Ford Territory 2006 Problems

As with any automatic transmission problem, the first thing to do is check the level of transmission fluid in the gearbox itself. These shouldn’t need top-ups, but if a leak occurs, they can lose enough fluid to play havoc with the gear selection and drive-transmission processes. Low fluid can cause a loss of drive in any gear, but could also contribute to a valve-body problem where the lack of fluid prevents the correct gear selection process. Low fluid can also mean the clutch-packs and bands can not exert enough pressure to get the car moving.

It's worth noting, though, that this particular transmission has a finite lifespan and a loss of third and fourth gears could be the first sign that the unit is worn out and requires either replacement or reconditioning. A transmission specialist should be your first port of all.

If you can't find the dipstick for the automatic transmission, there might be a very simple explanation: It doesn't have one. Many Fords from this era were not fitted with dipsticks, so checking the level is done from underneath the car via the a threaded plug. Not so easy to do at home. The transmission is a sealed system, and any drop in level indicates a problem that needs to be fixed. So the level is worth keeping an eye on, even if that's not so easy to do in cars like this one.

Theories for the dipstick deletion include preventing owners from over-filling the transmission (easier than you might think, since the transmission temperature when you check it is critical) as well as not giving owners the opportunity to top-up their transmission with the wrong type or grade of fluid.

At some point though you have to imagine that cost-cutting also came into the decision.

A lot of cars seem to suffer from this. The fuel seems to back-up in the filler neck, and that’s what causes the bowser to click off (as a safety measure, to prevent fuel being sprayed around the forecourt). There are three things that seem to help with this.

The first is to place the bowser nozzle half way into the car’s fuel neck. Pushing it all the way in will often make the problem worse, and only half poking it in seems to have the effect of allowing the car to swallow the fuel faster without it backing up. The second thing to try is to insert the nozzle and then rotate it 90-degrees to one side or the other. Again, this seems to re-align the nozzle in the filler neck and can help. The third trick is to pull the trigger on the nozzle only part way. That slows the fuel flow down a little, but if it prevents the bowser continually clicking off, it’s still faster.

The early Territory was subject to a few issues that demand care when buying one now. The main one was the front suspension lower ball joints, which wear out relatively quickly and typically require replacement every 100,000 km or even less. Check the front suspension. The diff bushes are also a problem area; they also chop out quite quickly, so check those when you’re under the car. The automatic transmission can also be a source of trouble, and it’s an expensive item to replace, so pay close attention to the operation, gear changing etc., of the auto.

The idle speed is possibly too low. Take it to a mechanic and have it checked.

Both are very good cars, they're well designed, well built and reliable. The Outback is the more fuel-efficient of the two, but it has a CVT auto where as the Sportage has a conventional automatic. You should drive the Outback to see if you like the CVT before making your final decision. Clearly the more frequent servicing of the Subaru means its running costs are slightly higher, and the shorter warranty could have an impact later on. It's a line-ball decision, but for mine I would probably go for the Kia.

A design flaw in the front suspension is the cause of the wear in the Territory ball joints, one that was fixed with the new suspension in the updated Series II model. You would hope that the revised control arms Ford released for the early Territory eliminates the wear issue, but they don’t address the fundamental design problem with the suspension that causes the ball joints to wear. In your case it seems the revised arms didn’t do the job, and I would press Ford to come to the party to replace the ball joints on your car at its expense.

I can well understand why you would want to get out of the BMW and into something more reliable. I would urge you to avoid the Territory; the early models have problems with suspensions that will be ongoing for the life of the vehicle. I would certainly go for the Falcon, but would again urge you to go for a BF Series II, which is a much better car than the BF. If you wanted another car to look at I would suggest a Subaru Liberty wagon.

The two most likely culprits are diff bushes or shocks, and as you've replaced the bushes it comes down to the shock absorbers. Have Pedders check them.