Ford Falcon AU (1998-2002)

Need my car – My ex is locked up with my car key and it's registered in his name but I bought it how do I get a new key or get it back to my home address

Boiling and spitting water out – I have a Ford falcon au1 xr6 Ute. At times it seems to boil over. Temperature gauge is sitting at 1/4. The radiator and pipes are only 6 years old, I just put a new water pump in thinking that was the issue. It doesn't do it all the time but mainly when it's been driven for a couple hours straight I'm about due just to scrap it Show details

Unkillable – Got a spare $500 then you got an AU. She will never let you down. I have owned 4 in total. Had one that o converted to manual and it was the best car i have owned to date. Nicer to drive than a manual fgx xr6 and oh did I give it 4 years of hell, not that an au cares how bad you treat it. Show details

cruise control – sI have a 2001 ford falcon forte au the cruise control doesn,t work I cant find the problem my self I have tried to find the relay switch on line and cant it keeps blowing fuses for some reason anyone know why Show details

Reliable and economical – Have had two AU Falcon wagons. The First One dual fuel I put 500000km on clock until gas computer died. Very reliable cars with beautiful interior unlike the later Falcons which seem more plastic inside. So good that I purchased a second wagon a year ago which was well looked after by a pensioner. Very economic on petrol if driven light footed I… Read more

constantly get 8.7 L/100 combined running. Extremely reliable and comfortable cars that are tremendous value for money.

AU XR6 Tickford Spec – Hand built Engine, made in Australia for Australian conditions. This car has done over 200,000 kms and still has around 300,000 more to go, its held up extremely well, and requires almost no maintenance, the electronics in the car still work great. Has the original dash and everything. The build quality on these model and year are fantastic, if… Read more

you can find one thats in reasonably well kept condition even at higher KM's you should pick it up. The only thing people dont like about the series 1 AU is the bug eye lights, which personally I love.

Stay away – All I can say about this car is that is was junk. I bought the car new and had nothing but problems from the beginning. The Ford dealership at Sutherland used to thrash my car when it was in for warranty. But the car has numerous mechanical faults, like suspension, faulty horns (twice), faulty power windows, faulty cruise control (twice), fuel… Read more

pressure regulator, radiator, central door locking mechanisms (5 times), spark leads failing, engine valve spring broke, clunky gearbox, power window fails, rear left wheel nuts coming loose (twice) and steering bolts coming loose. Also the chassis twisted and I went to six different tyre companies for wheel alignment and they all said they wouldn't align the wheel to 1.4 mm. The car cost me over $7000 for repairs when the car was out of warranty excluding services and consumables like tyres and brake pads etc.

The engine was not mated to the gearbox well and was slow to shift, fuel economy was terrible, about 18 to 20L/100. Performance was average as the auto gearbox was geared too high. Pathetic car, service and sales. I would never buy a Ford again.

Perfection at it's finest – I love my car use it on daily and a track car, never missed a beat , strongest car I've owned )ticking strong at 600,00km, , (owned daweoos to porches) and so far this is the greatest machine , A true drivers car , Goods : strong : Cheap : Parts are free/cheap and everywhere : Very fun to drive … Read more

: Safe car

: if dual fuel good on fuel cost

: Parts are compatible with other models

: Easy to fix

: Rarity of tickford models

i love my car! – Hi I am just wondering why my car horn is going off all the time for no reason, it went off today while I was driving and people thought I was honking at them!!! and im getting honked at and sworn at, its like you've just got your hand on the horn  Show details

Good reliable car – I use my for my family or my self everyday. And I done every time service on time some time bet late but it's good car relable. Mechanic never mentioned any big issue.but it's old car .that's way some time sadenley problem. May next one again I will buy ford car.  Show details

Best car i have ever owned – My 1999 AU Fairmont is the best car i have ever owned.I have owned 27 cars in 19 years, various makes and models, but the most reliable, cheap maintenance cost, comfortable, smooth, car i will never sell is my Fairmont. It truly is an amazing car, and 100% reliable, with very minor mechanical issues, and in 10 years of ownership i consider it a… Read more

honour to have such a amazing car, now 220,000 on the clock and i know it will last another 500,000 km.

Won't start – Recently changed a brake line (has the 3 line set up From the booster) sat for about a week. Chucked a battery in it, went to start it and nothing, first time turning the key to (starting position) comes up with a Code on dash that reads (base) then goes away once you turn key of to try again. Also when the key is in the firing position… Read more

to start a brake symbol comes up.

