Ford Problems

Your towing needs will dictate a big car. Others you could consider are the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Isuzu MU-X, Holden Trailblazer, or Ford Everest.

One to try is the Ford Focus; it has a rear view camera, GPS, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and fits within your budget.

You could have a mechanic or dealer check the cruise electronics, but it could be that you are trying to drive too slowly on the cruise and it can’t cope with it.

If it’s a diesel engine the change interval is every 10 years or 200,000 km, but if it is a petrol engine it is eight years or 160,000 km.

The claimed average for your car is 6.7 L/100 km. It would be higher if it were driven around town – 9.4 L/100 km – but a less – 5.2 L/100 km – if only driven in the country. But remember that these so-called claimed figures are a guide only and not necessarily what you might get from your car.

The 1.6-litre engine has a timing belt, the larger 2.0-litre engines also offered in the Focus have timing chains.

Normally my advice would be to buy the newest car with the lowest kilometres and in the best condition. In this case that would be the Triton, which would also comes with what remains of the factory warranty, but on all other counts I would go with the Ranger. The Ranger appears to be in good condition, the kilometres are low for the year, and the service history is just what you want.

I understand the 2010 Fiesta came with a space saver spare tyre. I'd be trying a wreckers to find a replacement, but make sure it actually fits your car. Plenty of space savers will look the same, but feature a different PCD (nut spacing), offset and overall diameter. 

That’s a doozy. What happens if you turn the lights off before turning the ignition off? The lights should go off when you turn them off, and I wouldn’t expect them to then come back on when the ignition is then turned off. I think an auto electrician is called for here.

If it is a major engine issue then, yes, it is a concern, and you could approach Ford for some assistance with the cost of repairs. If it turns out that it’s a relatively minor problem, then it’s not something to be overly concerned about. At this point all you can do is work with the people trying to find the cause.