Ford Focus Questions & Answers (page 3 of 4)

Hi James, Are they the factory OEM tyres fitted to the car. The ( Goodyear eagle f1) tyres. If so, they're rubbish. I experienced deafening tyre roar when mine had 30 odd thousand on em. Personally I think they're rubbish tyres. I doubt there would be anything wrong with your car, just those rubbish tyres. Either replace them with something else or rotate them and ware them down and perhaps the road noise might dissipate.

I would recommend buying good tyres from the tyres shop. So after spending at least 250 dollars each tyre - the employees should be able to fit and balance. Most tyre brands are owned by bridgestone so spending good money on tyres is a good investment for your passengers and for own safety.

I put 4 cheap tyres on mine and it seems ok just cant drive it that well without power steering...

But could be the clutch its under recall... Mine done 3 times still vibrating

Hi LW MK2 are the ones with clutch problems whether auto or manual I have a LV mk 2 with the bare bones basic 4sp gearbox the LW's are subject to lawsuit and ongoing consumer issues due to their power shift 6sp gearbox. This was corrected in the LZ (2015-onwards)which has a standard 6Speed gearbox no power shift. tread carefully!

Ok thanks.. The clutch did get replaced in April this year and a warranty for 7 years added.. The lady had no problems with the car at all before hand. But it got recalled so she got it fixed . I'm torn in what to do now .

Hi Kaz 21, Saw your review regarding ford focus LW Mk2, in auto / petrol. Mate don't bother look elsewhere. The TCM ( Transmission Control Module) are unreliable and that so called shudder can't be fixed. Just recently got rid of mine. Got a letter from ford saying that they're aware of the problem and gave me an extra year warranty. Big Woop, warranty runs out and you'll be up for big $$$ to fix it. Powershift is Powershit. Look elsewhere as I know you will not want to be disappointed later.

I don"t know you best ask a ford machanic

Ok thankyou.i will.do that

Why ?.

You do not say what engine is in the "sports"?
My thoughts are; Diesel- Yes, Petrol - No! Because of the problems with the dry clutch - DCG, fitted to the Petrol models.
Ensure you have a mechanic check this out, otherwise the Focus is a good car

I'm not sure but the petrol does have it's problems

Don't even think about it! If it's got Powershift and Dual Clutch it's a lemon.

I think all early model focuses had problems but mine does not it is all good & it is an auto...

I think that the gearbox problems started around the LW 2011, with the petrol engine and dry clutch DCG

Sorry, I have not driven a manual focus

Sorry but I can not answer your question as mine is a 2017 model, and there are no problems with mine as I said the computer glitch was just a glitch but all fixed now..

Check my review I've had one for 4 years

The Diesel has a different Transmission to the Petrol and doesn't suffer from the shuddering issues. The only thing is that transmission in the Diesel does need to be serviced every 60,000km which is an expensive service. The transmission in the petrol version doesn't need servicing.

Shuddering happens for a few reasons. On the earlier model Fiesta and Focus, the DPS6 had a design flaw with both input shaft seals. These seals would allow transmission fluid to leak out and soak the dry clutch's. Like an manual transmissions, this would cause slippage and clutch failure. This issue is also covered by Ford's extended warranty. In some cases, the point of leak turns out to be the rear main oil seal which leaks engine oil all over the clutch unit.

The other reason for shuddering is because of excessive clutch dust build up. This is the result of normal wear but can also be because of consumers driving the vehicle wrong. Yes, I blame you. Excessive clutch wear is caused by creep. Creep on a manual transmission is when you are, for example, sitting in a drive through or traffic and you allow the car to "creep" forward just by letting off the brake pedal without apply throttle. On the DPS6, once you release the brake pedal, the car will start to release the clutch after a second or two. Just like you would be letting your foot off the clutch pedal.

