# What to Look For When Buying a Used Ford Falcon > What to check on a used Falcon, sedan or ute, what a problem looks like, and when to walk away. Covers: BF (2005–2008), FG (2008–2014), FG X (2014–2016). Last updated: 13 October 2026. Web page: https://shufti.com.au/checklists/used-ford-falcon-inspection-checklist. Printable PDF: https://shufti.com.au/checklists/used-ford-falcon-inspection-checklist.pdf. ## Common Problems on a Used Ford Falcon The most commonly reported problems on a used Ford Falcon are brake shudder from warped discs, clunks and whine from the rear diff, coolant getting into the automatic's fluid through its cooler, and leaks from the water pump and heater. LPG cars need a current tank test, and with the Falcon out of production since 2016, check parts prices before you buy. ### Brake Shudder From Warped Discs A big, heavy sedan or ute that tows or carries loads is hard on brakes, and owners report the discs warping, which you feel as a shudder under braking. On the test drive, brake firmly from 80 km/h where it's safe. The car should stop straight, with no shaking through the pedal or steering wheel and no grinding. A wobble through the wheel can also mean worn front suspension parts. New discs and pads aren't a huge bill, but they're an easy one to take off the price. ### Rear Diff Clunks and Whine The rear diff sends drive to the rear wheels. As its rubber mounts wear, it clunks when you take off or change gear, and a worn diff whines. On the test drive, accelerate from a stop, lift off and accelerate again: listen for a clunk from the rear. At steady speeds, listen for a whine that rises and falls with speed. Look under the car for oil around the diff. Diff mounts are a moderate repair; a diff rebuild is more. Price either into your offer. ### Coolant Getting Into the Automatic's Fluid The automatic's fluid is cooled through the radiator. If the cooler inside the radiator cracks, coolant and gearbox fluid mix, and coolant in the gearbox can destroy it. Check the coolant tank for a pink, milky or oily look, like a milkshake. On the test drive, feel for slipping, flaring or harsh changes. Ask whether the radiator has been replaced, with receipts; many owners replace it before trouble starts. If the coolant looks milky, walk away: the gearbox may already be damaged. ### Water Pump and Heater Leaks Owners report coolant leaking from the water pump and the heater, which loses coolant and can leave a damp floor or a fogged windscreen inside. With the engine cold, check the coolant is at the mark, and look around the front of the engine for crust or drips. Inside, feel the front floor carpets for damp and sniff for a sweet smell. Check the heater blows hot and the temperature controls work. A water pump is a moderate repair; heater work behind the dash costs more. Price either into your offer. ## Which Ford Falcon Years to Avoid? No Ford Falcon year is one to avoid outright. Which problems a particular car has depends on its generation, its engine and how it was used, so judge the one in front of you rather than the year alone, starting with its recalls and reported faults (Shufti looks these up from the listing). - **BF (2005–2008).** Every one is now over 10 years old, so condition and history count for more than the year: look hard for rust, worn suspension and leaks, and check whether a timing belt (if it has one) has been replaced. - **FG (2008–2014).** Every one is now over 10 years old, so condition and history count for more than the year: look hard for rust, worn suspension and leaks, and check whether a timing belt (if it has one) has been replaced. - **FG X (2014–2016).** Every one is now over 10 years old, so condition and history count for more than the year: look hard for rust, worn suspension and leaks, and check whether a timing belt (if it has one) has been replaced. ## Ford Falcon Inspection Checklist Tick it if it's fine. Cross it if it isn't, and note what you found so you can price it into your offer. - Safety critical: Affects how safely it drives or protects you in a crash. Best to have a mechanic check it before you buy. - Negotiate: Costs money to fix, from wear to major repairs. Get a quote and take it off the price. ### Before You Go - [ ] **Get the VIN and rego** before you travel. A seller who won't share them is a red flag on its own. - [ ] **Know what you're looking at:** six, turbo six or V8; petrol or LPG; sedan, wagon or ute. LPG, turbo and ute checks below are marked. - [ ] **Ask how it was used:** private, fleet, police, taxi or towing? For a turbo or V8, ask about track days, burnouts and tunes. - [ ] **Ask for the engine to be cold,** go in daylight, and bring a torch, paper towel and a friend. ### Exterior - [ ] **Panels and paint.** Uneven gaps, mismatched colour or overspray on seals and trim mean crash repair. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Paint on the roof, bonnet and boot.** Faded or peeling clear coat on cars left in the sun. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Ex-fleet signs:** holes in the roof, dash or boot for lights, radios and meters; decal residue on the doors. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Ute: tub.** Dents and rust around the tailgate and tie-downs; the tonneau cover fits and seals. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Rust:** wheel arches, sills, door bottoms, the boot lid and around the window seals. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Wheels.** Kerbed or cracked alloys; aftermarket wheels need to suit the car. A badly kerbed wheel can be bent. (Negotiate) - [ ] **VIN plate** (in a door frame or under the bonnet) is there, untouched, and matches the papers. ### Under the Bonnet - [ ] **Engine oil** between the dipstick marks, brown not black. Old, dark oil means servicing has been skipped. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Coolant** at the mark and brightly coloured. Rusty or oily coolant, or regular top-ups, needs a mechanic. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Brake fluid** (small tank at the back of the engine bay) is clear to light amber, not dark. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Belts, hoses and battery.** No cracked belts or swollen hoses; clean battery terminals and a date sticker. (Negotiate) - [ ] **LPG: tank date.** The tank's compliance plate (in the boot or tub) shows when it was made or last tested. LPG tanks must be re-tested every 10 years to stay legal. - [ ] **Turbo or V8: modifications.** Aftermarket intake, a loud "whoosh" valve, bigger intercooler or a tune. They must be declared to insurers. - [ ] **Cold start.** Starts easily and settles to a smooth idle. A rattle for the first few seconds, a steady tick or smoke needs a mechanic. (Negotiate) ### Underbody and Wheels - [ ] **Tyres** above the wear bars, worn evenly and under ~6 years old. Worn-out rear tyres alone on a turbo or V8 can point to burnouts. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Rust and crash repairs.** Rust on the floor or around the suspension; bent metal, fresh welds or new black coating in one spot. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Oil leaks** from the engine, gearbox and rear diff; drips where it's normally parked. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Suspension.** Oily shock absorbers, a sagging rear (utes) or cut or aftermarket springs. Lowered cars need to meet your state's ride-height rules. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Brakes.** Deep grooves, a raised edge or blue-tinged discs (overheated from hard driving). (Negotiate) - [ ] **Exhaust.** Aftermarket systems can be too loud to be legal; check for heavy rust or loose heat shields. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Towbar.** A worn tow ball means lots of towing; check the wiring plug works. (Negotiate) ### Interior and Electrics - [ ] **Warning lights.** Key to "on": every dash light comes on, then goes out once running. An airbag, brake or engine light that stays on needs explaining. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Water leaks.** Damp carpet, a wet boot floor or a stained headlining. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Wear matches the kilometres.** Steering wheel, gear selector, pedals and driver's seat bolster. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Seatbelts** pull out fully, retract and latch, with no fraying. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Air con** blows cold within a minute or two, without a musty smell; heater gets hot. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Electrics.** Screen, Bluetooth, reversing camera, sensors, windows and mirrors all work. Count the keys. (Negotiate) ### Test Drive - [ ] **Automatic.** Smooth changes with no slipping, flare or thump into Drive or Reverse. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Manual.** In 4th at 50 km/h, floor it: if revs rise faster than speed, the clutch is slipping. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Engine.** Pulls smoothly with no stutter or smoke. LPG: runs smoothly on gas too, and switches over cleanly (dual-fuel). (Negotiate) - [ ] **Braking stability.** Brake firmly from 60 km/h: it stops straight, with no pulling, wobble or shimmy through the wheel. A wobble under braking can mean worn front suspension parts. (Safety critical) - [ ] **Steering and suspension.** Drives straight; no knocks or clunks over bumps. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Noises.** A whine or clunk from the rear as you accelerate or lift off (rear diff); a hum that grows with speed (wheel bearing). (Negotiate) - [ ] **Afterwards,** check for new drips, a steady temperature gauge and no hot smells. (Negotiate) ### Documentation - [ ] **Seller's ID** matches the rego papers, and the VIN matches on the papers and VIN plate. - [ ] **Service history.** Oil changes on time, with receipts. Ask about any timing-chain or gearbox work. (Negotiate) - [ ] **LPG paperwork.** Installation or tank re-test certificate, where your state requires one. - [ ] **Modifications in writing.** Tunes, lowering and exhausts, with engineering sign-off where your state requires it. - [ ] **Parts and servicing.