Back to catalog
Top issues
18 known problems · 4 high
high
Rear differential / subframe bush failure (ute IRS)
All engines
high
ZF / BTR automatic transmission faults
All engines
high
Turbo oil-feed line starvation / turbo failure
4.0L Barra Turbo petrol I6 (XR6 Turbo, 240T/245T/270T)
Recalls
2 on recordREC-001577
2016-10-13
Defect: The rear axle housing weld may crack, resulting in an oil leak.
Hazard: This could result in rear suspension noise and, in some cases, partial or full separation of the wheel assembly from the axle assembly, loss of steering control, reduced or lost brake performance, and loss of motive power.
Remedy: Drive with caution and at moderate speed until repaired. Contact your authorised Ford Dealership for inspection and rectification.
Affected: 3,492 units, FG Series II Falcon Ute
Official notice: www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au · details checked 2026-09-29
REC-001572
2015-02-16
Defect: The ignition switch electrical connector may disengage.
Hazard: If the connector disengages while driving, the engine will stall, electrical functions will be lost, and the vehicle cannot be restarted, posing an accident risk.
Remedy: Ford dealer inspection/repair, free of charge.
Affected: 17,875 units shared with Falcon sedan and Territory; Falcon 2013-2014 (FG II Ute)
Official notice: www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au · details checked 2026-09-30
Check a specific car by VIN at vehiclerecalls.gov.au.
At this odometer
See which of this car's known problems are due at that mileage, which should already have been dealt with, and what's coming up.
Generations
Best and worst years for the Ford Falcon Ute →
Before: Falcon AU ute (1999-2002)
After: None - Falcon ute discontinued 2016 (no direct replacement)
Price (AUD)
$5k-$45k
Body styles
2-door Styleside (well-body) ute, 2-door Cab Chassis, Crewman dual-cab (BA/BF only)
Drivetrain
Rear-wheel drive
Origin
Australia
Built in
Australia
Overview
The locally built Falcon ute ran from BA (2002) through BF (2005), FG (2008) and FG X (2014) until the last one rolled off the Broadmeadows line on 29 July 2016, ending 55 years of Falcon utes. Body choices were the Styleside well-body ute and the work-focused cab chassis, plus the BA/BF Crewman dual-cab. The engine that defines the car is the 4.0L Barra DOHC inline-six - one of the toughest engines Australia ever built, chain-timed and good for huge mileage - offered naturally aspirated (Barra 182/190/195), as the turbocharged XR6 Turbo (240T/245T/270T) which is genuinely fast and hugely tuneable, and as a dedicated LPG engine (the older E-Gas and the much better 2011+ EcoLPi). A 5.4L Boss V8 (XR8) was offered until June 2010, when it was dropped for failing Euro IV. These are simple, cheap, rear-drive workhorses with massive parts support, but the platform has well-known weak spots - rear diff/subframe bushes, the BTR/ZF auto, turbo oil-feed starvation on the boosted sixes and rust in the spare-wheel well and cab-chassis tray area - so buy on condition and history.
Engines & variants
4.0L Barra NA petrol I6 (182/190/195)
Engine
4.0L DOHC 24v VCT inline-six, naturally aspirated
Engine code
Config
I6 NA
Displacement
3984cc
Power
182kW @ 5000rpm (BA) / 190kW (BF) / 195kW @ 6000rpm (FG)
Torque
380Nm @ 3250rpm (BA) up to 391Nm @ 3250rpm (FG)
Drivetrain
Rear-wheel drive
Economy
10.5-13 L/100km combined
Tow (braked)
2300kg
Tow (unbraked)
750kg
Transmission
5MT, 4AT (BTR), 5AT (ZF, FG), 6AT (ZF, FG)
Timing chain / belt / gear
Chain-driven (timing chain)
Pros
- Tough, smooth chain-timed Barra six - routinely does 300,000km+
- Cheap to buy, cheap to fix, parts everywhere
- Strong low-down torque for a workhorse
- Simple, no turbo or DPF to worry about
Cons
- Thirstier than a modern four-cylinder turbo ute
- Rear-drive only - no 4WD option for off-road work
- Plastic ancillaries (cam covers, coolant pipes) get brittle with age
- Resale much weaker than the turbo and V8 versions
Known problems
medium
Plastic intake manifold runner / coolant pipe failures
The Barra uses plastic intake components and a plastic coolant crossover pipe at the rear of the head that get brittle with age and heat, cracking and causing coolant loss or vacuum leaks.
Fix: Replace with updated parts; the alloy aftermarket coolant pipe is a common preventive fix.
low
Cam cover and rocker cover oil leaks
The cam/rocker cover gaskets weep oil over time, sometimes onto the exhaust manifold causing a burning smell.
Fix: Reseal the cam cover; cheap DIY job.
low
Ignition coil and coil-pack misfires
Coil-on-plug units fail with age causing misfire, rough idle and a check-engine light.
Fix: Replace coils (often as a set) and spark plugs.