Checked all relays, fuses ect ect

Battery is fully charged, I have disconnected the abs (was running fine after that)

Also used to be gas

Cheers guys

The best Tickford enhanced XR8 – I have always owned Ford's, mostly Falcons. The AUII XR8 sedan I currently drive is one of the sweetest cars I have owned. Iv'e always loved the design & the 220kw Windsor in the last series 2 & in all series 3. The steering & handling is excellent, many say better than B & F series Falcons. The brakes are adequate but for those wanting more,… Read more

later model big brake packages bolt straight on. Whilst the adaptive shift auto does the job, purests will prefer the 5 speed manual which really gets the little Windsor singing nicely. I strongly suggest upgrading the exhaust system if the car your looking at has the original factory system. For those looking for something a bit special, check out the T series from the same era.

automatic 1998 AU falcon low revs when in gear – when putting the car into drive or reverse the revs drop rapidly including when sometimes when stopping it also drops revs but it fine when driving at speed limits. i have checked the spark plugs and have changed the spark plug leads it still occurs, how would this be fixed and what causes it?  Show details

Great car. Here's how to get radio code for free and how to enter code – I have a Ford Falcon XR8 1998 AU. I recently replaced the battery. Afterwards, the radio displayed an ERR message and required the code. After a little research online, I discovered that you can call Ford Australia on 13 36 73, then select option 3 for general inquiries, supply your cars VIN/Chassis number and they give you the code for free… Read more

over the phone.

To enter the code, you just need to leave the car ignition on accessories for around 10 to 15 minutes and the ERR message changes to CODE. Press the numbers in using the preset buttons on the bottom of the radio. For example, my code was 4133, so I pressed 4133 and the radio then worked.

Feel free to try this code on yours, but I am unsure, it may be a unique code for each car based on needing to provide the VIN/Chassis number to get it.

I hope this information helps someone else so they don't have to do all the searching I had to do to get mine to work.

Good alrounder, Classy Fairmont, best bang for buck out there – These are a very solid A to B vehicle. Plenty of power and surprisingly economical we have 2 for our 20, 22 yr olds who are at uni. They love them. We looked at smaller cars but $6k small car is a joke compared to a $2k AU Falcon One of our cars is a Fairmont - wow- classy interior like like no other. The paint has peeled off on one of them but… Read more

as these are about value for money, reliability and safety it matters not. Very easy to service. If you are looking for fundamental transport- get one of these.

Great value – To sum up the Falcon, it is a lot of car for not a lot of money. Having owned various models of Falcon including the AUII, BA MkII and FG MkII I'd recommend them all as great value used car choices. The standard 4 litre 6 cylinder engine is one of the best in the business, offering strong performance, great reliability with minimal… Read more

maintenance and quite reasonable fuel economy for such a large engine in a big family car. These engines often last >600,000 km with minimal work beyond routine maintenance.

Comfortable and spacious, Falcons are ideal for highway cruising, moving up to 5 people plus luggage, and towing. Expect fuel consumption of 8L/100 km on long motorway trips and 11-14L/100 km in the city. If you want to take full advantage of the power and torque on offer, go for your life but expect to use more fuel. LPG versions use 9-16L/100 km. The figures may seem high compared to 4 cylinder cars but with the size, performance and low purchase price factored in the overall compromise of the Falcon is excellent.

On a >10 year old Falcon expect to find wear to the interior and exterior trim, seats, steering wheel, and perhaps rust in the body if it has not been looked after. However, rough examples should be priced accordingly (from about $800 to $1500) and are often still quite good mechanically.

Common failures to look for on old and neglected cars include:

- central locking

- power windows

- boot struts (mounts rust)

- rust in tailgate, doors, scuff plates, lower body areas

- radiator - may rust out if coolant not replaced on time which can destroy auto transmission and LPG converter

- neglected auto transmission may fail after 200k km if fluid and filter are not changed every 2-3 yrs

- LPG systems - backfiring when spark plugs and coil packs are on the way out (easy fix), stepper motor failure (easy fix), converter diaphragm perished causing coolant leak within unit, then stalling (>$450 to replace entire unit).

Look for the above and either avoid or get a discount. There is no shortage of used Falcons; it's a buyer's market and you can afford to be picky.

In conclusion, if you have $2,000 or less to spend, a 10-15 year old Falcon is the best car your money can buy. If you have more, you can enjoy the great value of a newer model.

An outstanding Ford – I purchased my AU 111 automatic nine years ago as a one owner traded in car at a Ford dealership. I got out of a Ford Ka and stepped in to probably the most reliable car I've ever had. The only thing to give problems, twice, was the necessary replacement of the drivers side electric window winders motors at around $150 each. A Ford mechanic gave… Read more

me this tip which proved to be very valuable; regularly use silicon spray on the window vertical felt slides. Apparently the strength of these electric motors is marginal and dry slides can overstrain them. Otherwise, the AU is a really good car, they don't rust, they are cheap to service, parts are readily available and as reliable as an old boot. However, the plastic bumpers are weak and dent easily, don't trust em. Otherwise, these cars are hugely under-rated !!

