Ford Territory 2011 Problems

Any time you have oil mixing with coolant, you have a pretty major problem on your hands. In the case of your Territory, it could be that the head gasket has failed, allowing the two fluids to mix, creating the milky murk known in the trade as a 'milkshake'. It’s a bit unlikely but it could be even more serious and your engine may be suffering from a cracked cylinder head or a split cylinder liner. A blown head gasket is a lot more likely, though.

But just as probable is a problem that occurs pretty frequently with this make and model. The Territory’s transmission is cooled via a heat-exchanger that is cooled by the engine’s coolant. If the plumbing on this cooler fails (usually because of friction due to junk inside the tubing) then the engine coolant and transmission fluid can mix and also form a milkshake which you’ll see in the radiator or coolant catch-tank.

Unfortunately, if this is the case, the transmission’s computer and its hardware may also be damaged beyond repair by the coolant diluting the transmission fluid and generally causing havoc inside the transmission.

The best advice is to not drive the vehicle any farther and have it diagnosed by a workshop to see exactly what has happened.

The engine in your Territory uses a rubber timing belt which the trade recommends be changed every 100,000km. However, it’s not that simple. This engine also uses a second toothed rubber belt to drive the high-pressure fuel pump critical to the operation of a modern, common-rail diesel engine.

This second belt is located at the other end of the engine, between the engine and firewall, and the recommendation is also to change this belt at the same, 100,000km, interval.

Many owners also find the timing-belt change-point is a good time to change the water pump and thermostat at the same time to avoid disassembling the engine a second time should those components fail.

If you can establish without doubt that the bolts came loose as a result of a manufacturing fault you might have a claim against Ford for the repairs, but if it’s not clear what caused them to come loose you won't have much joy. You could consult the ACCC if you feel you want to pursue Ford for compensation.

That’s a doozy. What happens if you turn the lights off before turning the ignition off? The lights should go off when you turn them off, and I wouldn’t expect them to then come back on when the ignition is then turned off. I think an auto electrician is called for here.

You could have a mechanic or dealer check the cruise electronics, but it could be that you are trying to drive too slowly on the cruise and it can’t cope with it.

Ford has a responsibility to repair any faults found in their cars, so you do have a case for some assistance in locating the cause of the downshifting problem and fixing it to your satisfaction.

Cars go into limp home mode for many and various reasons. It’s not everyday that the ECM has to be replaced, but it’s uncommon either. I wouldn’t be overly concerned about it doing it again. It’s possible that it could, but you’ll never be far from help from a Ford dealer if it does happen to fail again.

It's not uncommon to hear of transmission troubles with the Territory. I'd suggest you get a second opinion by taking it to an independent automatic transmission specialist who should be able to diagnose the trouble and suggest a fix.

It has cropped up before. It would be nice if they lasted longer, but I reckon you’d be wasting your time trying to get Ford to cover the costs.