Most relaible Oz Ford ever built?

[ILLaViTaR]

My EBII has just over 300 000k's and here's what has FAILED on me so far in the 2yrs since I've owned it:

Head gasket/exhaust valves/lifters
leads/dizzy/tfi/coil/entire ignition system
the brand new bosch dizzy in less than 6 months (top bush failed)
alternator
harmonic balancer
exhaust and cat
fuel injectors/fuel pump
basically every sensor
diff
tailshaft (uni's)
front/rear shocks
every bush besides the massive ones (upper/lower arms etc)
ball joints/tie rods absolutely everything in the front end needed replacing
master cylinder
heater core
welsh plugs
fuel pump 12v in the lpg switch
accelerator cable x2
map sensor
seized calipers and slides
lpg converter (diaphragm ruptured)
steering column (both bearings collapsed)
blend door motor
millions of interior bits/electricals
heaps more crap I forget

And it will need a new auto very soon, power steering rack and preferably another diff. Looking forward to the BEM leaving me randomly stranded one day too. Somehow the car has always made it home and I've never needed a tow truck lol.

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by ak99

I'm another AU fan..

Aside from being solid, reliable and easy to maintain, they are easy to source parts for and parts are generally cheap.

Cheap to insure and on LPG they are cheaper to run than a 4 cylinder Camry - a lot more enjoyable to drive too!

That's the main reason I bought my AU ute
They are cheap to buy,easy enuf to fix,cheap for parts,$150 for a new alt delivered,cheap to run,average just under 10 L/100Ks across board,city,hiway,loaded,unloaded good enuf for me, and when the need arises stick the boot in and watch em go

[dannyxm]

I never really had an unreliable Falcon, but my lot of E series i had EF XR6/8 DC LTD were extremely reliable.

[davenl5l]

ask any older cabbie and the winner will be the good ol XF still see heaps around and they still pull good money !!

[XR27]

AU for me as well!!
Worst is XF

[malazn mafia]

EL Fairmont. 3 Years. Bought for 4950 with 202,000km sold for 4950 with 242,00km. Two breakdowns: dead coil, ruptured fuel line at pump (not car's fault, rubbish woolworths E10 fuel).

[TMC]

My old EL was an extremely reliable car and cheap to run being dual fuel. I bought it from a government auction at 37500km as it was a police car. Never gave me any trouble right up until 295000kms when someone ran into the side of it and wrote it off.

In the end I stripped the motor down, changed all the gaskets, checked it for wear internally (it had none) and ported the head and put a cam in it and now it resides between the guards of my XG ute, (which is a glorified XF) and expect to get another 300000kms out of her.

The AU appears to be the winner here, and for good reason. Ford reportedly got Jaguar engineers in to redesign the AU engine for better NVH, with bigger crankshaft bearings, longer con rods and shorter pistons etc. The coil pack issue was sorted, the overheat cylinder shut down feature was introduced. The head was redesigned, with stronger head bolts and MLS head gasket which sorted the head gasket failure issue that plagued the E series from the beginning. Technically it was brilliant, but the styling was not accepted by the general public who only understand litres to mean the unit of measurement you buy milk and juice in. They couldn't see the innovations so they went unnoticed.

I remember the time when the EL was being run out and we were all waiting for the "new Falcon". It was a bit of an anticlimax when we saw the first AU come out. It instantly reminded me of the "Probe" or the "Taurus". But the AU was a great car. And an AU XR has a really nice unique appearance that is unmistakable.

[Kieron]

Originally Posted by davenl5l

ask any older cabbie and the winner will be the good ol XF still see heaps around and they still pull good money !!

XF for sure. If there was one Aussie built car that should have been turned into a "London Cab" its the XF. End of the line for a well and truly sorted chassis, engine and auto and light years ahead of an E series Falcon reliability wise and dare I say it, better than the AU which still suffers from stuffed door locks and falling headlining.

[TheSneakiness]

AU for sure.

Had one for 5 years, only servicable items I needed to replace was a radiator, steering rack and thermostat housing.

[steve.zissou]

IU am going to say FG.

