Hi, thanks for the reply. I think I will ask to see what their diagnostics are claiming. I don't think that modern engines even need all this electronic stuff, from what I've experienced and heard, it all goes wrong much more, and it's far harder to fix! Wish is was as simple as some dodgy petrol!

I had a very similar problem with my Rover 25, thankfully before Rover went bust. The car started jumping, surging and then lost power so it would only rev very low, and the engine computer light on the dashboard came on. The handbook said "don't drive" so I called the AA who found they couldn't attatch their computer as Rover had modified the plug. They wanted to tow me to a Rover dealer, but on starting the engine it was ok, for a while. Then the same happened again. My Rover dealer couldn't look at it for 5 days and said there would be no problem with short journeys.
Once they plugged the car into Rover's computer diagnostics, they said it was the oxygen sensor, replaced it free of charge, and the car was fine.
I had never heard of an oxygen sensor, but it was all in the news over the past few weeks with the dodgy petrol fiasco.
Presume you didn't fill up at Tesco/Morrisons/Asda over the past few weeks ?

I would certainly demand to know what Ford's diagnostic computer is saying before you splash out. Are modern engines any better for all this computerised stuff under the bonnet. There was a time I could lift the bonnet and know what everything was and how to replace it !

Hi, I am having problems with this car. A while ago, the lights on the instrument panel started flashing 'EAC FAIL', and the car lost power. After switching on and off again, the car seemed fine. After checking the booklet it said something about it being fine if the car hadn't permanently lost power. On the way home that night it did it again, but this time the engine light remained on. I took it to a Ford garage where they said it just needed recalibrating and it was safe to drive. They reclaibrated it a few days later and it was fine. However, it's started doing it again, one morning it did it three times in a row. The engine light comes on and sometimes goes off on it's own. Ford say it needs a whole new computer, which will be costly. I'm not impressed that a car of this age is fooked already. I know of a few other people who have had this problem with Fords - has anyone else? And is there anything I can do? I really feel strongly about paying out so much money for something that really shouldn't be happening. Thanks in advance.