Ford Territory 2015 Problems

This generation of full-sized Fords was a bit notorious for body computer problems that have symptoms very much like the ones you’ve listed. Essentially, the body computer is responsible for all the communication between the car’s various systems, including air-conditioning, cruise-control, central locking and much, much more. If the computer fails, replacement is usually the only real fix. Sometimes you’ll need to have the ignition key re-coded to the new computer, as well. The price quoted sounds about par for the course form what I’ve heard.

I’m with you that a car that’s only five years old probably shouldn’t need new components like a body computer, but when your car was brand-new, it was covered only by a three-year factory warranty. Ford Australia extended its warranty to five years in 2018 (for cars sold after that date) but that’s of little use to you. Twisting the dealer’s arm probably won’t do much, but have you contacted Ford Australia’s customer service division and stated your case? It might be worth your while.

It’s relatively widespread, Steve. In fact, it was enough of a problem for a while there that Ford was actually repairing some cars that were out of warranty. So that would be the first step: Tackle your local Ford dealer and ask the tough questions. A vehicle made in 2015 is too young to be rusty through bad design, but bear in mind that the dealer may not want to know and playing hardball on your part could result in legal costs if you follow it right through. And there’s no guarantee you’d win anyway.

There are shortcuts to rust repairs, but they all guarantee that the problem will recur. Fixing rust permanently requires removing all the affected metal, welding in new metal and rust-proofing the end result before repainting.

Somehow, moisture was able to enter the skin of the Territory’s tailgate and sit there and, naturally, rust was the end result. The area at the rear of the car around the tail-lights is also susceptible to corrosion. It’s interesting that the Territory had a storage space beneath the boot floor that was designed to accommodate wet bathers and wetsuits after a trip to the beach. Could this be the clue?

The three cars you name all have merit, none has any major issue to be concerned about and all fit your needs, but you will have to shop around to find them within your age and budget limits.

Definitely not the Journey; the Territory is solid and good value; but my current favourite in the class is the Kia Sorento. It gets The Tick and is well worth the extra, even though the starting price of $40,990 is well beyond the $33,500 base of the Journey.

It seems like another case of perfect preparation preventing poor performance.

Definitely not the Captiva. The Kluger will cost more because of the Toyota badge. I'd favour a Territory — but make sure it's had necessary upgrades to the ball joints. As an alternative, a Hyundai Santa Fe would be a good choice.

The XC90 is a very old design and one at that price might be a bit doubtful. Your best choice would be a Kia or Hyundai, which are far better than you might think and may even have some factory warranty at your budget.

We aren't aware of any websites that list the real world fuel economy of cars, and we'd be reluctant to give you any figures as they might not apply to your situation in any case. Working out the time required to recoup the extra cost of the diesel engine is difficult because it depends on the cost of both petrol and diesel at any given time and the relative reduction in fuel consumption from using diesel. Based on your annual mileage, and the fact that it is predominantly suburban, I would suggest petrol as the way to go. If you were doing a lot of highway driving, and a lot of towing, then diesel could be a better bet for you.

Subaru Australia spokesman David Rowley says: "The tow ratings are set in cooperation with the factory to meet Australian standards, including for the down load rating. The current ratings do not preclude revisions in future model years as technical refinements are always ongoing, but there is no time frame for any possible change, especially given that the new models are only now being introduced."