Pretty good – I have two AU fairmont's - series 2 (wife) and 3 (me). Both dual fuel conversions. I bought them because they were cheap and unloved; each had about 200k ish on them. Only trouble has been the usual warped rotors, and LPG backfire issues / exploding airboxes. (usually plugs or leads). Recommend doing an auto service (new filter and fluid and… Read more

flush) when you get it; and every 100k.

Buy the 42mm socket and you can replace both front rotors for $100. I do all my own work; including the auto services: a spark plug socket gets the filler plug out, getting the fluid back in requires ingenuity or a pump.

Scarily economical on a long trip. Bloody marvellous. Comfortable ride, electric windows/mirrors/seat; but sounds like a vacuum cleaner - no funboy thrills in this sedate cruiser. Getting away from them now due to old age / difficult to get in/out.

I do like my AUIII very much.

Excellent...after spending alot of money! – Got my AU series 3 in 2013 low ks 113,000. Was going great at first now I have put in new radiator, alternator, water pump, belt and pullies, new speedo cluster and coil pack. After all this breaking down within a span of 6 months car is going great again. Had a 97 EL before this loved that car but was at an age where everything was breaking. Thinking of updating to a 2007 Futura next.  Show details

Seriously This is my baby and I can't live without it – I love my car she's a beauty looks really good and drives superbly, and no I couldn't live without her. For the size of the car the turning circle is so good you feel like you're driving a mini, she's quite economical depending how you drive, I had her put onto gas 10 yrs ago for more economy, it's the best car I've ever bought and I hope she goes for many more yrs too.  Show details

Reliable, quick & spacious car – When I upgraded to the AU Forte, I was not expecting such an improvement on its predecessor in the EL-EF series. The 4L straight-six l-6 engine produces 157kw of power which is very responsive when you put your foot down. It is a perfect family car with plenty of room for 5 people, the neutral grey interior is simple and comfortable and there is… Read more

a surprising amount of boot space. I think you either love or hate the unique design of the car; it's sleek and curved from the bonnet to the boot. Having the option for a spoiler was a good choice as it completes the look and breaks up the almost too curvy profile of the car. For a full sized sedan, the AU handles very well with minimal body roll on its stock suspension. It is not a racing car but its semi-stiff springs will deliver pleasant cornering as well as absorbing the majority of bumps on uneven roads on those country drives. The disc brakes provide sensitive stopping power and make next to noise when applied. The engine noise is not intrusive , even with all of the windows down. The air conditioner is good on both ends of the thermometer and even reaches the back seats with the extra vents on the back on the console. For a 4L motor, the AU is reasonable on fuel (about 12.5L/100km) and quite acceptable on long trips when you engage the 'economy' setting. The electric windows at the front are efficient, however the two back windows are wind-up windows. For a non-luxury, base model Falcon, this is an excellent choice for a family, first car owner or even a workhorse with its power and towbar availability. It is powerful and sleek, user-friendly and reliable. If you don't mind sacfricing a bit of extra fuel and winding up your windows in the back seats in exchange for an affordable and reliable car, then look no further than the AU.

Good, but has a lifespan – Ford Falcon Futura AU. We had this car from 2002-2014, bought it second-hand. It served us great for many years, with really good storage and reliability. But about the time it was about ten years old, problems arose. The first thing to break were the electrics, the interior lights and electric windows all started to fail, even after numerous… Read more

repairs. The interior started to fall apart and the muffler and handbrake blew multiple times. However we did not experience one of the main problems with these old AU's, which is the paint peeling and fading. Despite all the other issues we just never had this one.

Never thought I would like a Ford – I am a Holden man, own a Ford no way, but few years back was offered a low price deal on a year 2000 model second hand Ford Falcon with factory LPG Gas ($1,800). My plan was to buy it and sell it and make a nice profit, I decided to drive it for a month or two to see what a Falcon was like and see just how cheaper a LPG car was to drive, I do… Read more

allot driving for work, I am a country rep.

Well 250,000 kilometers later I am Looking to buy another Ford Falcon with LPG, hopefully a 2012 + model, my son gets his P's soon so I will give him this car and buy another.

Honesty I can not fault this car. I have only had to fix a very minor oil leak on the transmission and one of the electric window stitches had to be replaced. Other than that nothing spent on the car other than normal running costs. It handles well, great on the open road, tows very well, plenty room for the kids in the back and very comfortable to drive long distances or around town. The Gas tank takes up a bit of boot space but still plenty of room, enough for us to fit every thing we need in the boot for a family of 4 going away for a week or two.

