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.

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.

The main one is worn front suspension ball joints. You would expect that it has had the ball joints replaced once in that time, but you can expect to have to do them regularly, at intervals of between 40,000 and 80,000 km for the rest of the car’s life. Another to look for is worn diff mounting bushes. Early Territorys like yours also had issues with rust in the engine bay, around the fuel filler, and around the rear windows, which was due to poor painting.

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.

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."

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.