Should I buy a Focus?
lost in space
I'm thinking about buying a Focus, probably a late used one. I rented
one on a business trip awhile back and really liked it. A great
driver, pretty comfortable for its size, good seating position for me.
But I'm having reservations about reliability after reading some of
the posts here.
Any thoughts? Any year or model to avoid?
Thanks,
Pat
Kjell Harnesk
> Hope some of you experienced Focus owners can help me out.
> I'm thinking about buying a Focus, probably a late used one. I rented
> one on a business trip awhile back and really liked it. A great
> driver, pretty comfortable for its size, good seating position for me.
> But I'm having reservations about reliability after reading some of
> the posts here.
Remember that unhappy owners are the ones who write here. Most Focus owners
are happy with their car, including myself. As far as I am concerned, the
Focus is a very good bargain, You mentioned a few things, mileage is
another good side of the Focus.
--
Kjell
Tim..
"lost in space" <ibara...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:7ea39ea8.03060...@posting.google.com...
I have 45k on a 2001 1.8 Zetec and its been totally problem-free. I get
nothing less than 35mpg out of it to. Will definately have another, possibly
an ST170
Avoid the TDdi and anything smaller than the 1.6. Make sure you have the
climate pack. Avoid the 4 door saloon. Ghia model not worth alot more than
the Zetec 2nd hand.
Tim..
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Dave Gower
"lost in space" <ibara...@yahoo.com> wrote
> I'm thinking about buying a Focus, probably a late used one. I rented
> one on a business trip awhile back and really liked it. A great
> driver, pretty comfortable for its size, good seating position for me.
> But I'm having reservations about reliability after reading some of
> the posts here.
>
> Any thoughts? Any year or model to avoid?
The reliability improved with each model year. New ones today are probably
as good as anything else in the market segment.
That said, I think that the problems even with the early years were are
over-rated. Ford has fixed most of them with recalls, and like most cars
more than a couple of years old, the way they have been treated is probably
more important than the model.
I have a 2000 SPI and have had only one breakdown in three years, and that
was when I ran out of fuel due to a faulty gas gauge (which was fixed under
warrantee). Last winter was our most brutal in years in Ontario, and it
started and ran flawlessly. I love it as much as the day I bought it, and
the only thing that would convince me to part with it is trading up to a new
one with more goodies.
jriegle
complain. It is not often they will post to give praise. Just visit any
Microsoft Windows group to see what I mean : )
I have a 2000 ZX3 I bought in April of 2000. The 36 month warranty expired
in April. I have not had mine in for any problems. I did have numerous
recalls taken care of when I went in for the oil changes. The 2002 models
and newer have had these recall problem sorted out and should be more
reliable over all.
Ford could have had a monster hit with the Focus if it wasn't for the bad
publicity. Having the Focus make the evening news a couple times for recalls
did not help things. Yes, the Focus does sell, but is not a smash hit like
the Taurus was years ago.
John
"lost in space" <ibara...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Specter
is nowhere near as worthy a vehicle as the Taurus is. That's why the Focus
doesn't sell in record numbers. The Honda Civic does sell in record numbers,
and is a better choice of vehicle in this catagory.
Rob
--------------------
"jriegle" wrote ...
Zip Disk
"Specter" <spec...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:j%9Fa.165098$3C2.5...@news3.calgary.shaw.ca...
> I bought my Focus wagon to replace a Taurus wagon. In my opinion, the
Focus
> is nowhere near as worthy a vehicle as the Taurus is. That's why the
Focus
> doesn't sell in record numbers. The Honda Civic does sell in record
numbers,
> and is a better choice of vehicle in this catagory.
The Civic sells based on Honda's reputation. In reality, it's
over-priced and less than fun to drive. Build quality isn't anything to
brag about either. Just a little research brings much rewards. Same goes
for the infamous Toyota line.
Kevin McKay
Purchased a 2001 ZX3 and loved it. Had a couple of recalls taken care
of during two years, but no other problems. Good mileage, fun to drive,
and extremely versitile. However, recently decided that we needed four
passenger doors again and so we just traded our ZX3 in for a ZX5
(probably would have gone with the ZX5 to begin with except it wasn't
available in the US until the last couple model years).
Anyway, I put my money with my opinion. Loved the ZX3 so much that when
we needed to add a couple more doors we went back for the ZX5.
- Kevin
In article <7ea39ea8.03060...@posting.google.com>,
ItsMe
Paul Jackson
like it at all. I recently picked up a 2003 Focus ZTS Sedan and really like
it a lot. I love the feel of the drivers position, the dash is nice and
well laid out IMHO. All in all a good value, good looking little car that
is only going to get better and better as it matures.
The only thing i'm not excited about is having a completely non-locking gas
cap and/or door. My Subaru has a locking gas door and I really appreciated
not feeling vulnerable because of it.
On that note if anyone can recommend a source for a locking gas cap, please
let me know.
A lot has been made of the recalls in earlier years, and it's not a good
things to have to go through but then again I believe Ford have been
unfairly smeared with this problem. Toyotas, Hondas, and other so called
"super-reliable" brands have had their share of recalls too, and nothing is
usually made of them because somehow they are different.
Similar to how whenever Microsoft releases a bug in their software, they get
slammed big time. If Apple does the same thing, ah, no big deal.
"lost in space" <ibara...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:7ea39ea8.03060...@posting.google.com...
Tony Wesley
As others have told you, you'll see a large number of complaints here.
It's the nature of usenet.
I have a 2001 Wagon with over 57,000 miles. It had a number of problems
initially that were fixed under warranty. These included a leaking power
steering rack, a shifter that wouldn't always go into park (leaving me
unable to remove the keys from the ignition), a couple emission sensors
and a horn.
Since 36,000 miles, the car has been flawless. I love the way it handles
and it has lots of room. It's quite peppy.
Someone mentioned the Civic. Honda makes fine cars, no doubt. In terms of
room, the Focus is closer to the Accord, not the Civic.
I am annoyed by some minor things. The door to the gas cap should be secure.
When the car is unlocked, I'd like to be able to open the rear gate without
using the remote or hitting the button on the dash board. The split back seat
without a split bench is a waste. Fog lights were not available on my model.
All in all, I will probably buy another one.
lost in space
indeed a much lesser car than the Focus and the Accord on whose
coattails it gained popularity. The Civic is less of a driver's car,
less comfortable, more low-end. Same for the bottom-end Toyota.
I guess what worried me a bit about many of the threads here was that
they dealt with problems more than, say, the Toyota group. Though
there are the threads about problems too, the general tone there has a
bit more questions, gossip about new models, etc. It's probably an
exception as a usenet group in that respect.
Thanks for the feedback. I stand convinced. Focus it is.
Pat
Rapid Rick
whines on Usenet. Many knowledgeable,
not-afraid-to-get-an-owners-manual-and-read-it-or-afraid-to-get-their-hands-
dirty folks HAVE had problems with their Foci, but they've also had problems
with Audi & VW (other newsgroups I frequent, as I've been an owner of their
products).
Fact of the matter is, a lot of lazy boneheads post here & elsewhere
expecting a silver bullet and end up high-pitched whining; they are easy to
spot. All the Chevys, Toyotas, Hondas, VWs, & Nissans I've owned require
periodic maintenance and some folks can't comprehend that reality. I've
been happy with all of them--it's all about your attitude. Hell, even $150
million aircraft require maintenance and you know what? LOTS OF IT.
I've ordered a ZTW loaded and will pick it up when I return to the states in
September. My first Ford. My Dad's got an Explorer and bro has an F-150
and they are happy with them. Will be nice to get in a new ride again.
--
Raider Rick
"Just drive, baby"
"lost in space" <ibara...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:7ea39ea8.03061...@posting.google.com...
Mickey
town in heavy stop and go traffic and about 42 MPG on the interstate
between Atlanta and Tennessee or 45 MPG when we go from Atlanta to
Florida. I have just under 13,000 miles on my car. Mickey
NJ
issues when it first came out and it's a very popular car.
jriegle wrote in alt.autos.ford.focus:
Tim Rosenquist
years we have owned it, the Focus has served us reliably. We special
ordered our wagon with the manual transmission and that makes it a lot of
fun for me to drive, the wife doesn't like the manual so much.
Positive comments:
- The gas mileage is great. Power is ample, even with a canoe loaded on
top.
- Best bang for the buck for a wagon in its class, although the Suzuki is
worth looking into from what I have heard.
- Handles very well, even when avoiding road objects at 100kph which we
unfortunately had to experience.
- Lots of cargo room in the wagon.
Negative comments:
- The seats are very poor, they hurt my back on extended trips. We will
probably replace them when our finances improve.
- The air conditioning can be a bit smelly when you initially turn it
on/off.
- Low end torque leaves a bit to be desired.
Minor problems so far. A couple of engine sensors died making the car feel
like it was missing and hesitating. Both times the dealer fixed it up under
warranty no problems. At two years old we are happy with our purchase and
unless there is a time bomb somewhere in the vehicle, we will continue to be
happy for then next six or so. We feel we got our moneys worth.
Try and get the Zetec, the SPI will probably dissapoint you and may be the
source of many of the issues that are out there. Had we not wanted a wagon,
in all honesty we would have looked at a Honda Civic.
Tim.
"lost in space" <ibara...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Fred
There may be 5 hondas on the lot. 1 will be trouble free for years. 3 may
have minor problems, and yes, 1 may be a lemon. If you get that one lemon,
well...........
I like my SE Sedan because it's just great, and made in the USA. I can get
parts for it too. Got a good dealer too. Price was right.
The Honda and Toyota dealers wanted me to think it was a priviledge to just
look at their cars, and then pay top price. No thanks. Just wait until
the first good repair bill for a Japanese car comes.
"Tim Rosenquist" <timd...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
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HbgpodLW
Two points I can address maybe...as far as the A/C being smelly you can either
use Frigi-fresh from the dealer or use Lysol in the fresh air intake right in
front of the driver side - on the outside...there's open spaces there...you
should have your A/C running normally when you do that - then turn off the
engine for a while.
As far as the seats have you tried to adjust them ??? I've put mine all the
way up and down...and tried different settings and think they're OK now - but
it did take a while...the seats in the ZX5 are much more supportive though than
my wagon was.
Have fun... Linda
Tim
I believe the suspension on this model is slightly stiffer than standard and
it handles really well, plus it has traction control and ESP. Also, it has
more supportive seats than the base models which I find really comfortable.
One thing that really impressed me though was the amount of rear seat
headroom; I am 6'2" and with the driver's seat set in the position I have it
for driving, I can comfortably sit in the back of the car.
My only gripe is that the fuel economy is not great - I only get around 32
miles to the gallon (UK gallon), but then that's probably due to my driving
style. By comparison, my 2.0 Sierra with 135000 miles on the clock would
give 35mpg+.
Overall, I'm very happy with my Focus, which I have now had for two years
Tim
"Tim Rosenquist" <timd...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
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