Ford Mondeo 1997 Problems

Idling for 30 minutes is a very tough test for any car’s cooling system and I wouldn’t recommend doing it. I can’t imagine what would cause you to idle for that length of time, and I would suggest you turn the engine off in those situations instead of leaving it idling. Driving along the highway is much less stressful, there is air being forced through the radiator to cool the engine and the fan often doesn’t do a lot in those situations. But you should check the operation of the thermo fan and make sure it is actually working. It should come on when the temperature rises and go off again when it drops. If it’s not, then check the relay. Also check the radiator core to make sure it’s not blocked or partly blocked with leaves etc.

Ford didn't promote the Mondeo well here, but it sold well in Europe. The Mondeo handled well, had quite good performance and few problems in service. The car you describe sounds good and $6000 is reasonable.