Ford Problems

This all depends on whether the 2005 Focus is a Mark 1 or Mark 2 version of the Focus. So that's the first thing to ascertain. If they're both Mark 2 cars, then there's a very good chance that the boot release will be the same in either (and, therefore, interchangeable) as we're talking about the same car.

But even if the 2005 Focus is a Mark 1 model, it would still be worth physically checking to see if the release latches are the same. That's because even though the Mark 1 and Mark 2 Focuses were different cars, many manufacturers (Ford included) carried over some mechanical parts (such as latches and cables) from previous models to save on development costs. A good example of Ford doing this was the succession of 1980s Falcons including the XD, XE and XF models which all used the same exterior door handles. So compare the latch you have with the latch on offer and make sure it operates in the same way and direction, uses the same mounting points and will connect to the same cable. If so, you might just be lucky.

It shouldn't matter how old a safety recall is, it's a safety issue, so it needs to be fixed. That's why there's no actual time limit for these repairs to be made.

Here's the official response from the Department of Infrastructure: “There are no time limits applied to vehicle recalls by the department. It is expected that if a vehicle is presented for an older recall, the manufacturer will repair it as per the original recall notice”.

The potential spanner in the works there would be if the manufacturer is no longer represented in Australia or, if the parts required were no longer being made or otherwise available. In any case, this would definitely be worth chasing up with Ford as the recall was for potentially faulty brake lines which could cause a catastrophic failure with horrendous results.

After being hauled over the coals for its handling of this transmission-failure fiasco (and fined millions of dollars by the ACCC) Ford Australia is taking subsequent cases of Powershift transmission failure on a case-by-case basis. Consideration will be given to the kilometres the vehicle has travelled and whether there was an extended warranty with it, among other things.

The best advice in your case is to sidestep the dealer and go straight to Ford's customer service department and spell out the situation. You might find there's some redress after all. There are no guarantees, of course, but Ford Australia is painfully aware of its responsibilities in this area, so it's definitely worth a shot.

These older Ford pick-ups are actually quite collectible now with a big following that is prepared to pay big money for the right example. The main factor in value these days is the overall condition of the F100. Specifically the body and whether it's rusty or not. Rust was the big killer of these vehicles which were originally designed and built for the throw-away North American domestic market. Throw in the fact that they were first sold as workhorses and you can understand why the ones that have survived are worth money.

The chassis must also be sound if the vehicle is to have a future and the driveline will determine value, too; the bigger the V8 engine, the more collectible the vehicle is.

With all that in mind, you might pay a few hundred dollars for a very rusty, incomplete box of bits, all the way to $60,000 or even more for a restored example in really nice condition. Values in the collector car market are continuing to fall post-Covid, but the arrival of the all-new Ford F-150 won't hurt the values of these old girls one bit.

There's certainly a class action under way in the USA and Canada regarding this issue. It appears to be centred around Ecoboost engines ranging from 1.5 to 2.0 litres in size, and manufactured between 2013 and 2019. But until there's a ruling from the courts, there's no way to know whether it will be successful or not.

We checked with Ford Australia and it seems no such class action has not been initiated here. Given the differences in consumer law in other countries, it's often the case that a class action in one jurisdiction doesn't make it to some others.

For the record, a Ford Australia spokesman told us: “No Australian sold vehicles are involved in the class action referred to and we otherwise do not comment on ongoing litigation.”.

Don't forget, too, that the Fords we see in Australia are often built in completely different plants to the North-American version of the same car. For example, the North American Focus ST was manufactured in Michigan in the US, while Australian-delivered Focus STs were made in Ford's plant in Germany.

If this problem was to result in an adverse (for Ford) class action decision or a recall, then Ford would be bound to take the appropriate steps to rectify the situation, regardless of whether the model in question was still for sale in new-car showrooms. For the record, Ford in Australia switched to a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty from May 1, 2018. So, many of the cars we're talking about here would still be covered by that warranty in this country.

