Used cars running costs: Ford

By Martin Pretorius

To a large degree, Ford became popular in South Africa because their cars were affordable both to buy and to run – at least, that was the case up till the end of the 1970s. But then the 1980s rolled around, and things started going slightly belly-up. We look at some older Fords to determine which ones were expensive to keep rolling.

 

Thinking back a few decades, Ford had a deserved reputation for durability and affordability. Cars like the early Escorts and Cortinas, (and before those, the Anglia and Popular) cost next to nothing to keep on the road, thanks for strong aftermarket support, good fuel efficiency, and general ease of service.

But, since the dawn of the 1980s, some of those attributes started fading away, leaving Ford in a position where their cars weren't quite as attractive to budget-minded buyers any more. This trend hit its lowest point midway through the 1990s, just as South Africa started receiving “real” European Fords, instead of re-badged (but sturdy) Mazdas. Let's take a look at some of their worst offenders: the Fords which turned out to be quite expensive to run. 

Ford Falcon

There was much excitement when the return of the hallowed Falcon nameplate to our shores was announced. And, at first glance, these Australian-built Fords were exactly what our buyers craved: relatively simple, rear-wheel driven sedans with basic straight-6 engines and solid rear axles. Caravan enthusiasts were ecstatic... until they realized that their new Aussie Fords were quite expensive to run. A hefty thirst for fuel meant that the Falcon was expensive to run right from the outset, even before the reliability issues started cropping up.

In reality, these imported Fords had problems with high running costs due in part to the fact that there was no local aftermarket spares support, and Ford themselves charged ridiculous prices for replacement parts. It didn't help that the Falcons weren't exactly the most reliable cars, either – various electronic issues sidelined many a Falcon over the years, and because they're quite specialized in our market, even non-franchised workshops could charge a pretty penny for repairs.

No wonder the later Falcons faltered on the sales charts after a strong start, with most of the few which found buyers falling into disrepair in short order. A car with high running costs definitely isn't a good fit with buyers who wanted something simple and cheap to maintain...

Ford Mondeo

The Mondeo was a critically acclaimed international Ford, which fell victim to the ridiculous part prices of Ford's local operation, as it was back then. It also didn't help that the first- and second-generation Mondeos were quite fragile, needing frequent repairs with those over-priced components. Sales started on a high note, but rapidly tapered off until the Mondeo was quietly dropped from the local line-up – but, by then, the damage was done.

Seen through today's eyes, the Mondeo must still be considered a car with high running costs, because the initial issues never really disappeared. Second-hand spares are also quite difficult to find and costly to buy, and repairs after an accident is guaranteed to be an expensive nightmare, because most of the parts would need to be specially imported. Yes, the Mondeo was quite fuel-efficient and nice to drive, but the other running costs effectively killed it before it could gain the recognition it deserved.

Ford Escort

The hits just keep coming, with another European Ford which managed to miss the mark completely. The early, rear-wheel drive Escorts had a great reputation for being cheap to run, but with the switch to front-wheel drive in the early 1980s, that got replaced by a reputation for fragility, heavy fuel consumption and expensive maintenance. The Escort eventually disappeared from our shores, staying away for about a decade, but when it returned in the 1990s, nothing much had changed.

In fact, things became even worse, because Ford had started adding sophistication in the engine bays and began using more electronic componentry – none of which did this Escort's durability any good. Suffering from poor build quality, expensive spare part prices, no aftermarket parts support and inept service technicians, the Escort arrived with a bang but left with a whimper, no doubt helped along by running costs which turned out to be far more expensive than other cars in its class. It was, in fact, so bad that Ford renamed its successor – they called it the Focus, and it proceeded to have a long, successful and affordable life.

Fortunately, today's Fords are a far cry from the disasters they fielded in the dying years of the 20^th century. Their current cars have fuel consumption which is in many cases the best in their classes, the mechanical bits are generally back up to the level of durability they enjoyed in the 1960s, and parts prices from the dealerships have come down somewhat. Talk about a turnaround!