On an automatic transmission, creep is fine. But on a manual, the only way to keep the engine running is to purposely slip the clutch. Clutch slippage leads to clutch friction material wear, which leads to excessive clutch dust. Owners need to be aware that they need to drive this car as if it was a manual. It is really hard to explain, as many young drivers have never experienced a manual and older drivers have long forgot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa3CR-7-uoo
This video expalians what Ford have done to address the issue

This is the best car we have ever purchased, runs beautifully and is very good on fuel

If it has the powershift gearbox then yes there is. These problems are in the 2011-2014 models. The 2015-2016 models aren't that much better as they still have the shudder

Yes they have a major design fault in the transmission. Stay away from them or you will regret it. Ford will not help you. There is a class action in progress at present in many countries

Didnt have that trouble but then didnt have the car verh long. Sorry cant help. Try other forums for clues. Google the ptoblem and sed ehat comes up. Good luck

This is a guess as i am not a motor mechanic.
As the cooling system is pressurised it is more likely for water to contaminate the oil in the sump.
The sump is not pressurised so it seems impossible for un-pressured oil to enter into the coolant system if there is a fault (Cracked head)
My guess would be somehow oil has been added to the coolant system either by mistake or deliberately?
Naturally oil being less dense than water would be on top of the reservoir reserve and would spurt out when released. This also indicates the water reserve has been overfilled by the addition of oil

That seems like there's likely a damaged gasket somewhere. I would recommend to take the car to a Ford Australia workshop or perhaps a reasonable mechanical repairs and servicing workshop may be able to help.
I also found ultratune experts at diagnosis and repairs of faults.

Hi Lz
My ford focus is now 3 1/2 years old and is a diesel which apparently has a totally different gearbox than the troublesome one fitted in the petrol model. I could not be happier with its handling and to date the gearbox performs beautiful.
I understand your concern about Ford service and have read that it seems Ford is not addressing this problem and leaving the problem up to the dealers who can do nothing to help its customer if the gearbox has a design fault.
I often wonder what sort of treatment I would get if I had a similar component fault. Does Ford just ignore problems?
I probably would not take a second chance after being once bitten. The only way to get the message through to these companies is to take your business to a company that respects their customers

There is a class action being brought against ford for the transmission problems. I believe they have also had problems with wipers as well. I'm also of the opinion once bitten twice shy. I traded in for a Honda and i LOVE it. Ultimately its your call but tread carefully i say and research research research and ask some mechanics who dont work for Ford. Good luck

The LZ has a more conventional Torque Convertor Transmission not the Duel Clutch Power shift transmission and drivers a lot better with out the Shuddering.

Hello
It can depend on the asking price. (Less than $1000)?
I consider the life of a car to be around 300,000 - 350,000km so the car has hypothetical another 100,000 km left in it.. Unfortunately there will be issues before this figure is reached such as clutch, gearbox, suspension, radiator, exhaust system, wheel bearing CV joints just to name a few. and they all cost big dollars
It has always been my recommendation to purchase a car with the least amount of Kms that you can find or afford, even if you have to pay a bit of a premium I feel it is worth it to have that extra reliability that comes with lower kms.
Personally I would only purchase a car with less than 100,000 (preferably the car would be a country car not a city car and belong to an elderly couple?)
Also be aware that Ford Focus Petrol models have a major gearbox problem that to my understanding ford has not addressed (Google ford focus gearbox problems)
Regards
William

Im not a mechanic but the above answer is pretty good. Cant comment on a 2004 ford as mine was 2013. Personally i would get a RACV check and google the make model and year for any known problems. Good luck

Thank you so much

No problem with st or manual or turbo diesel these cars are fantastic.

No problem with st or manual or turbo diesel automatics these cars are fantastic.

I own a lw mk11 2014 Titanium turbo diesel auto and a 2015 lw mk11 sport diesel auto both have the wet clutch system no problems.I hear the early model petrol models not good.
cheers
David

coz I did not find any review regarding 2014 ford focus trend lw mk2 body type 4D sedan.

