Help - Tips buying AU Series 3 Fairmont

[Beagle78]

Hey Folks;
I am looking at buying a 2002 Fairmont Ghia AUIII 5.0L V8; 54,000 on the clock.

Can anyone give me a list of things to look for, warnings etc, as this is our first AU and V8.

Cheers.....

[Mr Hardware]

anything that doesn't look like a new car should
54,000 is nothing.
ooh and look out for LPG. I hear it is a must if you don't want to rob yourself blind.

[Beagle78]

Fuel not an issue - company paid......

Thinking more of common faults etc....

[Autocade]

Broken rear top shock mounts have been an issue on some AU models with IRS
You would hear a rattling noise over bumps
Ks are nice & low but still check it out as mine were shot before 60,000
Good Luck
Autocade

[b2tf]

Very strong and well built car, the only things I can think of to check:

MDS in centre of dash - the LCD screens can sometimes play up and not display characters properly, its a well known and acknowledged problem. Make sure you get a warranty on it because a replacement unit is around $900 from Ford!

Rear Shock Mounts - as mentioned they can break and you'll know if they do.

The V8's are fantastic, a lot better on fuel than the BA/BF V8's and a sensational sound if you put a good exhaust system on it.

[mattp]

Originally Posted by b2tf

MDS in centre of dash - the LCD screens can sometimes play up and not display characters properly, its a well known and acknowledged problem. Make sure you get a warranty on it because a replacement unit is around $900 from Ford!

These can be fixed though, I think a change-over replacement with a warranty is about 100-150 bucks.

[Abacus]

From my experience:

- Steering rack - check recall/replacement happened

- Radiator, I think there was also a recall/replacement on these.

- CD Changer - check operation

Also check all elements of the quartz dash display are working.

Check for rust in the top seams of the doors.

Check for rust in the lower boot strut mounts.

Brake rotors are probably crap. Don't worry about them. You'll replace them with DBAs/RDAs anyway.

Check all aspects of air-con are working. Fixing some issues with this requires removal of the entire dash.

[DTFRMONT]

As said previously, the mileage is nothing, and they're very long-lived cars. My AU3 Fairmont has just had it's 210K service, and it still drives nice & tight & everything works perfectly (including 6CD player & LCD displays!!), though the original owner was a rural co-op, so the majority of K's were highway driving. Nothing much goes wrong with them & parts and servicing are inexpensive (210K handbook service at Knox Ford cost just under $200)

[TwistedEL]

I took an AU III Fairmont out for a drive when I was looking for mine and it ran out of fuel - still said it had 3/4 tank... check that out

It is an excellent choice and you won't be sorry - they are fantastic cars for what they are worth