Used Ford Falcon review: 2002-2004

The importance of the BA Falcon can’t be overstated. Had it failed to excite the car buying public it could well have been the model that spelt the end for Ford as a force in this country.

It probably would have spelt the end of Ford as a manufacturer here, at least of cars designed locally.

Failure would most likely have had the company’s Detroit management, itself under pressure, stepping in and dictating what would and wouldn’t be sold here. That would most likely have meant no Territory and no more Falcons, in their place would have been imported cars or at the very least cars assembled from packs of imported components.

With no local Falcon to put pressure on Holden the company’s troubled American bosses would no doubt have questioned the need, and expense of having cars designed locally when there were suitable models available overseas.

The entire dynamics of the local market could have changed in a most fundamental way.

Thankfully the BA has been a success. It has rebuilt the image of the Falcon in the minds of car buyers after it had been badly wounded by the disastrous AU. We have the Territory, which is doing good business, and the men from Dearborn haven’t seen the need to intervene.

Model watch

Such was the image of the Falcon in the wake of the down-in-the-mouth AU that Ford’s local bosses knew that serious action was needed. The AU replacement couldn’t simply be a facelift to keep it going until the all-new 2005 model arrived as was the plan.

Unless they acted boldly the 2005 Falcon might have simply been too late.

It required a bold plan, and management capable of seeing it through in the face of enormous pressure from those watching from above. They simply couldn’t afford to fail.

The man for the time was the late-Geoff Polites who had the foresight and the will to commit to what was in effect a new car with all of the costs that entailed and see it through to the end. Polites also backed the Territory, another success story, and he will no doubt be looked upon as the man who saved Ford locally when future historians pen the history of the company.

The most damning criticism of the AU was aimed at its styling with its downtrodden curves that gave is a sad and sullen look. Fixing that meant major surgery to body panels, which was no cheap exercise.

There was no way around it, though, the body had to undergo major surgery. A nip and a tuck here and there simply would not have been enough.

By the time the BA’s stylists had finished there was little of the AU left. The doors were about the only panels recognisable from the old model, even the roof had been modified.

The result was an amazing transformation. The downcast visage was gone, replaced by bright uplifting looks that gave off a positive vibe instead of the depression felt on sighting an AU.

Ford could probably have got away with the body changes, and saved much of the $500 million it invested in the BA. There wasn’t much wrong with the AU mechanical package, but it was reasoned that they were coming from so far back the BA had to be seen as a major step forward to convince disaffected Falcon buyers to come back to the fold, and maybe even encourage some Commodore buyers to switch brands.

So, as well as the crucial body changes, there was also a much upgraded six-cylinder engine, a new independent rear suspension, sports shift mode for the auto trans, and some cute new features like the control command centre inside and adjustable foot pedals.

The base engine was the familiar Ford 4.0-litre inline six, but it was heavily revamped. It now boasted double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and variable cam timing, which delivered good performance right through the rev range with good torque at low revs and a powerful punch at high revs.

At its peak the so-called Barra 182 engine produced 182 kW at 5000 revs and 380 Nm at 3250 revs, with good torque over a wide speed range.

Underneath a new Control Blade IRS replaced the old double wishbone system, delivering the handling benefits of an independent system with improved ride comfort and better isolation from road noise.

Brakes were improved discs all round with ABS standard, steering was also improved and power assisted.

Inside there was also a much needed redesign. Gone was the awkward old dash, in its place came a much more modern design with a hooded instrument cluster and a centre dash console containing the supplementary controls for air-con and sound.

XT was the badge the base model carried. It was meant to convey the image of the base model as a junior member of the sporty arm of the Falcon range, the other members being the XR6 and XR8.

There was a long list of standard features on the XT, including air-conditioning, CD sound, power front windows, power mirrors, power driver’s seat and trip computer.

In the shop

Few problems reported to date. The six-cylinder engine is the most powerful in its class and appears to be largely trouble free although the extra power seems to have come at the cost of fuel consumption.

One roadside service agent reports going to the rescue of a number of cars that have simply stopped by the side of the road. Some can’t be restarted, others need to be restarted like an old carburettor car.

Make the usual checks for crash repairs, like poor panel fit, variable gaps between adjoining panels, and colour variation.

Check also for a service record.

One serious problem that the BA suffers from is the failure of brake hoses. It’s said to be that the rear hoses fail more frequently than the front, but both are prone to sudden and shocking failure. Shocking, that is, for the driver who suddenly finds their braking power is suddenly diminished when the brake pedal drops almost to the floor with little apparent retardation. The hoses are said to be too short and eventually break after being stretched and restretched. Consider replacing the hoses as a matter of course after buying a BA.

In a crash

The BA was too new to feature in the recent used car safety survey, but it’s fair to say that it’s as least as good as the AU which faired quite well. That was found to be significantly better than the average for occupant protection, and average in its affect on occupants of cars it hits.

Body structure is improved, and with dual front airbags, provides crash protection.

Owners say

Hamilton Saunders has done just 32,000 km in his BA, which he says is a “good” car, comfortable, reliable and an excellent for towing, but is heavier on fuel than the previous model. Problems he’s encountered are a noise from the steering box, an occasional sulpher-like smell in very hot weather, neither of which the dealer has been able to fix, and the discs have required machining at every service.

Ray Tonisson has completed just over 13,000 km in his BA and says, apart from being thirsty, it’s the best Ford he’s have owned. It has power and drives very well especially with the Sports suspension. Ford has lifted its bang for the buck on the XT with a good package of standard features. The sports pack just gives the appearance a bit more class.

Lindsay Cameron has a 2002 BA Falcon wagon. It is generally driven by his wife and has done 20,000 km. He likes its looks, the power and smoothness of the engine, the ease of use of the cruise control ease of use, the 14-speed fan, the quiet air-conditioning vents, and its road holding. Conversely he dislikes the headlights which don’t turn off automatically, the carpets which are hard to clean, the recessed seat belt buckles which are difficult to use, the lack of rear leg room, the way the auto shifts down from fourth to third whenever then sports shift mode is selected, the tailgate release which had to be repaired under warranty and the remote central locking control which is on a pad instead of the key.

Elling Salterod bought a new XT auto sedan in Jan 2004 . It has 9000 km on clock now , mainly around Sydney city and the central coast, but with one trip to Queensland. It’s comfortable and quiet, and returns good fuel consumption. There has been one recurring problem with the hand brake rubbing, which appears to be a design fault and can’t be fixed.

Dennis Curtis likes the performance of his 2003 BA Falcon, but has two items of concern. The rear springs have been replaced twice in five months due towing even with Ford’s 2300 kg tow kit. Ford would only replace the springs with standard coils , and I was told if I changed to another stronger springs warranty would be voided. The other concern is with the auxiliary lights, which only illuminate with the turn signals in operation, and are of little assistance.

Look for

• Happier styling than the AU

• Class leading power

• Excessive fuel consumption

• Sports shift auto transmission for a fun driving experience

• Reassuring and sporty handling

• Brake hose failures

The bottom line

Much improved model you won’t be afraid to admit owning.