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.

You’re right; a cylinder head gasket shouldn’t just ‘let go’. Ask your dealer to request Ford to cover at least part of the cost of repairing your car. Even though the warranty has expired they still have an obligation under consumer laws to support the vehicle.

It's great to hear from an old-school car enthusiast and I can remember doing the same thing when I was younger. These days it's nearly impossible to even find the oil filter on some new cars.

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.

I believe the three local makers will maintain their commitment to owners long after they stop manufacturing. In your case, the credit goes to Ford's Stephen Kruk who was straight onto the problem.

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.