Ford Problems

I would guess that the dealer has tried a quick fix that hasn't worked rather than actually attacking the cause of the leak, which probably requires him to dig deeper into the car to identify and repair it. Take the car back and request that he make another attempt to fix it.

No one knows but I’d say it is very, very unlikely. The feds get a lot of money from LCT takings.

I agree with you that consumer laws in this country are pathetic and need to be toughened up. That’s for the politicians to attend to. As much as the noise is something you shouldn’t have to put up with in a new car, it’s not enough to warrant a refund. But Ford should be able to tell you when it will have a fix available. Unfortunately car makers are often very slow in responding to consumer concerns, giving the impression they don’t care, and frustrating owners. Go back to your dealer, and talk to Ford directly, and make sure they understand your frustration.

It will be here early next year, most likely in February. Ford says you will be able to drive one at your dealership in March, for sure.

Ford says there are more than 400 colour choices on the Transit but there is almost no interest in Australia beyond the basics. “The take-up rate of non-white and silver paint was very low. However, we are watching the market and may expand the colour range if customers demand it,” says company spokesman, Neil McDonald.

The Ranger gets The Tick and is a clear winner from the Amarok. The all-new Navara is not even close. But we're expecting a new Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota HiLux in the first half of 2015, so check back nearer then.

Ford's claimed economy for the Focus manual is 7.3 L/100 km, which is a blend of city and country driving. The claimed economy in a city driving situation, which sounds like it could be like yours, is 10 L/100 km, while the claimed figure for country driving is 5.6 L/100 km. I would suggest you take it on a long trip and measure the economy in that situation before doing anything else. If it comes close to the 5.6 L/100 km claimed figure you could assume the car is running ok. If it doesn't come close then you assume something isn't quite right and investigate the problem. I would suggest you also give it a good hard run to blow out the carbon that's probably accumulated in the combustion chamber, and see if that helps.

Right now, with the HiLux set for a total replacement in the first half of next year, the Ford and Mazda are the better choices and get The Tick. Ford developed the car but shoppers report better deals on the BT-50.