Ford Territory Problems

WE have no reason to believe the problem you're referring to -- excessive wearing and failure of the front lower control-arm ball joints -- has been fixed.

For starters the dealer has failed to complete the repair he'd agreed to do so you shouldn't have paid any money at all until the job was done to your satisfaction. I would also have left the car there and refused to take delivery of it. The dealer has given you a loan car, so he hasn't left you completely in the lurch. Have him tow the car back to his dealership and have him give you an estimate of the time and cost of the repair and tell him that you will not take the car back until it is fixed.

I have had reports of others needing diff bushes, from what I can determine it's not an uncommon fault in the Territory.

No, they aren’t, and the Territory does seem to suffer more problems than most, even the Falcon. There’s not much that can be done about it, it comes with the territory so to speak.

I hope it continues, but other owners have had brake hose failures on Territorys and Falcons. Even the advice that it is not a common problem suggests that whoever gave you the advice knows of the problem.

I THINK you should query it. Worn ball joints are not only expensive to replace -- and it seems that is part and parcel of owning a Territory - they can be dangerous if they fail, as they are prone to do. That yours need replacing at 18,000km is beyond my comprehension. Ford should replace them at no cost to you.

The diff bushes are a problem with the Territory, but at six years old and 90,000 km you might be hard pressed to ask Ford to cover the cost of replacing them. But to have to take a car back to a dealer 15 times in 90,000 km is way too much and, yes, I think Ford should be more forthcoming with compensation for problem cars. While the Territory was a great concept its execution wasn’t and it does have a number of problems that regularly crop up.

A GOOD tip, one that clearly works for you.

FOLLOW the dealer's advice to start with. When you finish washing your car open the doors and let any excess soap drain away, and finally chamois the steps and surrounding area dry. You could also consult a four-wheel-drive specialist and see what they do to retain the bright appearance of the side steps on other cars. If you feel you want to continue dealing with Ford, there's no other way but to maintain the rage and certainly put your complaints down in writing and send them to the company.

WE HAVE had some reports of rear brake hose failures and also wondered why Ford only recalled the Territory to replace the front hoses. We can't say that it's as serious as the front brake hose failures turned out to be, so we will watch with interest to see how it develops. I wouldn't hesitate: replace both hoses.