Ford Kuga Problems

There are no lemon laws as such in Australia, and I don't believe you would have a claim on the basis of it not being fit for purpose. It really requires regular and repeated failures to qualify as a lemon or being unfit for purpose. But it is an expensive repair, just out of warranty, and at low kilometres. Give Ford a call and explain your concern, and request they cover the cost of the repairs as a gesture of goodwill.

It’s the responsibility of the dealer you bought it from to repair it, he’s the one issuing your warranty. The automatic transmission in Fords has been an ongoing problem, and it would seem that the transmission in your car needs to be replaced. The bottom line is you need to sort it out with your dealer, if that doesn’t result in a satisfactory resolution go to VCAT.

It’s a common problem for us as we get older, but there are no sedans or hatches that have the sort of higher driving seat that you want. The best option would be a small SUV, such as a Holden Trax, Toyota C-HR, Ford Kuga, or Suzuki S-Cross.

Are you trading simply because the nearest Ford dealership is two hours away? If that is the case, I would suggest you look at other service options locally, and think about having it serviced closer to home. It is five years old after all, so sticking with the dealer is not as important as it would be if the car were newer. If you are determined to trade I would suggest, in order, the Toyota, Nissan, Kia and Holden. All build cars of a similar quality and reliability to the Ford.

Of those you list I would go for the Mitsubishi ASX. You could also try the Kia Sorento or Mazda CX-5.

Being four years old your car has lost some value in the time you have owned it, and that will be factored into the deal.

The trade-in value is $9500-$11,500 and I would expect that’s what the dealer will offer you if you accept a replacement car. Don’t expect Ford or the dealer to be on your side here, you have to bargain hard with the dealer to get a decent deal.

Unfortunately the deal won’t factor in the stress, inconvenience, and cost you have had to endure with this defective vehicle.

As you say, the choice is bewildering. All the models you have been looking would be suitable; you could also look at the Nissan X-Trail. I would go for either the Mazda CX-5 or the Kia Sportage, but that's not to say the others aren't worth considering. Why don't you go shopping and check each of them out to see how they fit your needs.

The Trax is good value for money and stacks up well against all comers in the class. The 1.4 turbo is the best engine, and it has a conventional auto instead of a CVT that most of its rivals have. Others to look at are the Suzuki S-Cross, Ford Kuga, Nissan Qashqai, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru XV.