Clearly something is wrong here because wheel bearings should have a much monger lifespan than 12 months. I'd start by checking that the wheel alignment (yes, rear wheels need to be aligned, too) is correct and not putting weird stresses and strains on suspension components which could include the bearings. While you're at it, check the condition of the suspension bushes, too, as these can also allow alignment to become a problem.

Do you tow heavy loads with the car? This can also place huge stress on things like bearings and cause them to wear faster. Also, who replaced the previous set 12 months ago? Can you be sure they didn't over-tighten the new bearings, causing them to wear faster? Were the new bearings a good quality or a cheap replacement? Has the supplier of the bearings received the same complaint from other customers, suggesting a bad batch of bearings could be the cause? I've personally seen a brand new wheel bearing collapse in under 20km because the surfaces had not been hardened properly during the manufacturing process.

Finally, given the wild weather this continent has been experiencing, have you driven through flood-waters at any stage. Unlike fresh water, flood-water is often full of tiny silt particles which get into the bearing and then act as griding paste, causing the bearing to fail super fast.

Unfortunately, because your car was delivered before May 1 2018, it's only covered by Ford's three-year warranty, which, of course, has expired. New Fords delivered after that 2018 cut-off were covered by an longer, five-year warranty, but that's not much use to you.

The best thing you can do is tackle Ford Australia's customer service department to see if they're open to covering part of the cost of repairs on a pro-rata basis. This is a sometimes a possibility if the vehicle is only just out of warranty or has covered very low kilometres with a full service history. But in your case, I wouldn't be holding my breath.

If you can't find the dipstick for the automatic transmission, there might be a very simple explanation: It doesn't have one. Many Fords from this era were not fitted with dipsticks, so checking the level is done from underneath the car via the a threaded plug. Not so easy to do at home. The transmission is a sealed system, and any drop in level indicates a problem that needs to be fixed. So the level is worth keeping an eye on, even if that's not so easy to do in cars like this one.

Theories for the dipstick deletion include preventing owners from over-filling the transmission (easier than you might think, since the transmission temperature when you check it is critical) as well as not giving owners the opportunity to top-up their transmission with the wrong type or grade of fluid.

At some point though you have to imagine that cost-cutting also came into the decision.

This is a classic case of how long is a piece of string. Without knowing things like the car's condition, its service history, mileage and its specification, it's impossible to hazard a guess. These things sell for anything from $500 in rough, running condition with no registration nor roadworthy certificate, all the way up to $40,000 for an immaculate V8-powered, highly optioned version. So, somewhere between those two figures is your answer.

But assuming a six-cylinder car in decent condition with average mileage, with a RWC and no damage or serious wear and tear, you should be looking at something like $3000 to $8000. Sorry I can't be more specific than that.

It sounds like you have a very odd vehicle, Ian. All the information I've ever seen tells me that the BA Falcon range was released on September 30 2002 (not October as many believe) and that the Boss 260-powered XR8 didn't hit showrooms until early (January) 2003. Which makes your BA XR8 with a 2001 build-date a real anomaly.

Possibilities include your car being a very early prototype that escaped the crusher (which was the fate of most prototypes) and is possibly an AU Falcon bodyshell that has been converted to BA Falcon panels. The two models shared a lot more metal than they appear to, which was the clever part of Ford's update of the AU to BA.

But here's another clue: From memory, the AU Falcon used a conventional compliance plate rivetted to the car's underbonnet. But the BA was (I think) the first to use a sticker rather than a stamped plate. If your car has a stamped plate rather than a sticker, that suggests it has AU Falcon origins.

The ULEASHED decal on the bonnet is another mystery and is unlikely to have been a Ford Australia addition. Which makes me wonder if perhaps the car wasn't an early BA Falcon XR8 mock-up that was used for promotional purposes, say, for a race-team.

You used to be able to contact Ford Australia and quote the car's VIN which would enable the car's origins to be traced, but I believe that service has been discontinued. There are also online VIN decoders that might give an answer, but since it appears this car is a one-off, maybe it won't recognise the VIN. It all sounds intriguing, so please keep us in the loop.