Ford Problems

You’re correct that a diff should last longer than six years, but how long it should last is open to question. To its credit Ford has offered to pay a portion of the repair cost. They won’t pay the whole cost of the repair as you have had six years of use out of the diff, and it’s now worn as a result of that use. There is no hard and fast rule that applies to your situation. The offer from Ford is based on the amount of wear and the projected life of the diff. You’re best to negotiate with Ford and hold out for the best deal you can get.

Check the system to see which LPG company developed the system for Ford and take it to them for checking. If you are unsure which company made it contact Mercer Industries (03 8788 1000).

Ford has a responsibility to fix the problem, and they seem to have tried, but failed on five separate occasions. The next step is to contact Ford directly (13 3673) and lodge a complaint about the problem and your concerns with the dealership. If that doesn’t elicit a satisfactory response contact the ACCC and ask for their advice on further action you could take.

Kia has a seven-year warranty. Holden, Ford, Hyundai and Mazda have five-year warranties. Toyota is currently three years, but is going to five. Look at the small models from those carmakers and you’ll find models to fit your budget.

It’s a dual-clutch auto similar to the ones that gave so much trouble in other models. As you say an auto transmission should last more than 80,000 km, it’s worth pursuing a claim for a replacement transmission.

You’re on pretty safe ground with the diesel Territory, as long as it is in good condition, and has been regularly serviced as per Ford’s recommendation.

Have the dealer justify the claim that it’s a characteristic of the Wildtrak, perhaps ask him to let you drive other Wildtraks to see for yourself, and don’t accept any explanation that doesn’t make sense. You could also contact Ford (13 3673) and ask for their help in resolving your complaint.

It’s not a problem that has come to our attention. If you have other owners with similar concerns you could try getting together and approaching Ford as a group. Other than that I would suggest you got to a suspension specialist and look at having you suspension upgraded.

Disconnecting the battery usually does the trick, but by entering the wrong code so many times might have caused it to shut down. Try a car radio specialist or a Ford dealer.

Six weeks is too long, press the dealer for an outlook on when they will have it fixed and returned to you. You could also ask them to loan you a car while they have yours.