Ford Problems

It’s best of you can come to a resolution with Ford and as there are plenty of reports of problems with this transmission that should be possible. I would maintain the pressure on the company until you get the response you want. If that ultimately fails I would have a solicitor send them a letter demanding action.

I can feel your frustration. It's bad enough that your car has a problem, it's worse when the car company doesn't appear to care. It would appear you have been treated very poorly. The issue needs to be sorted out with Ford, so keep calling until you get the response you want. You could also take it higher, to Ford's boss, Graeme Whickman, or you could consult a lawyer and send Ford a solicitor's letter demanding they take action to fix your car.

Yours is not the first complaint on this subject, so it seems many modern batteries are now being built to a price.

Ford has been working to help Fiesta owners with gearbox problems but obviously not well enough. This is ammunition for another attack and I hope to have some good news soon.

You need to know the all-up weight of the trailer with the three horses all your gear aboard. The horses alone weight 1500 kg, and the float is going to be 1500 to 2000 kg, so you need a vehicle capable of towing 3500 kg. There are a number on the market rated to tow that load, vehicles like the Holden Colorado, Mazda BT-50, Ford Ranger, Land Rover Discovery etc. You also need to be mindful of the Gross Combination Mass of the vehicle when you're going to tow at or near its maximum rating to ensure you don't exceed it.

The CX-5 is still best in class but a new Kia Sportage has just arrived and promises to be just as good. I’d steer you towards a Subaru Forester or Outback. They drive like a car, are more refined and easily handle country roads.

With your budget you're looking at the FG Falcon of around 2009, which is what I would recommend. An FG G6E, the equivalent of the Fairmont in the FG would be slightly above your budget range, but it would be the best choice. To find a Fairmont that fits within your budget constraints you would need to go back to the BFII.

Wow, that is a major change of direction. Before you make such a change I would suggest you actually test drive each of the cars you're thinking of to see if they really suit you. The Mazda MX-5 is a two-seater and not very practical for instance. It's hard to advise you because we don't anything about what you want from the car you buy. If it was me I would probably buy the MX-5, I would have no problem with a two-seater.

It sounds as if you want a sporty SUV and, with that budget, I’d be advising a late-model BMW X5.

Your car and also your mate’s car are both old and you’re filling them with new bowsers that have a higher flow rate that the old tanks can’t handle. It affects lots of old cars, and some not-so-old ones. One way is to avoid using the full flow rates, instead only use ½ to ¾ of the full capacity of the pump, but that can be hard with the filler located down behind the rego plate on the bumper. Your idea of using a hose and funnel so you stand while filling up should be easier, you just need to judge when you’re getting near full and slacken off so you don’t lose too much fuel if it overflows.