4.0L Barra Turbo petrol I6 (XR6 Turbo, 240T/245T/270T)
Engine
4.0L DOHC 24v VCT inline-six, Garrett turbo-intercooled
Engine code
Barra 240T / 245T / 270T
Config
I6 turbo
Displacement
3984cc
Power
240kW @ 5250rpm (BA) / 245kW (BF) / 270kW @ 5250rpm (FG)
Torque
450Nm (BA) / 480Nm (BF) / 533Nm @ 1950-5200rpm (FG)
Drivetrain
Rear-wheel drive
Economy
11.5-14.5 L/100km combined (more when driven hard)
Tow (braked)
2300kg
Tow (unbraked)
750kg
Transmission
5MT (BA/BF), 6MT (T56, FG), 4AT (BTR, BA/BF), 6AT (ZF, FG)
Timing chain / belt / gear
Chain-driven (timing chain)
Pros
- Genuinely quick - 533Nm in the FG, faster than most utes of its era
- Legendary tuning headroom - 300-400kW+ is well-supported
- Same tough Barra bottom end as the NA six
- Cult following, big aftermarket and specialist support
Cons
- Turbo oil-feed line filter/restrictor can clog and starve the turbo
- Many have been thrashed, tuned or drag-launched - history matters
- Hotter under-bonnet temps age plastics and hoses faster
- Higher running and insurance costs than the NA six
Known problems
high
Turbo oil-feed line starvation / turbo failure
The factory turbo oil-feed banjo bolt contains a small mesh filter and restrictor that clogs with oil sludge, starving the turbo of oil and destroying it - it can happen even on cars with a good service history.
Fix: Remove/clean or delete the banjo filter and fit an upgraded oil-feed line; use quality oil and change it on time. Many owners do this preventively.
high
Abused / over-tuned engine wear
Hard-tuned or launched XR6 Turbos can suffer cracked pistons, spun bearings or stretched chains. The bottom end is strong but not bulletproof against big boost and abuse.
Fix: Compression/leak-down test pre-purchase, scan for past tunes, prefer a documented stock or conservatively-tuned car.
medium
Boost-control solenoid and intercooler piping leaks
The boost-control solenoid and intercooler hoses/clamps perish, causing boost faults, limp mode or whistling leaks.
Fix: Replace solenoid and intercooler piping/clamps; upgraded silicone hoses are common.
4.0L Barra LPG I6 (E-Gas / EcoLPi)
Engine
4.0L DOHC inline-six dedicated LPG - mixer E-Gas (2002-2011) then liquid-injection EcoLPi (2011-2016)
Config
I6 NA (LPG)
Displacement
3984cc
Power
156kW (E-Gas) / 198kW @ 5000rpm (EcoLPi)
Torque
372Nm (E-Gas) / 409Nm @ 3250rpm (EcoLPi)
Drivetrain
Rear-wheel drive
Economy
14-18 L/100km LPG (cheap per-km fuel)
Tow (braked)
2300kg
Tow (unbraked)
750kg
Transmission
5MT, 4AT (BTR), 6AT (ZF, FG EcoLPi)
Timing chain / belt / gear
Chain-driven (timing chain)
Pros
- Very cheap to run on LPG - fleet/work favourite
- Factory-engineered dedicated LPG, not a backyard conversion
- EcoLPi (2011+) is liquid-injected, strong and drives like petrol
- Same tough Barra block and chain timing
Cons
- E-Gas (pre-2011) mixer system is gutless and clunky vs petrol
- LPG dries valve seats - needs healthy valve lubrication/Flashlube history
- EcoLPi has its own injector/pump quirks
- Falling LPG station availability hurts long-distance touring
Known problems
medium
Valve seat / valve recession (LPG running)
Long-term LPG running with poor valve lubrication can accelerate exhaust valve seat wear and recession, causing tappet noise and lost compression.
Fix: Confirm valve lube/upper-cylinder additive history; compression test pre-purchase; head recondition if worn.
medium
EcoLPi liquid-injection pump and injector faults
The EcoLPi system's in-tank LPG pump and liquid injectors can fail, causing hard starting, hesitation and fault codes.
Fix: Diagnose and replace the pump/injectors; specialist LPG workshop.
low
LPG tank certification / lifespan
Australian LPG tanks have a service life (typically ~10 years from manufacture) after which they must be recertified or replaced.
Fix: Check the tank date; budget for replacement on older cars.
5.4L Boss V8 petrol (XR8)
Engine
5.4L SOHC 3-valve (later DOHC 4-valve Boss) modular V8
Engine code
Config
V8 NA
Displacement
5408cc
Power
220kW (BA, 3v) up to 290kW @ 5500rpm (FG XR8 Boss 290, 4v)
Torque
470Nm (BA) up to 520Nm @ 4750rpm (FG Boss 290)
Drivetrain
Rear-wheel drive
Economy
14-18 L/100km combined (more when worked)
Tow (braked)
2300kg
Tow (unbraked)
750kg
Transmission
5MT (Tremec), 6MT (TR6060, FG), 4AT (BTR), 6AT (ZF, FG)
Timing chain / belt / gear
Chain-driven (timing chains)
Pros
- Strong, characterful V8 with great noise - the enthusiast ute
- FG Boss 290 (4-valve) is a genuinely quick performance ute
- Rare and collectible, especially manual XR8 utes
- Strong resale relative to the NA six
Cons
- Discontinued June 2010 (failed Euro IV) - none in later FG/FG X utes
- Thirsty and more complex than the bulletproof Barra six
- Early 3-valve has cam-phaser and spark-plug-thread issues
- Smaller parts/specialist pool than the Barra six
Known problems
medium
Cam phaser rattle and timing-chain wear (3-valve)
The 3-valve 5.4 (BA/BF) suffers cam phaser rattle on cold start and timing-chain/guide wear, with a distinctive top-end noise.
Fix: Replace phasers, chains, guides and tensioners; use correct oil and change on time.
medium
Spark plug seizing / thread blow-out (3-valve)
The modular 3-valve head is notorious for spark plugs seizing or stripping the alloy threads on removal, sometimes requiring thread inserts.
Fix: Careful removal technique, anti-seize, and thread repair (Time-Sert) if damaged.
low
Fuel thirst and harder-worked driveline
Real-world 14-18+ L/100km and extra torque load on the diff/bushes; not a fault but a cost.
Fix: Accept fuel cost; keep an eye on diff bushes (see shared problems).