Advice Needed - Mondeo MK2 Failed MOT - Scrap or Repair?

RastaManBob

RastaManBob

RastaManBob

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Hello!

My X-registered Ford Mondeo MK2 (130k miles) failed the MOT today. The listed failure is:

001 (both) Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint [2.5.B.1a]

Additionally, there is also an advisory (this has been listed on previous MOT and listed in this thread only for completeness):

002 (both o/s/rear next to fuel tank) Brake pipe slightly corroded [3.6.B.2c]

I have been quoted £317 (inc. VAT) for the repair of the failure (no repair of the advisory). This includes tracking on the advice of the garage. I've used the garage numerous times and trust them however I will be getting other quotations.

In addition to this I was considering a small service (oil replaced, new oil filter, etc) which was going to cost £120 including parts (estimate). This leaves me with a bill for ~£450. This appears to be similar to the value of the car.

At present the car drives very well. The only issues I am aware of with it is the n/s/rear door not working on central locking and o/s/rear electric window not working. Neither of these cause my any bother day-to-day. Other than the occasional work during MOT the other recent cost was somewhere in the region of £200 for a replacement coolant pipe in December.

I'm in two thoughts:

(1) Do not throw good money after bad. Perhaps now is the time to change the car. Only issue is I'd feel "rushed" having to sort out a replacement within 2 weeks. Additionally, I cannot imagine the private selling price being particularly high and I do not fancy the hassle of selling. A local place that buys old cars has suggested it would be worth £100 with a £200 part-exchange value.

(2) Better the devil you know. Get the car fixed and (hopefully) get another year (or more) running out of it. During this time perhaps consider a replacement car, where I can complete the search at my leisure. However, there is nothing to say a 'new' car will not have problems of it's own.

As for budget - My absolute maximum would be £3000 but I would *really* like to stay below this. I would rather a similar sort of car in terms of ride and size. I had considered (a car I've liked for some time) a Skoda Superb but it seems I'd have to pay £3000 and still have a car over 10 years of age - Would I be asking for more repairs imminently?

I know it's tough call and one that I ultimately have to make myself however I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. Sorry for the long post!
 
Get down to your local parts shop and get the spanners out and get your hands dirty.

Ball joints, brake pipes, brake oil and service parts will be no more than £200.

Keep the car and fix, unless you just fancie a new car? Which might end up having more expensive problems down the line.
 
I appreciate that for some this may be a viable solution but I really do not have the confidence to take on this sort of work.

I don't particularly 'fancy' a new car because that means spending money. However, if spending money in the short term is better in the long term (and nobody has a crystal ball so who can say) then I would just have cough-up.

Yes, I'm rubbish at making decisions!
 
Hell no don't scrap it! £300 for that work is a terrible price so start calling around for a better quote. I just had a single ball joint and drop link done on my mk2 mondeo for £100 so no more than £200 for both.

Mine has just passed 152K and shows no signs of stopping.
 
If you are happy with the car, get it fixed and run it into the ground. Get a new car when the engine starts giving up.
 
How reliable has the car been in general?

If it hasn't given you any grief at all, then I'd be considering what I could buy for the budget I have, and would there be any likelihood of that purchase giving me grief.
 
£300 for a ball joint!?

That sounds like "we can't be bothered changing the ball joint itself so will buy a full wishbone, then charge about 3 x the labour it will actually take to change"

Even if you need to/it's far easier to replace the full arm I'd be willing to bet the work could be done for nearer half that sum.

Don't touch the brake pipes just now, have a look at them when you have the car back and clean them up - you'll probably find there's a long way to go until they are actually liable to fail.
 
The £317 is for both sides and includes tracking - I do not know if the tracking is necessary or not but I was recommended by the garage. My thought was 'if I'm spending this money then £30 on tracking is worth it to save bigger bills in the future' but I do not know if it works this way. I've used the garage before and I have always found them to be very honest and good value however I guess this *could* be an exception.

I've found other people locally who have quoted ~£175 without the tracking. I am concerned there price would rise after I give them the work, however, as I do not know if they realise the clutch or gear box (cannot remember which the original garage told me, as I was trying to take everything in) needs dropping to complete one of the sides (again, I do not remember which).
 
Why change both sides for one failed ball joint? Change one side and yes get the tracking done. It's not a pristine, cherished motor if you're considering getting rid so wait for the other side to go.

