Most reliable Falcon

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by BIGJB

Find it funny that the most baged out Ford on AFF is also recognised as the most reliable. Long live the mighty AU.

Yep. It's kinda like they had to make the AU crook looking inside and out to hide the fact that it is the best falcon ever made.

[BAxtER]

My old man AU2 falcon forte.
Bought it in dec2000. Ok its only done 66,000kms but it is such a beauty to drive till this day. Not issues at all.
Love it.

[blueoval]

My AU2 has been marvelous in the way of reliability. Simply amazing.

Sure you get your smaller niggly things that pop up every now and then, but it usually a simple fix and Im on my way again.

I am STILL on my original unopened motor and trans, got a raptor v supercharger and w2a intercooler on it, tranny cooler too, 3.45LSD and the car gets a good work out every now and again. Still its going well. 185,000km on the clock now, still nothing bad to report. There is some slight weeping coming from the trans that drips one drop once every week, but thats it.

Running 205rwkw for the 2 years, and it looks like I could get another 2 years out of it if I left it the way it is.

[TheInterceptor]

Didnt the Falcon AU TV advertisment say that it was the best Falcon?

They were right imo...

[bingoTE50]

XP seconded ...

[Road_Warrior]

I've owned 3 XF's, an XW, an XY, a ZG Fairlane, an EBII Fairmont, a BA and an XG and I can't say as any of them were really unreliable or troublesome cars. A couple of them broke down and failed more regularly because of their age and how I treated them, but by and large apart from small niggles here and there, I haven't had a problem.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by au3xr6

funny you should mention that it was really ahead of it's time when you consider aerodynamics. The AU had a Cd of 0.295 compare that to the following
Ferrari California 0.32
Lamborghini Murciélago 0.33
McLaren F1 0.32
Mazda RX-8 0.31
Lamborghini Diablo 0.31
B series Falcon 0.31
Aston Martin DB9 0.34
Ferrari F430 0.34

so the humble "ugly duckling" was way ahead of it's time I'd not all about look the overall design of a car is a big factor. Ford put a good package together but there were too many knockers out there

And if you actually understood what Cd actually means you would realise just how silly your statement is......

[XRGhia]

In response to the thread title, since when were falcon's reliable?


But seriously, the EF wagon has never given us any trouble since my parents bought it in 2002.. Only the head gasket went, and thats it.. Still on its original coilpack and all..

[xp_ute]

Originally Posted by bingoTE50

XP seconded ...

thirded

[TheInterceptor]

Least the wheels dont bloody fall off!

[janddbone]

Updated XD...

[Bad Bird]

Originally Posted by flappist

And if you actually understood what Cd actually means you would realise just how silly your statement is......

Agreed. CdA is the far more important value.

[dylancox]

Originally Posted by mr_br_johnstone

Updated XD...

What's an updated XD.. the XE/XF?

[janddbone]

The alloy head was the main update...

[Mesa]

I've never owned an AU, although my brother had an AU XR8 which was a good car. For me it was the EL XR8.

[GT0132]

I had an EB2 Fairmont between 1994 nand 2004 and covered over 100,000 kms in it . Apart from a new brake master cyl in the early days, 2-3 sets of tyres and regular servicing the only cost was petrol, rego and insurance. A very reliable car

[Bucknaked]

My AU3 XR6 was the most reliable falcon I even owned. In the 4 or so years of ownership, I had a rear shock mount replaced and the rack replaced. An awesome car and it never missed a beat.

[Silver Ghia]

Yes, AUs were the the most reliable IMO. Head gasket problems pretty much solved, no IRS bushes to worry about ...

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Wow them cabbies really love the AU. Why can't Ford continue making the AU as a taxi, like Toyota do for the 70s Toyota Crown Comfort in Asia.

Maybe Ford should fetch the AU tooling back from the scrap yard so they can sell a few more cars to the cabbies. Be a bit like the London taxis, ancient looking vehicles but actually quite new.

[dylancox]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

Yes, AUs were the the most reliable IMO. Head gasket problems pretty much solved, no IRS bushes to worry about ...