250,000km of hell on mine (now with 400+rwkw) and no major trouble.
slighly leaking water pump (top up every 10,000km) and a thermo state - oh and the heater core blew but is bypassed atm)

might get to 600,000 one day

[mik]

All of my falcons have been good , XR 289.....bloody grouse car, XC 351 ute also a good car, xd wagon 6cyl also had a good run, i look after them with the servicing, but the Au 2001 XR6 s2 with very very minor issues aside that you expect of any motor car, it has been the rock of the family fleet no doubt about it, i work the *** of it and it is still a good daily ..

[xwgs302]

Our family's first taxi was a HK... nothing but dramas.
Swapped it for an XY and been Ford ever since up to BF.
The steel bumper cars were the most hardiest body wise, the newer cars cost $$$ for a 20km/h bump. All the X series needed welding at some point in their life like cross members, doors on XD-XF etc
The only cars we haven't spent much on maintenance is the BA-BF, only fuel. And no, the gas Falcons are not more economical than a 4cyl Camry, not for cab use that is. We bought a Hybrid Camry and Prius to compare the Falcons, and it is sad for me to say that they are better overall except comfy ride. Their reliable, lighter, stop instantly, less accidents in the wet, efficient etc. Only a big hit will write them off easily...

Anyway Most reliable Ford we have had is the BA-BF
An old BA ex cab we sold to a friend had close to a million km. When he got there we were surprised to find that the odometer doesn't go back to zero, but goes back to 997000 odd k's.

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by xwgs302

Anyway Most reliable Ford we have had is the BA-BF
An old BA ex cab we sold to a friend had close to a million km. When he got there we were surprised to find that the odometer doesn't go back to zero, but goes back to 997000 odd k's.

Why didn’t you tell Ford about this? If Holden had a customer with a crumpledore that clocked up a million kms, they would have made a bloody commercial featuring the car and the reliability of it.



Why am I reminded of Al Bundy and his Dodge?

[Falcon SXR8]

Out of the 3 cars I have owned a eb,au and ba the au wins hands down than my eb second, and last my current ba, I have had nothing but trouble with it, its been a peice of junk.

[Grippy]

AU for me, i'm on my third now and they have all been ultra reliable, a lot more so than my BA and BF.

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by ILLaViTaR

My EBII has just over 300 000k's and here's what has FAILED on me so far in the 2yrs since I've owned it.

Long list removed to save space.

Mate, I think there’s a message in that. Sometimes they get to a point where they just aren’t worth spending any more money on. I think this car may have reached that point before you bought it.

Probably a good time to update to an AU if your finances allow.

[Road_Warrior]

The AU wagon we had before we bought the Tez cost me more money to keep on the road in 18 months of ownership than in 7 years of owning my BA. It was just one problem/failure after another. Couldn't wait to see the back of it.

My BA or probably the EBII Fairmont I owned years and years ago would have to be the best and most reliable for me. Neither gave me trouble in any meaningful way.

[BENT_8]

Too hard to choose between XF and AU, nothing else comes close to these 2.

The XF in ULP Carbi form were near on indestructible when driven with respect.
Door handles, hinge pins and 'C' pillar rust is all to report really.
Easily a much better thought out package than an EA-D and far more reliable on average.
EF/L's were well built with the exception of the dreaded head gasket issues that still plagued the OHC 4.0l.

The AU, being 10 years newer than the youngest XF at time of release is easily the best accumulation of parts ever assembled on a Falcon production line.
Not only is it a vast improvement on the XF, it ticks every box that was missed during the EF/L series and can hold its own against a car 10 years its junior.
It should be considered first by a mile, but the build quality and effortless reliability of the XF at the time are too impressive to dismiss.

In all honestly, had Ford released an XF ESP with a 5.8l Windsor V8 and T5 it could quite easily have become a halo/collector car.
Its difficult to appreciate how good a nice XF looked in its day. Sure, there are plenty of nice examples around today, but its 2013, they are looked at differently to how they were received in 84.
I will never forget the day I first laid eyes on a friends white 88 XF 'S'.
Climbing in, the sports trim, red piping, the feel of the plastics, smooth and contoured.
The digital dash which could cycle between gauges, the AC and stereo controls just belonged, as did the binnacle switches for numerous features.
The 15" steelies with chrome dress rings and plastic centre caps, colour coded bars, tail light/fuel trims and grill, the decals and driving lights.
I could go on and on and on....