Biggest plus is cost to run, being on LPG, it is cheaper than a 2014 Mazda 323 we used to have to run. When I crunched the numbers in my log book after 50,000 Kilometers I had saved enough in fuel costs compared to my last Holden V6 that the car had paid for itself and more. I love LPG now.

I hate to admit this but from being a Holden man all my life and owning lots of Holden's and other makes, this car has converted me over to the Ford Falcon range, this car now done 400,000 kilometers and it no where near ready to give any problems, I bet there still another 100,000 to 200,000 kilometers of hassle free motoring for my son left in this car.

Love this car

Update June 2018, son walked in and asked me, dad how do you hurt this car, it just keeps going and going.

Just keeps going,800,000km!n – Series two AU Falcon 16 years old now and put 800,000km on original six cylinder motor and auto transmission. Still drives and rides quietly, comfortably and economically. Only problem is the silver paint on roof and bonnet is starting to peel from a crash repairer who didn't do a good job to last for many more driving years. Afraid to replace or update it soon, I just love it though others hate the shape of an AU.  Show details

I loose my breath, each and everytime – I own a FORD AU FAIRMONT, 2000 series 2. DUEL FUEL Now as an 18 Year-old female. This would be the best car I could possibly own. It's done 300,000ks now and taken me half way around Australia and still drives like a beaut. You can thrash the living hell out of it and it won't even hesitate to go further. I've owned it for nearly 4 years and… Read more

it's literally been my dream car. Yes it's an AU and they aren't much pleasing for ''looks'' but one drive will change all of that. To me this car is a dream come true. It's comfy, lovely wooden interior, and so much room!

It's taken me to every life changing event a Teenager would have to go through and everywhere I've needed to go and it's been the same outstanding performance every time. It's been there without a drama. This car has never had a problem and from looking at the service book, it still hasn't.

Now to be harmful, this car hasn't had a service for 4 years either. Except the maintenance I do myself, (OIL, COOLANT, FILTERS etc).

It's a car that I simply can't kill. I've taken care of it, as it's definitely taken care of me. And as they say, best mates die together.

Can't bet a old ford compared to a new xr6turbo – Owned a au falcon put over 200thou on her and hard km I will add trade her in on a new xr6tubo ute what a huge mistake most noisy tyer wereing pore visablity peice of nuts and bolts I ever Owened sold it a at $7000 plus loss what did ford do wrong the good point was the engine and gear box we'll just now I bought a 2005 boss and it heaven to… Read more

drive with power and comfort stick with these models between AU & BF you can't go wrong parts cheep and reliable ford have to offer road side asstince these days cause thay are a peice of scrap tin plate thay completely stuff up after the BF and I would never buy of the maroochydore ford dealer get 19inch rims pay for the Bonnas pack the spare is a mag pick it up get a flat find out thay swap it for a 16 inch real handy glad I payed that extra on RACQ Woulda cost me a bit other wise crap.

Reliable runaround – Bought a 2002AU series3 about 8 years ago. I've had very little trouble. Now done 150k and have replaced front discs $280, water pump $160, exhaust system $300, radiator $250. All these prices are fitted. Services around $230 at 15k periods. It's bolted together ok and is comfortable ride. Not the best car in the world but it just keeps… Read more

going.petrol usage around12-13l/100k Good engine, ride, plenty of cheap parts,reliable. Good tower. Bit old fashioned looking,

AU SERIES 3 XR8 220 kw 4 speed automatic in blueprint – Purchased this car 3 months ago it has blue momo wheel and heavy duty trans cooling and msd coil packs 165 on the clock. Car is stock other then coil packs it goes hard sounds sweet and is very comfortable. On a long highway drive with aircon and 3 adults onboard can get 780/800 to a tank roughly averaging 8.8/9.6L per 100. and about 14 around… Read more

town using bp ulitimate 98.

Have beaten an xr6 turbo with it at rolling start and have gotta say feels just as quick if not quicker off the mark as one.

A lot of people are turned off au because its looks came 10/15 years too early.

Inside the interior feels like more effort was put in then b_ series also under the bonnet more attention to detail with engine builders Signature on tapid cover and a tickford plaque stating what options were fitted.

Handles like dream and seems to be in good order feels alot lighter and more agile then it looks lighter then xr6 turbos and is an 8. Cant beat the colour blueprint. v8 power, v8 sound, 6 cylinder weight, good economy for a v8, love its launch qld v8 rego costs hurt thanks beattie, bligh and Newman