Which Ford Mondeo MK4 (2007-2014) Engine To Avoid?

The Ford Mondeo of the third generation is a very popular model on the aftermarket, offered in many interesting engine versions and three body styles. Good in many ways, though it has its drawbacks. However, this does not change the fact that at the price of approx dollars is a great proposition. However, the choice of engine may be a problem.

The car itself can be described mainly in superlatives. It is durable, quite reliable, and from the functional features it has almost the same advantages.

If you like the exterior and interior design, you will surely be satisfied. The handling is amazing, the spaciousness is very good, the trunks are spacious – from 540 l in the liftback to 555 l in the estate car.

The sedan is the least practical, but the trunk does not stick out – it has 550 l. This is the end of the model description, because at the moment the biggest problem when buying is the choice of the engine.

The car has a lot of minor flaws and shortcomings, mainly due to the low (typical for Ford) quality of workmanship and production.

However, these are not things that require a tow truck or serious repairs. You can find their description in the material below, and here we will only deal with the engines and choosing the best one for you.

Which Ford Mondeo MK4 Gasoline Engines One To Choose?

As a rule, the obvious choice for this model is diesel, as it is best suited for a heavy, large car. And these are the vast majority of proven HDI engine.

However, we will start with gasoline fans, which are gaining in popularity and more and more people are looking for just such. They constitute about 25 percent. offer, so the selection of copies is limited.

The history of the third generation of Mondeo can be divided into two periods when it comes to gasoline engines.

Until 2010 facelift and facelift. In the first period, almost exclusively naturally aspirated engines were used, built according to old school – the higher the capacity, the higher the power.

Not even the only turbo raisin was an exception to this rule. Here is the range of powertrains before the facelift.

  • 1.6 Ti-VCT – power 110 and 125 HP
  • 2.0 Duratec – power 145 HP
  • 2.3 Duratec – power 160 HP
  • 2.5 T – power 220 HP

The choice seems simple – depending on the needs, we choose a stronger or weaker variant. And theoretically, this is the case, if not for the fact that we are dealing with a used car and reliability must also be taken into account.

In this respect, the smallest 1.6 engine, which has problems with the ignition and cooling system, often ends up with damage to the head.

This is not a bad engine in general, but it is worth taking into account that in a heavy Mondeo it works under a greater load than, for example, in a Focus. Its great advantage is that it is the only one that does not work with a dual-mass wheel.

The 2.0 and 2.3 engines developed together with the Mazda are perfect for this car. They have solid timing chains, indirect injection and with proper care they can withstand high mileage on LPG (especially 2.0 FlexiFuel).

The problem is the regulation of the so-called valves. glasses, but it is easy to swallow, as they are generally fuel-consuming engine (minimum 8 l / 100 km), especially 2.3 (over 11 l / 100 km) due to the configuration with the automatic transmission.

The popularity of the 2.3 engine is small, so there are fewer of these engine on the secondary market and this should encourage you to give up LPG – just in case. And if you are into it, it is worth looking for version 2.0. The advantage of the 2.3 variety is the connection with the automatic machine and the lack of a dual mass flywheel.

Both naturally aspirated engines suffer from recurring but minor faults, mostly related to the intake system and ignition. The effect of undulating rotations is almost guaranteed. Restoring everything is not difficult on one condition – the mechanic knows the engine and knows what to do.

The ideal engine for LPG is 2.5 tons. Overall, it is the best engine in the range, only with two features that can cost you dearly in a major breakdown: 5 cylinders and a turbo boost.

The engine designed by Volvo is very durable, but under heavy load and neglected it can wear prematurely or break the block.

Therefore, it is not worth deciding on a tuned car, which is tempting, because the bike is easy to “turn up”. If it is well-kept, it has a regular oil change every 10-15 thousand. km and an efficient cooling system, it is almost armored and will withstand gas supply well.

To sum up – the best engine of the Mondeo before the facelift is the 2.5 Turbo, but the limited supply and high prices of copies may mean that you will not find the car you are looking for. There are also few cars with the 2.3 engine. Thus, the popular Mondeo 2.0, known to mechanics, becomes the optimal choice.

After the facelift, i.e. from 2010, the range of gasoline engines has changed significantly. In place of the naturally aspirated and 2.5 T, the new EcoBoost family – in fact heavily modified Duratec engines with supercharging and direct injection. Of the classic ones, only the 1.6 and 2.0 naturally aspirated ones are left. Here is the list:

  • 1.6 Ti-VCT – power 120 HP
  • 1.6 EcoBoost – power 160 HP
  • 2.0 Duratec – power 145 HP
  • 2.0 EcoBoost – moc 203 i 240 HP

Without a doubt, the 2-liter of the old type remains the optimal engine, while the 1.6 Ti-VCT practically loses its sense on the secondary market. Theoretically. It is indeed a safer option than the 1.6 EcoBoost and cheaper to service, but with such modest power it is better to choose 2.0.

Unfortunately, 2.0 after 2010 is much less. So if you think about running on LPG, you may find that the only viable option in practice is the 1.6 Ti-VCT.

