Focus the car that did Focus (Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec 5dr)

Member Name: Joe1976

Product:	Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec 5dr
Date:	04/07/08 (980 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice too look at

Disadvantages: TMTL

----<Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec>----

My partner recently writ ours off, it was an 02 registration, she was fine and the other driver was okay, nothing too serious.

The Focus was a nightmare car for us, and a hundred more on both the RAC and AA websites. The car's air bags did not deploy when my partner careered into the back of another road user. I went to Ford and asked them why this hadn't happened, I was told that in some cases, after a battery change, the air bags might need resetting.
We were never told about this, never read it in the instruction manual and thank her lucky stars, the car wasn't going so fast that she depended on it.

----<What Went Wrong?>----

A more appropriate title would be "what went right?", everything that could go wrong with a Focus, went wrong on ours, the list is quite comprehensive as we only had the car for 2 years.

Power Steering/Engine Cut Out-

The Focus is prone to electronic problems, like the engine cutting out, thus making the power steering cut out.
I took my neighbour to Tesco one day in it and the thing cut out, not on a straight road, but going right from a slip road cum junction, heading for a lamp post, and only seconds from hitting it, it came back on, I grappled with the steering but it was like trying to turn an Elephant.

Immediately, i called the RAC out, my neighbours frozen food meant he ended up having to get a taxi home as I waited on the recovery service showing up.
About 30 minutes went by and the orange van man was straight in front of me, I got out and acknowledged him.
I started explaining the mishap to him and unsurprisingly he told me this was nothing new to him, he asked me if the car was cutting out or just the steering, I told him the car and that it had done this a couple of times before.
He told me to take the car to the Ford garage and have it fixed at once, which I should've done the first time. The garage told me to leave the car and to come back at around 6pm, I got a phone call from them at 2pm, this had happened at 12 noon, so was awaiting an explanation, instead I was asked if I wanted an electrical fault fixed for GBP80.00, with no other option I agreed, I still wanted to know why this engine cutting out was happening, apparently Ford had done a recall on 1.8 02's, but failed to phone Ford Focus owners up to tell them!
I found out later the problem was to do with the Vehicle speed sensor (VSS), not being fitted correctly at the factories.

Flat Battery-

When a battery goes flat in an engine, there's a light to come on and warn you, well not so with this car, I tried starting it one August morning and nothing happened, not a sausage, I sprayed WD-40 over the engine thinking it could be damp from a previous nights down pour, this had some effect, just not the one I was hoping for, every dial in the dashboard thought they were graphic equalizers and became like so, the milometer, fuel gauge, oil and temp gauges all started smashing off the plastic pins that prevent them from going over the limit and back round to zero, I thought about the film "Christine" and thought the car was possessed.

Back on the phone to the RAC, I had no idea what was wrong with the car and explained the situation away, "a new battery" quipped the young mechanic, I had said to him about the needles and the gauges going bonkers but he assured me I was needing a new battery, another GBP50.00., money well spent, as a full dash is somewhere in the deep end of GBP300.00

Starter Motor-

Now bearing in mind this car was relatively new and had only 35,000 miles on the clock, I decided to take the Focus to a good friend whose expertise in all things mechanical, is second to none, he told me I needed a new starter motor, another GBP39.99

New Clutch-

GBP379.99 for a new and fitted clutch, by this time I was angry and fed up, I had spent a fortune on the car, I hated driving it, I opted for walking round to my in-laws for a loan of their car if I was taking my daughter anywhere, this car was not safe.

----<Good Points>----

The boot was a good size, I fitted an Emmaljunga pram and wheels in the boot, the colour coded bumpers and mirrors set it off along with the standard Focus alloys, in all its fair to say that the Focus is a good looking car, but it has had over 30 recalls, not just the 02, but every year before 02's and everry year since, has seen the Focus recalled.

----<I Wouldn't Reccomend One To Anybody>----

I wouldn't like to say to someone, yeah get one, but they have this and that happen too them then that person had a bad accident, I couldn't live with myself, if you have one and its been okay, excellent, if you're thinking of getting one, tread easy, probe every question about the stuff you've read here, including if it has been recalled.

---->Check Here<----

Here's a website listing all recalled cars, what could go wrong with one, and what to be aware of if you do decide you want one:- /www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?md=116.

This site tells and confirms everything that I went through with our one,

*GET YOUR FOCUS CHECKED*
Whatever running condition it is is.

Summary: Take a qualified mechanic with you when you go to look at one.

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Driving comfort: