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Ford Focus Owners-Meet the Members - READ ONLY

107 messages,  Last post on Oct 03, 2010 at 5:15 PM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Focus, Hatchback, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 11 of 11

#98 of 107 Used Focus for my daughter? by gerry100

Nov 14, 2006 (9:08 am)

I'd like to get my recent college grad daughter a reliable, economical used car to last her at least 4 years (60-70 miles) without excessive maintenance costs.
 
I'm also a bargain hunter. The usual suspects , Honda Civic Toyota Corrola etc are all proven choices but the asking prices tend to offset any advantages ( real or percieved).
 
My feeling is that the advantages in reliability and quality between a Focus and a Civic/Corrolla etc are mostly percieved.
 
This leads me to believe that Civics and Toyotas are over priced in the used car market and that Foci are probably underpriced, and therefore a potential good buy.
 
I've also done a lot of car research on this and other websites and realize they tend towards the negative as a significant majority of people post to research,complain or vent about a problem.
 
So I'm here asking for objective inputs from the group.
 
Thanks in advance.

#99 of 107 Re: 2005 Ford Focus ZX4 ST Black [basiliskst] by quietspirit

Nov 15, 2006 (8:11 pm)

Replying to: basiliskst (Sep 16, 2006 9:54 pm)
How about keeping us posted on the 2002 Mercury Cougar and the Volkswagen, also? I'm researching for my first car and would like to know the pros and cons of each brand.

#100 of 107 Focue for College students. by mschmal

Nov 17, 2006 (4:41 am)

The Focus was rated by a consumer mag as the best car to buy used for your college student. Not only is it above average in reliability, it is Fun to drive PLUS it has one of the highest rates of depreciation, accordingly they are readily available at descent prices.
 
Go for an 05 or newer. They have the Mazda designed 2.0L engine. You may even find a 2.3L with PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle)
 
IF you get a Certified Focus from a Ford dealer, you also get a warranty up to 75,000 miles on toe odometer or 6 years from the in service date. Plus to be certified, the car has to have a clean title history, 50% on brakes and 50% on tires at least or new and freash oil/filter.
 
Certified cars can also be financed at new car rates.
 
Mark.

#101 of 107 Re: Used Focus for my daughter? [gerry100] by jschmidt05

Dec 07, 2006 (1:18 pm)

Replying to: gerry100 (Nov 14, 2006 9:08 am)
i have a ford focus and have read lots about focus'. they are the worst car and i dont know how people say it is reliable. i have had so many major and expensive problems with the focus and have gotten NO help from ford. i wil never buy or even let someone give me a focus. i have had the same problem over and over and taken it to the dealer and they cant find what is wrong and just keep guessing at the problem at my expense. and there are problems with the focus that ford knows about, but wont fix even if you have all the symptoms that its about to break but not totally yet.I WOULD NOT GET A FOCUS UNLESS YOU ARE RICHAND CAN CONTINUALLY PUT TONS OF MONEY INTO REPAIRS AND BE WITH OUT A CAR FOR LONG PERIODS AT A TIME.

#102 of 107 Focus reliability by basiliskst

Jan 05, 2007 (10:51 pm)

jschmidt05, every manufacturer can have a bad dealer or an individual lemon vehicle. Your post would be more useful to others if you would share the specifics of your problem (transmission etc.). Right off the bat I'd suggest trying another dealer and talking with a regional Ford representative . Anecdotes are not a perfect substitute for statistically significant surveys. The Ford Focus does well in such surveys for reliability and owner satisfaction. It sounds like Ford could and should be doing a better job in addressing your specific issues, but it's a jump to assume that the same is true for any Focus or all Ford dealers. If you share the specific issue or symptoms, the forum may be able to help diagnose the issue.

#103 of 107 Re: Focus reliability [basiliskst] by zxw

Feb 20, 2007 (4:50 am)

Replying to: basiliskst (Jan 05, 2007 10:51 pm)
have had 3 Focus wagons, nary a problem ... best car ever ... or as one of our previous posters seems prone to caps, I should say "EVAH" !
 
'nuff said.
 
ZXW Robb

#104 of 107 Brief intro by zxw

Feb 20, 2007 (5:01 am)

Definitely love my Focus wagons ... have had three now ... recently found one of the last wagons ... an '07 ZXW SES, in bright aqua blue metallic, and fully optioned. Heated leather seats in my 5 am commute to work making going to work a bit more manageable. I hope to have "Big Blue" forever, as he is definitely a great joy to wash, ride, and journey in.
 
One dealer installed option I highly recommend is the extra cost rear view mirror as the standard mirror has always been the weakest link in the Focus. Warped and hard to use for night driving. I would like to get different wheels in time , similar to the wheels used on the last Taurus models.
 
I've heard different things about the engines used from '05 on up as being a Mazda design, but so be it ... Big Blue is still my American dream, and it has the Big Blue Oval on the front ... that's important to me.
 
ZXW Robb, and Big Blue.

#106 of 107 NOISE PROBLEMS WITH MY 03 FORD FOCUS ZX3 by zx3fan1

Oct 02, 2010 (7:39 pm)

Can someone help me please. I have a ford focus zx3 with 106,xxx miles on it. So when i go to turn it on in the morning to warm it up i hear a little rattling noise comming from the back end where the tail pipe is and i thought it was just the heat shield or a loose bolt but it goes away after its warm so if someone has the same car and problem please help me out.

#107 of 107 Re: NOISE PROBLEMS WITH MY 03 FORD FOCUS ZX3 [zx3fan1] by pf_flyer HOST

Oct 03, 2010 (5:15 pm)

Replying to: zx3fan1 (Oct 02, 2010 7:39 pm)
There may or may not be something loose. Since it goes away when things warm up, it could simply be a small rattle that disappears when the exhaust system heats up and expands. At 106,000 miles, there are many things that could be looser than they were when new.

Messages Page 11 of 11

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