Ford Problems

I would have an independent automatic transmission mechanic assess it and if that confirms that your fears are correct take it back to Ford. But if you do that you need to be prepared to argue because Ford will not roll over easily. You could also contact your state consumer affairs department and seek their advice. We have been told about a case of an owner taking Ford to VCAT in Victoria over a different issue, but similar to yours in that Ford was rejecting an owner’s claim and the owner won.

All of the vehicles are worthy choices, but you need to be careful about the towing ratings of them. The Kia Sorento, which would be my choice, is rated at 2000kg, which is right on your towing requirement. Others, such as the 2WD Everest, are rated to tow much more. Others, like the Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Prado, are full-on 4WDs, and would seem beyond your needs.

There are no major issues with the Ranger engine or gearbox that should rule it out. Around the end of the financial year is often a good time to get a good deal, cars companies and dealers are looking to shift their stock at that time. Change of model is also a good time to swoop.

It has cropped up before. It would be nice if they lasted longer, but I reckon you’d be wasting your time trying to get Ford to cover the costs.

Earlier Rangers were plagued by problems with the cruise control, and Ford recalled them, but we're not hearing of the same issues with the current model. Perhaps if you could provide us with more information on what it is yours is doing we might be able to give you more of a guide to what could be wrong.

Putting petrol in diesels is a relatively common mistake people make when they’re distracted. Petrol acts as a solvent reducing the lubrication of components such as the fuel pump, which I suspect is where the metal shavings have come from. The metal particles can subsequently cause serious damage to the rest of the fuel system. Serious damage to the engine can be caused by detonation from uncontrolled ignition. Because you dispute Ford’s contention that you did put petrol in your car I would suggest the fuel in the tank be analyzed to determine if it contains petrol or not.

That's a tricky one. Vicroads won't allow the vehicle to be transferred to a new owner until they can verify that it isn't dodgy, and that's fair enough, but I can't see why it should take weeks or months for Ford to trace the other car. All you can do is to try and keep the pressure on Ford to sort it out.

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.