** Ford stopped building the Falcon in 2016. Ask where it's been serviced, and check parts prices for any repair you'd need. (Negotiate) - [ ] **Rego and roadworthy.** Rego checked online; roadworthy supplied if your state requires one on sale. (Negotiate) ## Stay Safe Never go under a car held up only by a jack, and never open the radiator or coolant cap on a hot engine. Keep hands, hair and loose clothing clear of fans and belts when the engine is running, and do checks under the bonnet with it switched off where you can. On the test drive, hold a current licence, confirm the car is registered and insured, obey road rules, and only brake hard when the road behind is clear. Meet in a safe, public-facing place, take someone with you, and don't carry large amounts of cash to a viewing. ## Disclaimer Shufti is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ford; Ford and Falcon are trademarks of Ford Motor Company. Figures are counts from Shufti's analysis of official records and published reports, not a statement that any particular vehicle is affected. This checklist is general information only and is not professional, mechanical, legal or financial advice. It covers common checks, not every possible fault, and a car can pass every item here and still have problems. It is not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection by a qualified mechanic, which is worth considering before you buy, especially if anything tagged Safety critical turns up. Repair costs vary widely; get your own quotes. Roadworthy, registration and transfer rules differ by state, so check with your state road authority. Private sales generally don't come with the consumer guarantees that apply when you buy from a dealer. You use this checklist at your own risk and, to the extent permitted by law, Shufti accepts no liability for any loss, damage or injury arising from its use. ## Buying a Used Ford Falcon: Questions Answered ### Is a used Ford Falcon reliable? It depends more on the particular car than the badge: how it was driven, loaded and serviced. Work through the commonly reported problems above, read the service history for servicing done on time, and run a PPSR check. ### Which Ford Falcon years should I avoid? No Ford Falcon year is one to avoid outright. Which problems a particular car has depends on its generation, its engine and how it was used, so judge the one in front of you rather than the year alone, starting with its recalls and reported faults (Shufti looks these up from the listing). This checklist covers the BF (2005–2008), FG (2008–2014) and FG X (2014–2016) Ford Falcon. Problems reported across them include brake shudder from warped discs, rear diff clunks and whine, coolant getting into the automatic's fluid and water pump and heater leaks. ### How many kilometres is too many for a used Ford Falcon? Kilometres matter less than how the car was driven and serviced. A high-kilometre sedan with a full service history can be a better buy than a low-kilometre one that's missed services, towed, or been used as a taxi, rideshare or fleet car. Check the history for regular servicing, and on a hybrid ask for a battery health check. ### Should I get a pre-purchase inspection on a used Ford Falcon? It's worth it if you can. A mechanic can spot hidden crash repairs, worn suspension and gearbox problems that are easy to miss on a short test drive. Most buyers don't book one, though, so whatever you decide, check the car thoroughly yourself with this checklist first. See Is a pre-purchase inspection worth it? (https://shufti.com.au/guides/is-a-pre-purchase-inspection-worth-it) ### How do I check a used Ford Falcon for money owing or a write-off? Run a PPSR check with the car's VIN. It shows whether there's finance owing and whether the car has been reported stolen or written off, and costs $2. Run it on the day you pay. See What a PPSR check covers and what it doesn't (https://shufti.com.au/guides/what-is-a-ppsr-check) --- Shufti is an Australian used car inspection app for iPhone and Android that tailors the inspection to the exact car you're looking at. It is not affiliated with Shufti Pro, the identity verification (KYC) company. From the listing link, it builds every check around that car's make, model and year, odometer reading and the seller's description. It runs PPSR and government recall checks, crosschecks a database of more than 3 million recalls and owner complaints, flags problems from your photos and audio, plans a test drive, produces a shareable report with repair cost estimates, and coaches you through the negotiation. A check costs $24.99, or $49.99 for three, including PPSR and recall checks. A mechanic's pre-purchase inspection costs $250–350. Made by Frontpoint Digital Pty Ltd (ABN 23 669 870 366), Melbourne, Australia. Contact: hello@shufti.com.au. Download: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/au/app/shufti-used-car-inspection/id6795718336?pt=129235165&ct=Website%20guide&mt=8), [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.shufti.shufti_app&referrer=utm_source%3Dshufti.com.au%26utm_medium%3Dwebsite%26utm_campaign%3DWebsite%2520guide%26utm_content%3Dllms%26utm_term%3D%252Fllms.txt).