Compared to the equivalent Commodores, it was leagues ahead

[Davehoos]

Ive seen more reliable XF than the other models. basic bullet proof-boof head proof.

my driver lience was got on a manual 3 speed XD alloy head wagon that never stopped or needed service and nice to drive.

my several EB/ED did let me down with spark,fuel and body module. not as quiet as the AU.

I have had several AU myself and they have needed service parts like power steer pumps and suspension parts--but they havnt need a tow home.

[GASWAGON]

Yes its a hard decision deciding what car to upgrade to from two EF's that have really been pretty reliable overall..

Maybe worth keeping the better one thats got 250k's and upgrading the old XR wagon to an AU wagon with as low as possible k's.....theres still a few around with 150k's or so.

[Ford_The_Win]

The problem with the AU's though, is that they're a shocking rust trap. Every AU I pull up behind these days has rust bubbling through the boot lid.

The FG's seem to be pretty well sorted cars (no dramas with mine) except the god damned heat exchanger setup has me on edge.

[xwgs302]

Originally Posted by Full Noise

Why didn’t you tell Ford about this? If Holden had a customer with a crumpledore that clocked up a million kms, they would have made a bloody commercial featuring the car and the reliability of it.



Why am I reminded of Al Bundy and his Dodge?

Yeah...
I was half hoping all the lights to start flashing, horn tootin and a scrolling message on the odometer that says...
"Congratulations, come pick up a free Falcon at your nearest Ford Dealer"

One other thing we worked out in the taxi game...
If the cars we bought were ex cop/fleet/rental, they lasted the longest if they were treated hard from word go. Ones we bought privately were nothing but drama cause of a cushy life...

Al Bundy is a legend

[FGII-XR6]

Would never happen though the Falcons have always flogged the dunnydores for reliability ( except maybe the early EA)

Originally Posted by Full Noise

If Holden had a customer with a crumpledore that clocked up a million kms, they would have made a bloody commercial featuring the car and the reliability of it.



Why am I reminded of Al Bundy and his Dodge?

[falconhell74]

XR through to XB cant beat the old 250 log motor for reliability a close second would be the 289 windsor followed by the XC & early XD with the cast head 250 Xflow

[FERG_51]

Originally Posted by steve.zissou

IU am going to say FG.

250,000km of hell on mine (now with 400+rwkw) and no major trouble.
slighly leaking water pump (top up every 10,000km) and a thermo state - oh and the heater core blew but is bypassed atm)

might get to 600,000 one day

Have to agree that the FG is shaping up pretty well against the super reliable AU.

[TMC]

Going back to X series vehicles the 302 Cleveland V8 was indestructible. I threw a cam into my old XB with 280000 kms on it and it pulled 6800rpm without exploding. Boy that thing revved. Just a 4 barrel, extractors and cam that's all.

[OffRoadFalcon]

I have to agree as well, the AU gets my vote. They've just been such a good car.
Being an owner, and my parents owning my car for 10 years before me, it has performed flawlessly all of its life. No complaints at all. Never come close to letting us down, except when it spat the idler pulley last year, but that can happen on any car.
It's the first car my parents have owned that hasn't been driven into the ground, and that's all up to the car staying together better than any other.
With 206,000 now, ol' Skip is still great to drive, reliable as ever, and still loved.

Even many of the taxis in Busselton, are still AUs. Still going, and just by watching them and listening as they drive past, they seem to be running in top shape! Even more so than the B series ones.

[flooded one]

AUs hands down. then the XF.

[Cuyper]

The AU was the best Falcon of all time, only a pity the sheet metal and paint was sub par as always out of the Geelong plant, the b series and FG are/will be just as rusty. Otherwise it was spot on, even the looks came good eventually.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by steve.zissou

IU am going to say FG.

250,000km of hell on mine (now with 400+rwkw) and no major trouble.
slighly leaking water pump (top up every 10,000km) and a thermo state - oh and the heater core blew but is bypassed atm)

might get to 600,000 one day

Gees you'd be one of the first to have that many k's on a an FG mate, plus 400kw geesus!

No trans or diff problems yet?