Talk to me about Mondeo mk3's (especially ST TDCI)

They suffer from the typical modern diesel issues like EGR, DPF, DMF and injectors. Injectors are £90 each and need coding but you can do it at home with free software (ForScan), EGR & DPF get mapped out and never give any issues afterwards.

Some did post 2007, earlier ones had a cat that can be removed with a delete pipe from ebay

Can't comment on the ST TDCi but have run a couple of 2.5 Ghia X estates and they are very practical/usable cars... albeit the V6 was horrendously uneconomical, and not as quick as I hoped..
Later models very well equipped.

Problems, rust(but that turned out to be a repair gone bad).

Rear calipers could bind(handbrake mech usually) or leak from said mech.

Models tend to break springs quite frequently in my experience(replace 7 across the 2 cars for breakage).

Other weird fault was a sheared rear subframe bolt - knocking noise that took ages to trace.

Just bought an 09 2.2 MK4 TX. I like it. Big bills come with any car. Its how it is.

High insurance put me off the ST. Eats miles with ease. Comfortable.

I think these are really underestimated cars having had 2 some time back. They are an enjoyable ride with enough creature comforts to make a comfortable cabin. As mentioned dual mass flywheels can be pricy if needed and don't be tempted by the original factory integrated satnav system. When they go wrong you loose so much functionality as things like ac controls are operated by the touch screen. They would often freeze making you have to stop & restart the car to use them again!
Other than that, I think they are great future retro cars especially the saloon and come to think of it, the estate on banded steels may look cool too.

There have been a couple on here:

Mondeo ST220 Estate - Project Crusher: link

07 Ford Mondeo ST TDCi: link

Ford Mondeo ST TDCI | Shed of the Week: www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-features-sheds/ford-mondeo-st-tdci--shed-of-the-week/43494

2006 Mk3 Mondeo ST TDCI Estate: www.projectbobcat.com/projects/mondeo-st-tdci-estate

I was just reading astranaut 's problems with the fuel filter/ injectors. Sounds like It can still be a costly problem that? Does that go for normal 2.0 TDCI's as well?

Insurance wise for a 35 year old with 9 years no claims.

07 ST TDCI £448 with the AA

04 2.0 TDCi Ghia X with the AA £381

Not bad £67 more for a "sports" model for a Musician with business insurance.

Righty ho, it goes for MOT tomoro, want to buy it?

Had mine 5 years now, in that time it's had
3 crank pulleys (gates or corteco, not ebay wibblepoo)
2 aux belt tensioners (again not cheap wibblepoo),
1 starter motor (this wasn't changed when the clutch and fly was done just before I got it, the material just destroys the starter so I'll let it off that one).
Wheel bearings all around, I suspect it needs another n/so front, it seems to eat them.
Brake pipes all round, they're at that age now where they're grotty
Shocks all around (again just old and lowered)
2 EGR valves, I gave up when the last one went and blanked it, if you buy 06 onward this will have an electric EGR and bring on an EML, early cars are vacuum and don't.
Injector seals are weeping, I need to look into this as there is diesel pooling on the rocker cover
It's just had its first bout of welding, I thouggt they were immune, and to look at mine has no rust anywhere - just had to replace 3 foot of the n/s sill, unless you can jack it up and get your hand beneath the skirt you won't see this, and the skirts are bonded on from factory with weapons grade sealant.
Power steering pipe - gone through 2 of these, they have a silly clip arrangement and when it blows you need a new nut from Ford. If you don't clip it in exactly right first time it's buggered, I got around this by fitting a second hand pipe and pump, which also got rid of another known issue of slightly sticky steering when cold.
Now has an intermittent issue with either the actuator or the variable vanes in the turbo I need to look at

That odd issue I had - it coughed and died, gave me all the fault codes for fuel pump, symptoms of fuel pump, my mechanic said for the sake of 6 quid throw a fuel filter on, prime it - and it worked, for some unknown reason it had just emptied its own fuel filter and wouldnt run, been fine for 6k now since.

I do like mine, I'm hoping it passes tomoro, but they do have their issues, engine is agricultural and doesntnreally take well to mods, mine with the right induction kit, big front mount intercooler, decat with 3" stainless to the back and a remap is probably only 190 at best, after that your into hybrid turbos and injectors but even then 220 is probably your limit. And it won't be reliable. On a run mine will do 55mpg, that's a 210k engine, around 42 round the houses. But it's a mondeo so good chassis, reasonable pull, get 5 adults in and a decent boot.

Those jacking point covers though, if you buy one and you have them all, glue them there, same with the rear bumper reflectors, they're expensive even second hand.

Good news is though that because they entered cheap car territory when I bought mine (700 with a new clutch and fly in 2018) many have been driven to death and they're now all dying, so plenty of breakers about.

Garage wise, aux belt tensioner is a pain to do, lack of room, and a clutch and fly will be at least 700. Fuel pump is the biggest, if that goes swarf from it ruins the injectors, it gets costly then. Otherwise its just a Mondeo, the TDCi literally had recaros as an extra, and wider front wings to accommodate the bumper and sideskirts, there's nothing else special apart from colours.

Have a pic of mine when it was clean, it's clean now for the first time in months but it's also snowing

My boyfriend has had a 56 plate 2.0tdci estate since it was 3 or 4 years old, not an ST though but a weird spec as it has body coloured door handles and mirrors, wind up rear windows.. and voice activation for the radio and aircon.

Currently just passed 250k miles on it, was his daily until last year only got retired from that after it got crashed into twice(!) and he got an electric MG5 for daily duty, kept this for moving stuff as has a huge loadspace etc

only real issues with it in that time were: Crank pully.. it used to break them and subsequently the tensioner for fun, cheap ones lasted 6 months, good quality brand ones were better but 3x the price, what finally cured it though was fitting a freewheel to the alternator, so worth doing if its not done aleady.

The fuel system self destructed a few years back (it had previously got rebuilt injectors after contaminated fuel killed them.. those were 'rebuilt' by somoene but were never right) i pulled out the entire fuel system, and replaced/cleaned it all, as as well as the metal in the system, engine oil had been leaking into the transfer pump and the inside of the fuel tank was black

Recently fitted a new map sensor after the original died while it was parked up.. and now its getting high 50s mpg again, has been giving low 50s for years and put it down to worn engine but apparently not, guess it was faulty for years, so something to look out for, its in a pretty stupid place on the lower turbo pipework and held in with two tiny hex head bolts.

EGRs clog up, as has been mentioned, the valves themselves also fail, but again avoid the cheap unbranded ones.

rear suspension on the estate is an interesting multi link design and completly different to the saloons, more bushes and links to check for wear though

There are a few trim parts that are already getting a bit hard to find, example is the gromit where the brake pushrod enters the engine bay, it disintigrates, and you get a bunch of engine abd road noise, can only get them from ford and its made of foam, the first replacement i got had melted in the packaging in the 6 months between buying it and going to fit it so i suspect they are all old stock now.... however a ford cougar one fits, and its made of proper rubber