As above, I’m looking at an 08 Mondeo in Titanium trim. I know the obvious stuff about oil levels (DPF related) and DMF (rumbling on the clutch) but is there anything else I should be checking before I commit?

It’s on 72k miles, last MOT’s were at 68k and 65k (present owner is elderly and been off his feet from surgery a lot) and generally looked after from what I can see (needs a polish and wash but hey ho). Previous owner was his son in law.

What I noticed on the short local drive:

Drives fine, nothing noticeable when changing gear or such.

Slight rumble at 2000rpm when gently revving in neutral, could it be an early warning of DMF doom?

Oil service light on, probably related to low milage and DPF getting upset, will a good blast and reset sort this after a service?

He’s wanting £4400 for it, I’d be wanting a decent test drive down to my work and back to stretch its legs and check extra stuff like the cruise control is working. MOT’s for last 3 years are clean, advisory for rear trailing arm bush that disappeared (advisory, not bush), had a look and they seem okay. Brakes got done this year as well. Alloys look like shit but it’s the usual lifting laquer that you get on Fords, might drop a size anyway and get 16’s. Comes with factory fitted towbar that would save me a few hundred quid getting one fitted.

Any thoughts?

If the old fella has been riding the clutch it could just be the release bearing, don’t know if this is serviceable. PDF can be removed and reprogrammed if a problem. By removed I mean the innards taken out etc so no visible fail at Mot. Any diesel of this age and mileage will have the same issues. This one may be worse because its mileage may all be local slow speed urban trips. Often better to get a higher mileage one that had sat on the motorway. Try and knock him down with your concerns and if he doesn’t budge walk away. Plenty of cars around like that.

At the risk of recommending what you have… Have you looked back for slightly older ones? They’re pretty similiarly good cars but you can avoid all DPF issues by going back to about 2006 (IIRC) and not having one.

It’s pretty low miles for DMF death but it does happen. There doesn’t seem to be that much rhyme or reason to it, mine is original dmf and clutch at 120000 miles so it’s got to be on borrowed time but it’s holding down a bunch more power and it’s driven by a cock. Others fail at 70000 and everyone says “told you that’d happen”.

Got to say, I wouldn’t buy one if I was a all suspicious of it and it ought to be a smooth (if clattery) engine so I don’t know what’s causing it, what else it might be etc. Are you sure it’s an engine rumble not a bearing or something? But equally, you could get a perfect seeming car and have it fail rapidly. Or you could get a rusty nail like mine and have it inexplicably go on forever. There’s a lot of them out there so you don’t need to settle but I like the sound of pretty much everything else, it’s a tricky one that.

I suppose, last passing comment… The hidden gem in the mondeo range is usually the 2.2, they’re very overlooked. They’re not much more expensive to tax and insure normally, economy and cost of running is pretty much the same (this bit’s up to you- mine is more economic than a 2.0 when driven gently, as it’s so unstressed, but less economic when driven quick) and the drivability’s better. I’ve never towed but they’re much complimented for it. Worth having a look around maybe

I know very little about that ford engine so it may be an older type but one of them has a chain between the cams that’s common for going or at least the traders I know won’t buy them without proof it’s been done.
I’m sure someone will be along to correct me on the engine type.

I had a 2009 focus on 30k where the DMF went.

I would also check the steering as I had a steering angle sensor go and the power steering had an issue with some electric components I can’t remember exactly what now.

I’m driving a 13 plate Mondeo and it’s handlingbat high speedsbis very wollowy (is that a word and how you spell it) that goodness it’s only a high car as my new company car arrives tomorrow.
Had an old Mondeo and loved it but l’ve hated this one

DMF on our ’07 Focus 2.0tdci 136bhp went last year at only 35000 miles. Was about £300/£400 to fix.
Nice to drive and reasonably quick but not great mpg on short trips/urban driving.

Check the bonnet release cable. They have a habit of seizing which makes for some very expensive labour in the Ford dealer getting the bonnet open and the cable and latch replaced.

Trust me on this.

Other than that, pretty bullet proof car in my experience.

Make sure it has parking sensors, they’re a big old beast to park.

I’ve had an 05 for the last 8 years. Just an old faithful, never failed to start and the only thing she’s needed is the common DMF at around 100k (she’s nearly double that now). Rumbling could be the auxiliary belt tensioner if the design was still the same in 08. They all do it, I can tell a TDCI idling with my eyes shut

My 09 one has been brilliant other than the DMF starting to go at 65k miles which was expensive to replace (clutch done at the same time). I do a lot of town driving with it though which is bad for it.

Yeah the rumbling, if it could be called that, was more a sort of kick at 2000rpm. May be turbo related, it’s probably nothing but I was being ultra cautious and looking for every little thing. Well aware that TDCI’s idle like a rampant rabbit hooked into the mains 😀

And yeah, sensors front and rear, I’ve driven a couple without them over the years when borrowing them from my old man, the size isn’t too much of an issue.

My mates 08 plate 2.0Tdci Mondeo just clicked over to 278,000 miles last week before throwing the towel in.

Not much went wrong with it by all accounts until last week anyway. Reliable motors I’d say.

I’ve had an 05 for the last 8 years. Just an old faithful, never failed to start and the only thing she’s needed is the common DMF at around 100k (she’s nearly double that now). Rumbling could be the auxiliary belt tensioner if the design was still the same in 08. They all do it, I can tell a TDCI idling with my eyes shut

Different engine altogether.

Wife’s work colleague had a cam belt tensioner fail on her 08 Mondeo 2.0 tdci at 70k causing the cam belt to slip and engine failure. Not sure if this is a known issue or unlucky but get the noise sorted before buying.