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Conference terri::cars_uk

Title:	Cars in the UK
Notice:	Please read new conference charter 1.70
Moderator:	COMICS::SHELLEYELD

Created:	Sun Mar 06 1994
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2584
Total number of notes:	63384

2259.0. "Just how much are you expected to put up with?" by VARDAF::CHURCH (Dave Church@VBE (DTN 828-6125)) Wed May 04 1994 09:29

    Looking at the problems/agro which folks have had with new cars just
    how much are customers supposed to put up with concerning problems
    before they can start demanding a replacement car or resort to taking
    legal advice etc. 

    We've had a number of problems with our car (Mondeo 2.0L Ghia estate)
    and in all but 1 of the cases it was caused by the electriction
    screwing up when he originally installed the alarm (before we first
    picked up the car) or by the mechanics who were supposed to to fixing
    something and more often than not generated 2 problems in return! It
    got to the point where my wife didn't feel confident that she could
    even take the kids to school and get back home! 

    The 1 problem we have had which was not caused by the electriction or
    mechanics concerned a pipe which was not mounted in exactly the right
    place. 

    For those which have a Mondeo have a quick check under the car that the
    pipe which is carrying the engine coolant is not being cut in half!
    Basically the rubber hose from the "bottle" leads to a metal pipe and
    we had the case where the clamp on one of the drive shaft gaitors (sp?) 
    slowly cut through the pipe and then one day (car was 3 months old) we
    lost most of the coolant as it leaked out! If it had happened 2 days
    later we would have been on route to southern Spain and I hate to think
    what would have happened if we had lost it while bombing down the
    Autoroute. We have just returned from the trip (4000 kms) and the car
    seems to have passed this test, so perhaps it's fingers crossed...

    I'm sure this note will open up a rat hole discussion but basically
    Ford France has fobbed us off and I'm interested to see what folks have
    had to put up with/done to get their problems resolved. 

    Dave

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2259.1	< "Who sold you THAT ?" >	FILTON::KING_M		`Wed May 18 1994 18:57`	15
	- I'll check my pipes! thanks. ALSO- Mondeo: Light switch faulty- h/lights extinguish for no reason (Dealer says - "Oh yes- there's a mod for that, but Ford aren't recalling cars") -hey, isn't this a safety problem? rear windows rattle themselves open - not apparant fix (recommendation - two rubber wedges) Petrol cap flap jams and won't release, (I won't bore readers any more by ratholing further) However, the dealer (Seatons, Yeovil) have always attended promptly to these and other niggles - maybe they're used to it by now �.
2259.2	Sorry officer - they were working earlier!	VARDAF::CHURCH	Dave Church@VBE (DTN 828-6125)	`Thu May 19 1994 09:17`	53
	RE: .1 How old is your car and what version is it? >> Light switch faulty- h/lights extinguish for no reason (Dealer says - >> "Oh yes- there's a mod for that, but Ford aren't recalling cars") -hey, >> isn't this a safety problem? I wouldn't let this one rest. Could you send me the phone number of the dealer as I would like to phone them to find out if it's a particular version/age/UK model etc. This is one security feature that I would certainly like to make sure is fixed (night driving with no lights! It's bad enough even with lights around here!) >> rear windows rattle themselves open - not apparant fix (recommendation >> - two rubber wedges) Are your rear windows electric or manual? >> Petrol cap flap jams and won't release, My wife said that a couple of times it didn't open for her, it didn't "jam" though and released when she tried again. I've had no problem apart from once when I know I didn't press the lever hard enough. >> (I won't bore readers any more by ratholing further) Please mail me direct as I'm very interested to find out what else has gone wrong. Same for anyone else who has a Mondeo and has experienced problems. Mind you we know folks here who have not had a single problem with theirs. Perhaps I could compile a list and circulate it around the Mondeo owners. I've also got some details out of a mag which lists "problems" for the top 100 or so models (nothing major is listed more niggly things). >> However, the dealer (Seatons, Yeovil) have always attended promptly to >> these and other niggles - maybe they're used to it by now �. The garage from which we bought ours said that the problem for them is that Ford are still in the learning stage as to the problems which can arise with the car as it is still relatively new. Apart from one problem, with the coolant pipe being cut through, the problems we have had have been garage induced! Dave
2259.3	Turning Japanese	WSTENG::HICKMAN	Peter Hickman	`Mon May 30 1994 18:13`	4
	Found On Roadside Dead - - - - Arghhhhhh.
2259.4		NEWOA::FIDO_T	Conation is the key	`Tue May 31 1994 10:42`	4
	... or Fix Or Repair Daily
2259.5		PEKING::SMITHR1	Cracking toast, Gromit!	`Tue May 31 1994 11:43`	6
	I'm reminded of the sticker that Tom Robinson (I think) had on his guitar. Looked like the standard elliptical blue Ford badge but spelled "Fraud". Richard
2259.6	No Problem	KERNEL::MORRIS	Which universe did you dial?	`Wed Jun 01 1994 19:05`	9
	My Mondeo has been very good - no problems in six months. I do have to turn round occasionally and close the rear offside passenger window - but I think that has more to do with my 2� year old son kicking the handle than it has to do with the window self-opening as the nearside one (where the 9 month old sits who can't reach the handle yet!) is fine. Jon