struggles to start, the swarf is in the starter so it's properly shagged.

Injectors will be smoke on startup and going into limp home mode if you rev it hard.

Turbos aren't any less reliable than any other turbod car, they're not really a weak point per se. Sometimes the vanes stick but they can be freed up in a few hours with no parts.

DMF replacement is 600-700 quid, much more at a main dealer. A few hundred quid per injector. DMF parts were also revised in 2005 (iirc) so on a post 05 car or one that has been replaced after 05, the dmf should be much stronger

They're generally very reliable if they are looked after. Bad driving and lack of care cause the failures. I had mine 2 years and had to have the dmf replaced but that was all that went wrong really. I'd have another one personally


Matt82 said:
if the dmf is dying on a mondeo are you likely to hear a frog like "ribbet" sound at idle?
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When it starts or just randomly? They can make some odd noises, but "bag of nails" is normally the description!
 
at first start up it sounds very rough. once warm, at idle it repeats every couple seconds, literally as if you were sitting by a pond with a frog jabbering away. feel sorry for the guy because i dont feel its a nice car
 
May well be, what's the mileage on it?

Tbh, a dmf failure is never going to leave you stranded unless you let it get so bad that the starter struggles. If another symptom appears like a squealing clutch bearing then get it done, but it's not going to do any harm otherwise.
 
96 or 99k, 06 car i think.

it seems the worse they die the harder they are to change and ive seen a few impressive failures.

ill let you guys know if his clutch falls to bits any time soon
 
Matt82 said:
at first start up it sounds very rough. once warm, at idle it repeats every couple seconds, literally as if you were sitting by a pond with a frog jabbering away. feel sorry for the guy because i dont feel its a nice car
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I bought a 2004 Mk3 TDCI Zeetec the other month and it makes exactly the same noise. Took it to my garage and he said not to worry. Just one of the fan pullys. He said he could replace it then 2 days later it would do the same thing. Doesnt effect how the car runs or reliabilty at all, just sounds anoying when idling as you can here it if you listen for it.

The only thing I have noticed with mine is that when I turn a corner, I can here something sliding in the rear of the car. sounds like something is sliding around in the boot (it isnt, I have checked).

There are the odd minor niggle, bugs me that when I lean back on either of the front seats, one of the pads clicks ever so slightly, again its hardly noticable, but it it does it on both, and the fact is it shouldnt do it.

All in all though im pretty happy with it. Its great on fuel (get around 50mpg at least) and is roomy, solidly built (apart from the seats :-) )and goes pretty well. I do wish I would have paid a bit more for a higher spec one but there you go.

Oh regarding the clutch, they have a flywheel so if the clutch goes it isnt cheap, mine had just had a new clutch and flywheel fitted by the garage I bought it from so he said it would be good for at least another 60-100k depending on the abuse I give it.

Mine also came with a 5 star AA warenntee with all the extras ticked (turbo, air con etc) so if anything does go hopefully I wont get stung.
 
his has the noise coming from the rear too! i thought that was down to a bad hanger on the rear silencer

maybe there are bad hangers ont he exhaust and the frog sound is a vibrating shield or other exhaust component
 
hmm strange, its a strange noise, it sounds as though something is sliding ever so slightly. I was going to just remove the spare wheel and all the bits when I get chance stuff just to rule that out. If that doesnt fix it which it probably wont ask my garage, there pretty good and dont charge for advice etc.
 
Huh, all cars have flywheels :confused:

The mondeo, like most cars of this type have a dual mass flywheel. This, in itself doesn't make changing the clutch any more difficult or expensive, but the dmf can fail and most people will have the clutch replaced at the same time - you'd be mad not to
 
iaind said:
Huh, all cars have flywheels :confused:

The mondeo, like most cars of this type have a dual mass flywheel. This, in itself doesn't make changing the clutch any more difficult or expensive, but the dmf can fail and most people will have the clutch replaced at the same time - you'd be mad not to
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Yep sorry thats what I ment, Duel Mass Flywheel, excuse my mechanical ignorance :)

Oh, just removed the spare wheel, and pack contaning jack etc and it still makes the odd the sliding noise on the offside rear corner. Think ill get it checked out next week just to be on the safe side.
 
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