As for dropping the box to change a wishbone....I'm not familiar with the mk2 but it seems unlikely.

*edit - had a look, the box or subframe would indeed need to be moved to use that bolt the right way up - they could simply chop it and use the other way up though, which is probably what the other garage were planning on doing. I doubt this would be a problem.
 
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I know the position you're in - I expect to be in the same situation next MOT on my ST24, it's been ok until now but I expect wear and tear will catch up with me next year.

That does sound a lot of money for what they are planning on doing with the balljoint and service even with my limited knowledge... As for the corroded brake pipe, I've had that as an advisory for the last 2 years, without having any actual issues whatsoever. :)

I've got exactly the same issues as you with the electrics though. Luckily most of my mates are now familiar with having to manually lock the back door when getting out :D
 
rodenal said:
Why change both sides for one failed ball joint? Change one side and yes get the tracking done. It's not a pristine, cherished motor if you're considering getting rid so wait for the other side to go.

As for dropping the box to change a wishbone....I'm not familiar with the mk2 but it seems unlikely.

*edit - had a look, the box or subframe would indeed need to be moved to use that bolt the right way up - they could simply chop it and use the other way up though, which is probably what the other garage were planning on doing. I doubt this would be a problem.
Click to expand...

Both sides have been marked as a failure on the MOT certificate assuming I've read it correctly (copied in the first post).
 
Apologies - I never seen the "(both)" remark. It's still way to much. An actual ball joint can only be about £20, but would involve them drilling it out etc. Alternative is replace the lot which is what they want to do. Can't imagine the arms themselves being more than say £50/60 each from a motor factor - They definitely don't need 4 hours to do the work.

Definitely get some more prices, try elsewhere if you're not comfortable with the £175 quote - but that's much more in line with what i'd expect. Talk to them about the box if you're not happy, if they know about it and say they'll just invert the wishbone bolt then happy days.

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/F...de8530c7bfe692aa52cb59c600b07db5c92d67&000320

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/F...a0b49ef24f1ea52950bc764d242b6c343ed8a1&000019

For that kind of price difference there's no point doing the ball joint on it's own - shows you what kind of money the arms are though
 
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Thanks for the advice. I've found a great guide here with images showing the problem bolt and indeed, as per your suggestion, they invert the wishbone bolt.

I am very tempted to ask the first garage (that I trust) whether they would be happy to do this but I don't want to look like I'm doing their job for them! If nothing else, at least I now understand your description perfectly. Thanks.

EDIT: The other garages I've called have *all* said the parts are £28 + VAT per side. I think you're correct in saying the difference I have here is down to labour charges - It seems my 'normal' garage assess the job to take longer than the other places. I'll have to check this out as if the price dropped to ~£200 it might make all the difference.

EDIT 2: Guide: http://www.pezza2u.dsl.pipex.com/lower-arm-guide/

EDIT 3: Looking at the photographs of the part and the guide above, would it still be necessary to mess with the box if the ball joint (as opposed to the entire suspension arm) were replaced? Of course, I do not know (should this be possible) why the garage would have chosen not to do this anyway - I imagine I must be wrong.
 
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I would say that sounds about right for a pair of wishbone arms, Mine was always around £55 - £60 a pair parts. back 3 years ago. Labour around £100 - £120 would be tops at a independent garage.

Like said no need to drop or fight the sub frame, just chop the bolt and invert the bolt. And make sure to take a bit of the bolt or it will catch the box otherwise and cause a loud noise :lol. And for extra piece of mind use some thread lock on the bolt to ensure that it don't come loose, but it is not necessary. And I would get the tracking checked just to be safe.

Probably charging so much for labour cause they will drop the sub frame and then it is advised to get the tracking done as it can cause the geometry to go out on a car.
 
I've never drilled out a rivetted ball joint but I'd imagine the best/quickest way to do it is to remove the arm and do it with a bench drill, or maybe grind the head - so you'd have a similar problem even if they just replaced the part. TBH there's no point in replacing just the ball joint when an arm is so cheap.
 
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I don't think the ball joints on the Mondeo are easily replaceable, you just change the arms. Quite an easy job on the Mondeo, I've never bothered with the silly bolt, I always used to just chop it and invert it with some threadlock. This is how a lot of Ford dealerships do it too.
 
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