The Ford Mondeo was the darling of the fleets for good reason. It managed to combine a huge amount of interior space with great driving behaviour, low running costs and plenty of standard equipment. It felt equally at home on the motorway, in town, or on a backroad, and it looked good. No matter that everyone else had had the same idea as you, and had bought one, too.
And of course, it was easy to run because there was a Ford dealer on most street corners.
However, the Mk4 Mondeo is getting on a bit now, which means they’re unlikely to see the inside of Ford dealers. Indeed, smaller workshops are where they’re more likely to be repaired these days. But even smaller garages will have labour charges as a large portion of any bill, so wouldn’t it be good if you could avoid these?
Well, you can. Just invest in the Haynes Mondeo manual and we can help you diagnose any issue your car may be suffering, and we can then guide you through how to sort it yourself. No labour charges whatsoever. Winner winner.
What recalls has the Ford Mondeo been subject to?
Two (yes, two) cars were recalled because of faulty anti-lock brakes, then almost 220,000 examples were recalled because of faulty driver’s airbag assemblies.
Then 56,864 cars were recalled because the brake vacuum pump might not work properly, increasing stopping distances. A secondary vacuum pump fault also prompted the recall of 13,029 cars, which could suffer a stiff brake pedal while the engine was warming up.
A dodgy clutch pressure plate forced another recall of 122,199 cars, while 4026 examples were recalled because of an overheating issue that could also cause the cylinder head to crack. Another overheating issue forced 48,595 cars back to dealers because the oil sump could become cracked.
Faulty fuel injection spill pipes could cause a fuel leak, with an attendant risk of fire, in 1985 cars, and faulty adaptive LED headlights forced 9705 cars back to dealerships.
What common problems does the Ford Mondeo Mk1 have?
Unfortunately in a car designed to do lots of miles, the Mondeo can let you down at the least opportune moment, because the clutch can pack up without warning.
And several owners have reported an issue in which the malfunction indicator light (MIL) suddenly illuminates at the same time as the car loses power. It’s an issue with the active shutter grille.
A noise when you pull away can be traced to driveshafts with not enough lubrication, while a dodgy oil seal can cause a gearbox leak. And the instruments have been known to give up the ghost on occasion.
Has the clutch failed in your Ford Mondeo Mk4?
Suddenly being unable to depress the clutch pedal is going to be a concern at the best of times, but if it happens in traffic, well that’s doubly bad. Several owners have suffered such a fate. They’ve also had an issue in which, if they do depress the clutch, it stays down and won’t spring back up. Annoying.
The problem is that the clutch plate that has failed. So, you’ll need to have the car recovered to a place where you can work on it, and set about replacing the broken clutch plate with a new one (part number: 1685 761).
And we’ll be there to help. We’ve stripped down a Mondeo drivetrain, so just get the required tools together, then follow the steps in the Haynes Mondeo manual. You’ll soon have a full complement of ratios to choose from once more.
Why is your Ford Mondeo Mk4 MIL light on?
There you are, driving along when suddenly there’s a ‘bong’ and a warning light aglow in the dashboard of your Ford Mondeo Mk4. At the same time, your car feels a wee bit lethargic.
First things first, plug in a fault-code reader. If it displays the codes U0284 or U0120, then the issue is with the active shutter grille system.
Next up, check all the wiring and connections – if you discover an issue, then Ford supplies a wiring repair kit (part number: 1 794 183), but if the wiring and connections are fine, then it’s the active shutter grille actuator at fault. So, you’ll need to find the procedure on how to remove and replace the actuator (part number: 1 718 078) in your Haynes Mondeo manual, then fit a new actuator to replace the broken one.
And after all that, simply clear the fault codes from your car’s ECU and away you go.
If you want to know how to change your Ford Mondeo Mk4 headlight bulbs, just watch our FREE video below.
Does your Ford Mondeo pull away noisily?
Pulling away in your Ford Mondeo, accompanied by a cracking noise is going to get any journey off to a disconcerting start. But that’s what owners of the Mondeo Mk4 have reported.
The issue is that there isn’t enough lubricant on the driveshaft splines, and the noise is the components voicing their displeasure. Either or both driveshafts can be affected, so if you find that only one side is making the racket, it might be worth doing the other driveshaft at the same time, because it’s going to happen there too before long.
Thankfully, putting in new sealant is something that a home mechanic will be more than capable of carrying out.
Just raise the vehicle and set it on axle stands, then take off each front wheel, remove the driveshaft, clean it up and put new lubricant on it. Then put everything back together.
The Haynes Mondeo manual will be able to guide you every step of the way.
Why are there drops of oil beneath your Ford Mondeo?
Drops of oil underneath your car are never a good sign. After all, that is expensive fluid that your car is discarding without a care in the world.
And the Mondeo Mk4 can be guilty of such wanton wastage. The problem is a damaged seal on the gearbox. Ford has produced a repair kit (part number: 1863642), so you’ll need to follow the procedure in your Haynes Mondeo manual for removing the affected seal, then fit the new one before reassembling the, making sure that all fastenings are done up to the correct torque.
Have the dials in your Ford Mondeo Mk4 packed up?
It isn’t unknown for the instrument cluster on the Ford Mondeo Mk4 to pack up altogether. So, not only will you not be able to see how fast you’re going during the day, but you also really won’t be able to see at night because the instrument lighting tends to give up the ghost at the same time.
There’s a pretty easy solution though. The instrument cluster itself is pretty easy to remove from the dashboard, so just follow the steps that are listed in your Haynes Mondeo manual. Once it’s out, you can work out if you’re going to repair or replace it. Either way, follow the procedure to refit it and you’ll have all the info you need right in front of you once again.