Hi johnny, just contact your local ford service centre. The staff are now very well versed in which models have the power shift automatic transmission (i.e. the problematic ones) so they can advise you. I was at my local service centre last week and they told me they see upto 3 cars with the clutch issue every day, so they know what's what. Good luck.

no!!! the transmission is a nightmare go get a suzuki swift or mazda2 they are far more reliable

These are tremendously unreliable cars. The Powershift transmission (dual clutch) has a design defect and Ford is extremely unhelpful at fixing it. In fact there is a class action lawsuit about it about to go live. More information at my blog: [link removed]
Buy a Mazda3 or a Hyundai i30 instead.

Www.fordclassaction.com.au

There is nothing wrong with Focus as the quality is good and servicing is affordable. Take one for a test drive and make your on mind up you may like it.

I am on my second Focus (3 years each) and about to order a new one. My sister is recently into her third Focus over a 7 year period. They have all been very reliable with rare trips to the dealer for only minor fixes. I had more frequent and significant issues with BMW's in the past.

I have had a problem with my Ford Focus along with many others. i have had to take it for repairs to a poorly designed hybrid transmission causing shuddering when putting on the brakes. Ford will not replace them will just repeatedly repair the problem. Suggest you look at a FB page Fix Our Ford Focus and Fiestas!!

The Ford Focus Titanium is the worst value for money car we have ever owned. Constant gearbox and electrical problems. Ford sold these vehicles knowing they had unfixable problems in them. Now Ford and its dealers constantly lie about these problems. Last Ford, or Ford owned brand, we will ever buy. Piece of garbage that should have been Found On Rubbish Dump - FORD

the titanium model is not a LS model you fool, shows how little you know about cars
yes the Auto gear box that was in your model and all other German cars like VW and Audi all suffered the same problems, so Ford now have reverted back to the normal Auto gearbox for the current Model Focus

I'm sorry, I am over sixty and technically challenged, I cannot help you, a trip to the dealer might be in order, the young ones there will sort it out quickly for you.

I had a German built one with the turning signal toggle on the left. Doesn't take long in getting used to.By the way, I was advised when looking for a Focus that the German ones were made better. Not sure if that's true but may be a consideration if buying one.

Yes turning signal on left for German one. I find it confusing when swapping cars with my wife but if you always drive the same car then its ok. Just went on a long 1400 k drive. Goes so good on the open road and fuel economy is outstanding consiering the power at hand.

I've noticed the same thing, i am looking into buying a focus myself and i found the mk1 (2011-2012) focus has the toggle on the left(which i personally prefer) and the newer mk 2(2012+) models have the toggle on the right.

Hi Robo
As far as I am aware the Diesel models were not effected by the transmission faults :-)

Sorry for such a late reply...If you are referring to gearbox issues, then mine has covered 55000kms absolutely trouble free.( touch wood). In all the research I have done,It would appear that the Diesel Models with the " wet-clutch" version of the transmission have been virtually trouble free....The petrol with the " dry -clutch" appears to have been a real problem for Ford. I believe that the Diesel gearbox is good for 450NM of torque...the car produces 340NM...with 360NM overboost...so, should be okay...Volvo use the same gearbox for more powerful vehicles....I am extremely happy with my Focus LW 2011 Sport Diesel.....Built like a tank !!!

I have a Ford Focus Diesel 2012 LW.. Fantastic to drive for 80,000 Kl until the Transmission started playing up. Rang Ford and not surprisingly they would not help saying "Only the Petrol ones have a Problem which they will now look at". I think the Diesel are getting the same problems only a little later in life.
Anyway the Transmission Specialist said he could fix it for $3000 approx. But could not guarantee it. I decided to trade it asap.
Beware of the Diesel Focus as well as the Petrol !!!
Sorry to current owners. This will kill off the Focus Price.