Ford Falcon 2006 Problems

THE mileage is low to be having a major engine problem, unless the car hasn't been regularly serviced. I would get a second opinion before replacing the engine - it probably would be cheaper to replace it than rebuild it, but I would have the diagnosis confirmed first. If I replaced it, I would keep the car.

KEEP the pressure on your dealer and Ford to fix this before it spreads and, you are right to be concerned about what lies beneath the paint that hasn't yet surfaced. The letter below suggests paint quality is shoddy.

YOU'VE certainly had the runaround. Paint quality is a subjective thing. One person will think it's bad. Another will reckon it's fine. Take it to an independent paint specialist and ask them to give you a report on it.

I CAN'T recall hearing the noise in any Falcons I have driven and I contacted Ford and it told me that the ABS does cycle during start-up as a test to ensure the system is operating correctly. This is similar to the airbag system doing a self-test on start-up. As a result you could notice a noise, but it should be normal operating procedure. Ford contacted Bill Morrow and showed him that the noise existed in a similar car. It was explained it was the ABS stability control system self-checking. Bill remains unhappy and warns other Falcon owners to be aware of the annoying noise.

THE dealer's so-called explanation is rubbish. The belt is either installed incorrectly or the mechanism is faulty. Take it back and have them either correct the installation or replace the belt.

IF YOU have the service records, you have a case. Ford must honour its warranty, even if the car hasn't been serviced by a dealer. As long as you've had it serviced according to the book -- and have the records to prove it -- you have case for a claim. You can always go to Consumer Affairs Victoria for advice.

UNFORTUNATELY, you have the Falcon ute blues. The one-tonner Ford supplied for me to drive a few months ago had the vibration you complain about, but I think it's from the driveline, not the transmission. The transmission clunk you complain about is common and Ford's fix is to change the transmission. Unfortunately, the clunk usually returns. Many owners have had several transmissions in their Falcons. I don't believe Ford has a fix, it's just the way the cars are, but you can try maintaining your rage.

THE rule of thumb with LPG is it will use 15-20 per cent more litres of LPG than it would petrol, and that seems to be true of your car around town. But like you I would expect a little less, probably about 12 litres/100 km, on the open highway. Go back to your installer and see if it can retune it to achieve a better result on the highway.

Like all oils and fluids, the power steering fluid goes off in time. Power steering fluid works quite hard. I would have it changed and the system flushed at the same time.

GENERALLY, LPG cars are just as safe as long as the LPG system is correctly installed and maintained. Dedicated gas Falcons are developed by Ford and the systems are well designed and safe.