Maybe Ford should fetch the AU tooling back from the scrap yard so they can sell a few more cars to the cabbies. Be a bit like the London taxis, ancient looking vehicles but actually quite new.

Once visited Hong Kong and thought.. 'gee those are an ugly bunch of taxis out of the 80s'



Apparently Toyota still makes these taxis as new cars

[JG34JA]

AU gets the vote here too. AUII in extended family still going strong 10 years after original purchase - it's like a new car. I read somewhere they did double quality checks on the first 3 months production, and had fewer 'faults per thousand' than the Commodore for the entire AU model run. They really wanted it to be 'right', such a pity about the sales.

For us, ED Classic 4.0 Auto was very reliable. I loved that car.

This might sound weird, but our Territory has been close to flawless too. Very, very little has broken in 3.5 years and its still tight as a drum, balljoints and rust considered as well.

[Mechan1k]

I'll add to this .... my Territory has been awesome ... have had it since new in Dec 2004 .... and still drives soooooo smooth ... whisper quiet ... comfortable ... and not too bad on fuel for a 2.1T AWD with a 4-speed auto.

[Bobman]

Originally Posted by JG34JA

I read somewhere they did double quality checks on the first 3 months production, and had fewer 'faults per thousand' than the Commodore for the entire AU model run. They really wanted it to be 'right', such a pity about the sales.

Yeah, following closely back then when the AUI, AUII and AUIII came out they really worked hard at the AUII update and even more so with the AUIII (something that apparently would "never" happen). Quality of materials is much better than what we see in the BA/BF/FG.

Even looking at the high kilometre examples out there, there are many, many less smokey AUs out there compared to EF/EL and there are still quite a few AU ex cabs out there with well and truly over 1 million kilometres (some on original engine) that are still soldiering on.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by JG34JA

AU gets the vote here too. AUII in extended family still going strong 10 years after original purchase - it's like a new car. I read somewhere they did double quality checks on the first 3 months production, and had fewer 'faults per thousand' than the Commodore for the entire AU model run. They really wanted it to be 'right', such a pity about the sales.

The same thing was done on FG, I've spoken to the guy that was in charge of Line QA at the time,
even the yanks were questioning the amount of TGWs they were getting until he
explained just how meticulous thay were being. i think from memory he said there
was something like only one power steer hose leak on the line in the first three months....

[z80]

XY falcon.

carburettor, points, no computers and not much plastic..

(capable of being fixed by roadside assistance instead of having to be towed to a dealer for just about anything more than a loose plug.)

[Brent]

Never had an AU but I had one of the last ED XR6 series and that car was pretty damned good. Had the older spec body panels too which were thicker steel and much more dent resistant than the tin foil used nowadays. Geez, I'm sounding like my dad!

[Maggot]

We sold our ef wagon at 360000 with original diff, gearbox (oil/filter done twice), original head gasket and so on.

Only issue ever was the serpentine belt/pulley at 200K but then even that failed up the road from our house.

[4.0i OHC]

I'd have to go with the obvious choice: The AU Falcon.

My grandfather's Futura has been going strong for approximately 250000 kilometres, without any form of regular maintanence (for example, the car hasn't been serviced in 3 years). He swears that he's simply lucky, but given the experiences of other AU owners, I doubt that's the case.

As well as this, it drives like a dream (and it's only the OHC version, with a live axle rear). It's a complete and utter shame that the market reacted poorly, merely because of the styling (it may not have been on the same level as the EF/EL, but it was definitely more inventive than the sleep-inducing style of the VT/VX Commodores).

I almost wish that Ford made an AU with the styling of an XC (in the full variety of body styles). In my view, that would be the perfect car.

[MexicanBatman]

My grandfather brout an au ex taxi 680,000km on it and it drove better and ran nicer than my low km EF, the body was crap but it was a good driver then the idiot sold it for next to nothing without telling me

[Revolver]

Why buy a falcon for reliability?

Toyota Lexen bro!

[StrokedXT]

My AU2 xr8 was a basket case by 114k, still my favourite of all the new falcons though