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.

It's time to draw a line in the sand, and get the dealer, and Ford, to set out their plan to fix the issues with your car. They are required to fix a car when it is faulty, as yours would appear to be, so you need to get them to spell out what they are going to do about it. Get it in writing, so you have something to which you can hold them to account. Also get them to give you a deadline, one that you can agree to. If that doesn't work out, press for a replacement vehicle.

From what you describe you should be able to hear it if you lift the bonnet and from that you should be able to isolate it to a particular part of the car. If you can do that you can fix it. Take it to a mechanic.

AM radio isn't getting much attention from carmakers these days. It could be a shielding problem from the ignition, but more likely it's an antenna issue. I would consult a car radio specialist and see if they can provide a better antenna.

It is a common problem on the Territory and the Falcon and Ford will only supply the full column assembly. Crazy. It's out of warranty, so you will have trouble getting Ford to fix it at their cost, although you could try getting them to pay at least for part of the repairs. Other than that go to a Ford wrecker and have them install a used switch for you at a much reduced cost.

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.

Thanks. I would never have guessed that radio interference could be caused by the accumulation of dirt and dust on high voltage power lines.

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