Ford Territory Problems

Before buying the tow vehicle you should establish what you want to tow with it. It would be a good idea to decide on the caravan you want to buy and from that determine the total weight you want the car to handle, that is the weight of the caravan when it is fully loaded ready to travel. I say that because a car rated to tow 2 tonnes means you will only be able to tow a relatively small caravan. A diesel will be more economical when towing, and if that were your priority then I would go that way. I would suggest you consider a mid-sized SUV, like a Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Territory or a Toyota Kluger.

We haven't had any reports specifically relating to the Territory, ours have all been about the Falcon.

This is not uncommon. Ford chose not to service the ignition switch separately, so when it fails the only option left to owners is to replace the whole assembly and considerable cost as you found out. I can only assume they did to save money on the stock of spare parts they carried.

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.

The X5 would be my pick because it's a classy car that was the class benchmark until the current Mercedes-Benz ML arrived. But make sure you do your homework, as any complicated prestige car can get expensive if something big goes wrong.

When fitted with the standard towing pack the rear-wheel drive Territory is rated to tow 1600 kg, but can be uprated to 2300 kg when fitted with Ford's heavy-duty towing pack. The all-wheel drive model is rated to tow 2700 kg when fitted with the heavy-duty towing pack. I wouldn't recommend towing above the rated maximum.

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.

That’s a good tip but modern brake materials are still softer.

You should be thanking customer service boss Stephen Kruk and his team as they are sharpening that focus at Ford Australia.