Nothing But Trouble....

[XRfury]

I have had my T (5 sp manual) for two years now and have had trouble with the car (mainly driveline) from about 5k. I have had the diff replaced once, the rear suspension bushes three times, the rear frame replaced (apparently it was cracked when trying to remove a set of bushes) and I am due to have the drive shafts done this week. All this work has been done to try and combat rear clunking noises however after each fix the problem is either still there or reappears shortly after. Apparently the clutch is also on the way out (pedal stiffness at 25000k) and will not be covered by warranty???? In addition to these problems I also have a idle dipping problem which has been since word go, which they still can't figure out.

For a brand new car with only 35k on the clock this just seems unbelieveable to me to have so many problems. Are all these problems common with this vehicle?? According to the dealer it's just manufacturing defects??? I have been wanting to do some mods on the car for a long time now but don't want to risk voiding the warranty with all the problems I've had and it's really me off!!! Would getting an auto solve my problems???

[Flukey]

Hate to hear of guys having problems with their cars. Unfortunately with the Falcon being one of the highest selling cars in OZ and 30% of them are XR's, chances are there will be a few crook ones.

Hope you get it sorted.

[maximum_velocity]

the problem your referring to is driveline shunt, and im afriad 99% of manual T's have it, some worse than others im afraid, an auto may "fix" this because even though the auto still has the shunt you wont notice it because the auto shifts a hell of a lot smoother than the T5 so it will deafen the sound. Diff replacement in the T isnt un-common either with some ppl requiring more than 1 replacement over the course of its life. Clutches in these things are just POS and wont be covered under warranty with the amount of K's you've done (stupid I know but thems the breaks).

Idle problems also arent un-common with these buggers and im assure your dealer may have "tried everything", but get them (or better yet do it yourself) to give the throttle body a good clean out with some carby cleaner as that has fixed quite a few T's with the idle problem...

Other than that I hope your enjoying your T

oh by the way

[Aeron]

What, you've only had 2 problems?? Driveline shunt and the idle up and down?? You've been lucky. I've had more than that and im still happy with the car. My Dunlops will be replaced in the morning my Ford free of charge because they are split.

[WBT56]

I have had my T (5 sp manual) for two years now and have had trouble with the car (mainly driveline) from about 5k.  I have had the diff replaced once, the rear suspension bushes three times, the rear frame replaced (apparently it was cracked when trying to remove a set of bushes) and I am due to have the drive shafts done this week.  All this work has been done to try and combat rear clunking noises however after each fix the problem is either still there or reappears shortly after.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Take it to someone who knows what they are doing, and do not assume such a place will have a big blue oval on the front of the shed. Your clunk is almost certainly a combination of clutch hub damage and backlash in half shaft CV joints.

[JB]

I have had my T (5 sp manual) for two years now and have had trouble with the car (mainly driveline) from about 5k.  I have had the diff replaced once, the rear suspension bushes three times, the rear frame replaced (apparently it was cracked when trying to remove a set of bushes) and I am due to have the drive shafts done this week.  All this work has been done to try and combat rear clunking noises however after each fix the problem is either still there or reappears shortly after. Apparently the clutch is also on the way out (pedal stiffness at 25000k) and will not be covered by warranty???? In addition to these problems I also have a idle dipping problem which has been since word go, which they still can't figure out. 

For a brand new car with only 35k on the clock this just seems unbelieveable to me to have so many problems. Are all these problems common with this vehicle?? According to the dealer it's just manufacturing defects??? I have been wanting to do some mods on the car for a long time now but don't want to risk voiding the warranty with all the problems I've had and it's really  me off!!! Would getting an auto solve my problems???

Talk about dejavu.

Mine was a T5. Idling problems, stalling. Diff whine, shunt & clunk. 5 Diffs, Was on it's 2nd Gearbox. Shunt and clunk was finally fixed with the last diff. Clutch was replaced at 20,000k's. Got rid of it at 40,00k's as I had enough.

To me it's not acceptable for a new $50k car that had had all those issues within the first 18 months.

I spent alot of time on the diff issue and know for a fact that at one stage Ford had over 1100 diffs on backorder, to me that's not a minor issue.

I know I will get flamed, but these problems are more widespread than people will have you believe. The other thing is alot of people are'nt aware they have an issue. Every T I have been in has diff whine at 95km/h, some owners pick it up, others do not.

I know they are a mass produced car, however there is much better quality out there for $50k.

If you were to put up a survey with 10 of the most common problems you would be surprised how many are out there

Every T I have seen or been in has shown one or more of the common problems these cars have, it's not as segregated as people (especially dealers) would have you believe.

From my experinence with driveline issues the car will never be right, as it will be one thing after another, major driveline issues to me are unacceptable in this day and age.

[ZAP]

My car started clunking as I drove it away from the dealer with 12km on ths clock. Took it back the next day and said I was not happy, they said bring it back at the 3k km service....and guess what, its normal.

My car is drivable and just tollerable with all the clunking, but I am sort of glad the apparent "Ford Expert Technicians" have NOT tried to fix the probelm as they would just make it worse or unsafe.

I expect my gearbox will not last the year out as it is now making more noise when cold.

All I can say is I AM DISCUSTED WITH FORD over this substandard build quality.

It is NOT NORMAL, its PATHETIC

[Aeron]

I know I will get flamed...

I dont see why anyone would flame you. You are right. Every T I've been has had all the things wrong with it that mine has. And it is sad and would be costing Ford a heap of money, and customers.

Edited 19/07/05 10:57 PM by Aeron

[XRfury]

I have had my T (5 sp manual) for two years now and have had trouble with the car (mainly driveline) from about 5k.  I have had the diff replaced once, the rear suspension bushes three times, the rear frame replaced (apparently it was cracked when trying to remove a set of bushes) and I am due to have the drive shafts done this week.  All this work has been done to try and combat rear clunking noises however after each fix the problem is either still there or reappears shortly after.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Take it to someone who knows what they are doing, and do not assume such a place will have a big blue oval on the front of the shed. Your clunk is almost certainly a combination of clutch hub damage and backlash in half shaft CV joints.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for your replies I know there is always the option of taking the car somewhere else to be repaired with other performance parts, however, while the car is under warranty I don't see why I should have to pay for these parts for the car to be running in good order. In fact, I'm sure there will be a lot of unhappy T owners out there when these cars do run out of warranty and owners will have to start paying to fix problems that have been occuring since it rolled out the yard. What reccomendations could you make in regards to clutches and diffs if I do decide to repair it with non-genuine and how much cost would be involved??

[teebone]

Just had my diff replaced for the 2nd time - came out with a much reduced whine (but keeping an ear on it!) but also picked up a vibration which hasn't yet been resolved despite having gone back for a balance check - bl**dy fustrating.

However, whilst it was in I got a loan of a Typhoon. I was expecting a very agricultural drive-line (my T is an auto) but it was excellent! - No whine, no clunks and felt very, very good. This did restore my faith in Ford or at least until I noticed my new vibration :rokon: