Built in Broadmeadows
Ford built the Territory at Broadmeadows from April 2004 to October 2016, 178,214 of them, and the large Ford factory in Campbellfield closed in 2016. Even the last ones off the line are now about ten years old.
If you drive one, tell us the series and whether it's the petrol six or the 2.7-litre diesel that arrived with the SZ. It changes which mechanic suits the job. Ford Territory has more on the model.
Broadmeadows today
A transport hub
Broadmeadows station takes metro trains as well as V/Line and NSW TrainLink, and it's where the area's bus routes end. That helps if the car is in for the day.
Pascoe Vale Road
Metro Route 35 runs 14.9 km from the outer northern fringe through Broadmeadows, Glenroy and Strathmore to Moonee Ponds Junction, passing under CityLink on the way.
A making town
Broadmeadows had a strong manufacturing industry. Work utes and vans are worth naming in the card, so the job reaches a mechanic who handles them.
Before you say yes to a repair
- A written estimate covering the work, parts, time to finish and how you'll pay
- A clear instruction to call you before any work you haven't approved
- An itemised account before you pay, showing how the cost was worked out
- Any instalment arrangement agreed before work starts, not after
- The warranty on the parts and on the work, written on the invoice
Consumer Affairs Victoria explains why the payment part matters: a mechanic can keep the car until the bill is paid, and in some cases charge a storage fee. Sorting out instalments before agreeing to the work may be the simplest way through.
Our take
On a big repair, we'd settle how it'll be paid before the mechanic starts, and get it in writing. It's an awkward minute of conversation, and it saves the car being held until the bill is cleared.