The Mondeo 1.6 EcoBoost is quite problematic to judge. Many drivers are satisfied, but the mechanics know the failure of the engine in a relatively short time.

In my opinion, it is worth buying this version if it already has about 100,000 km of mileage, and at the same time not too much – max. 150–180 thousand. km. With higher mileage, the multiplication of costs related to service and repairs may be too high.

As in the naturally aspirated 1.6 Ti-VCT, there are problems with cooling, which end up with a failure of the head or gasket. In addition, there are “occasional” failures of the turbochargers and the timing drive, which is quite expensive to replace.

The 2.0 EcoBoost engine turned out to be durable and quite good – it is actually a construction with similar problems as the 1.6 EcoBoost, but with less of them. The reason is simple – less load. The engine 2.0 EcoBoost fits the car perfectly and shows no signs of fatigue even after a mileage of 200,000. km. Besides, there are many such copies.

In the case of the facelift version of the Mondeo Mk 4, the choice is quite obvious – for cheap, economical driving, the best engine is the easily available 1.6 Ti-VCT, and even better 2.0 Duratec, but less common.

Both can be gassed with great effect. If, on the other hand, you are driving short distances and you do not intend to make high mileage, it is worth looking for the 1.6 EcoBoost.

The 2.0 EcoBoost variant is the best option for dynamic driving. Less important than the version with 203 or 240 HP is the choice of the gearbox.

The only PowerShift automatic machine available since 2010 was configured with this engine. It’s a dual-clutch transmission that’s not bad, but obviously needs some careful service and sometimes costly repairs.

Which Ford Mondeo MK4 Diesel Engines One To Choose?

I will simply divide this thread into engine versions, not years. Starting with the smallest and ending with the largest diesel, because the choice is quite large. That’s him:

  • 1.6 TDCi – power 115 HP
  • 1.8 TDCi – power 100 and 125 HP
  • 2.0 TDCi – power 115, 130 and 140 HP before facelift
  • 2.0 TDCi – power 140 and 163 HP after facelift
  • 2.2 TDCi biturbo – 175 HP before facelift
  • 2.2 TDCi – power 200 HP after facelift

I would like to emphasize right away that all diesel engine, except the 1.8 TDCi, are constructions designed together with PSA. It is not entirely true that there are no differences between TDCi and HDI.

Although the base is a French engine, Ford took care of the accessories according to its own technical concept. Therefore, for example, dry-type DPF filters and relatively often a different injection system were used.

The 1.6 TDCi is the smallest engine in the range. Its huge popularity, good access to parts, low prices, and high durability can overshadow the biggest disadvantage, i.e. relatively frequent failures.

Including fuel costs (approx. 6 l / 100 km on average) and insurance, it is the most economical diesel in the Mondeo range. A good choice for people who move short distances, because it heats up faster than larger ones.

The larger ones include, among others 1.8 TDCi, the only Ford design and the oldest technically. He has a lot of ailments, incl. injector faults, low durability of the dual mass wheel, boost system. Sensors fall, wires break, etc.

Unfortunately, it results mainly from service negligence. It feels like an endlessly repairable engine, but there is a flip side to it. It’s a very durable structure and you can actually drive and repair it endlessly. It is rare that it is not worth doing this.

Who is this engine for? First of all, for people who will find a well-kept copy with relatively low mileage and intend to use it for a long time and in unfavorable diesel conditions (city, short distances). The dual mass flywheel can be replaced with a rigid one, and the lack of DPF is a huge advantage of this version.

Higher in the range we have 2-liter diesels, practically all belonging to the same DW10 family, known for above-average durability and considerable reliability.

These are optimal engine for the Mondeo, starting with the 130 HP variant. Anyway, this one and the 140HP version before the facelift are considered to be the most durable and cheap to service (for a diesel engine), with one exception.

After the facelift, the focus was on better exhaust gas cleaning, but it did not significantly affect the rating of the engine. And here is this one exception – more durable DPF filters were used just after the facelift.

After 2010, it is worth looking for a 140 or 163 horse variety. It is a engine for everyone who is looking for a diesel engine, but it is worth emphasizing that the 115 HP variant has worse dynamics than the more powerful 1.8 TDCi variant.

So who is the 2.2 TDCi engine for? Not necessarily for people looking for a strong diesel, but of course especially for such. It is worth knowing that Mondeo with diesel and classic automatic with converter is available only in this configuration, regardless of the year. The 2-liter facelift was already combined with the dual clutch powershift.

The 2.2 TDCi engine is often described as more expensive to repair, and that is true, but this note applies to bi-turbo pre-facelift bikes.

And sticking strictly to the definition, we are talking about a serial top-up. In addition, in this variant, the DPF filter is quite delicate, which is why it has been removed in many cars. The injectors are cheap to repair.

The newer 2.2 TDCi engine is more complex in terms of electronics, but less problematic. It has clearly more expensive parts, but they break less often, and it costs less than two to replace one turbocharger.

Ultimately, it is a good proposition for people who want good performance and low fuel consumption, and in terms of dynamics, this engine can be treated as an alternative to the gasoline 2.0 EcoBoost.

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