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Ford
Falcon Ute
BA-FG·
2002-2016
ute
Value
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
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
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
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).
Common problems (all variants)
high
Rear differential / subframe bush failure (ute IRS)
A signature Falcon ute/wagon fault - the rubber diff and subframe bushes are under-built and fail, giving a heavy 'clunk' or thump under acceleration and braking. The rear subframe usually has to come out to replace them.
Fix: Replace with upgraded polyurethane or solid bushes; heavily worked utes sometimes get a 9-inch diff conversion.
high
ZF / BTR automatic transmission faults
The 6-speed ZF auto (BF/FG) can suffer from neglected/contaminated fluid and the radiator-mounted trans cooler mixing coolant into the transmission fluid; the older 4-speed BTR autos wear at high km too.
Fix: Regular ZF fluid/filter service, check for coolant contamination, fit an external trans cooler; rebuild if damaged.
medium
Selector / shift cable bush failure
The automatic gear-selector cable's plastic/rubber end bush cracks and falls apart, leaving the car unable to select gears - can strand the vehicle.
Fix: Replace the selector cable bush (cheap part); a common roadside failure.
medium
Spare-wheel well, tray and cab-chassis rust
The spare-wheel well rusts badly with trapped water, and work-hardened utes/cab chassis rust in the tray mounts, tub floor and rear cab seam, especially coastal or beach-used examples.
Fix: Inspect the spare well, tray floor and cab seam closely; favour dry-climate, well-kept cars; repair/rustproof.
medium
Alternator failure (six-cylinder)
The six-cylinder alternator sits low under the power-steering pump and is killed by leaking PAS/coolant fluid getting into it, causing charging faults.
Fix: Replace alternator and fix the leaking hose/pump above it so it doesn't recur.
low
Front suspension and ball-joint wear
Front lower control-arm bushes, ball joints and sway-bar links wear with age and load, causing clunks and uneven tyre wear.
Fix: Standard front-end refresh; do bushes, ball joints and links together.