Ford Falcon 2010 Problems

If it’s a good quality the semi-synthetic oil will be fine for your car. Next time you have the oil changed ask the mechanic what oil he plans to use, and don’t be afraid to specify the one you want if it’s different.

As you say this is a known and well-documented problem, one you would hope Ford takes responsibility for. I'm not aware of any class action being taken by owners against Ford over the matter, you are doing the right thing by going to fair trading/small claims for a resolution.

It's probably a leaking seal, but you have to first determine where the leak is coming from. The best course is to locate the source of the leak and replace it, but there are additives available that claim to recondition seals and stop leaks. You should be able to find them at your local automotive store.

Dealers don't do that sort of work any more; they simply change oil, give it a bit of a grease, and hand it back to you. You obviously want more, and for that you have to go to a specialist mechanic who has the knowledge and experience, and equipment to do what you want.

I haven't heard of this problem before, but it's pleasing to hear that your dealer is still on the case and hasn't given up. It sounds like it could be a fix, but as you say you won't know for sure if the problem has been fixed until you get a spell of hot weather again.

It was thought that the revised cooler design had fixed the problem, and that was backed up by a lack of reports of failed coolers for a long time, but more recently we have been getting reports of coolers failing and damaging the transmission. That would suggest the problem hasn't been fixed. It's worth considering fitting an external cooler.