Purchasing a used Focus
Purchasing a used Focus must be exercised with caution, deliberation and education. The beauty about shopping for one, as I have said before, is that there are tons of them to choose from. A well-maintained and fully-historied car is what needs to be found. If your budget will allow it, try and get a 2003 or newer Focus. They are much improved and proving to be the best used-car choice amongst the North American offerings. Proper and preventative maintenance could see your Focus lasting many years. As always, make sure you get the car inspected before you buy. As a side note, now that Ford has discontinued the Wagon and Hatchback Focus, I predict that their resale values will stabilize faster than for a Sedan. In other words, if you plan on getting a Focus with a hatch, now is the time to do it.
2.0L Zetec
Brakes and steering
Ride
Reliability (2003-06)
Electrical bobos (2000-02)
Tested model:
2000 Ford Focus ZX3, 128,000 km
Problem areas:
Ignition switch failures (2000-03)
Electrical problems (Every year)
Competitors of the day:
Honda Civic , Mazda Protegé, Toyota Corolla, Dodge Neon, Subaru Impreza, Pontiac Sunfire / Chevrolet Cavalier, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Sentra
Recalls:
TC # 2005025(2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
Certain four door (sedan and wagon) and five door vehicles may have faulty rear door latches. Corrosion build-up at the pawl pivot area of the latch can cause the latch to bind. The owner may experience difficulty opening or closing a rear door, and eventually the rear door may not latch properly. If not latched properly the door may open while the vehicle is in motion.
TC #2002214(2000, 2001)
On certain vehicles, insufficient clamp load at the attachment of the lower control arm ball joint to the steering knuckle may result in separation of the joint or fracture of the ball joint stud. If this should occur while the vehicle is in motion, loss of vehicle control may result.
TC #2002213(2000, 2001)
On certain vehicles equipped with a Zetec engine, the battery cable insulation could be damaged due to loose or broken attachments and/or misrouted battery cables. This in turn may cause the battery cables to short resulting in heat damage. The check engine light being illuminated or the engine failing to start are some of the possible symptoms however, smoke, melting or fire may also occur.
TC #2001204(2000, 2001)
Certain passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, smoke or, potentially, ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
TC #2000305(2000, 2001)
Certain station wagons and 3 door vehicles come equipped with a folding 60/40 second seat that becomes a load floor in the folded position. When the 60% portion of the seat is folded, if a load is applied to the front edge of the load floor, the outboard hinge pivot could disengage from the hinge. If the seat is then returned to the upright position without re-engaging the hinge pivot, the seat, and seat belts may not provide the intended level of performance in the event of a crash.
Purchasing a used Focus must be exercised with caution, deliberation and education. The beauty about shopping for one, as I have said before, is that there are tons of them to choose from. A well-maintained and fully-historied car is what needs to be found. If your budget will allow it, try and get a 2003 or newer Focus. They are much improved and proving to be the best used-car choice amongst the North American offerings. Proper and preventative maintenance could see your Focus lasting many years. As always, make sure you get the car inspected before you buy. As a side note, now that Ford has discontinued the Wagon and Hatchback Focus, I predict that their resale values will stabilize faster than for a Sedan. In other words, if you plan on getting a Focus with a hatch, now is the time to do it.
 |
Brakes and steering
Ride
 |
Reliability (2003-06)
 |
Electrical bobos (2000-02)
Tested model:
2000 Ford Focus ZX3, 128,000 km
Problem areas:
Ignition switch failures (2000-03)
Electrical problems (Every year)
Competitors of the day:
Honda Civic , Mazda Protegé, Toyota Corolla, Dodge Neon, Subaru Impreza, Pontiac Sunfire / Chevrolet Cavalier, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Sentra
Recalls:
TC # 2005025(2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
Certain four door (sedan and wagon) and five door vehicles may have faulty rear door latches. Corrosion build-up at the pawl pivot area of the latch can cause the latch to bind. The owner may experience difficulty opening or closing a rear door, and eventually the rear door may not latch properly. If not latched properly the door may open while the vehicle is in motion.
TC #2002214(2000, 2001)
On certain vehicles, insufficient clamp load at the attachment of the lower control arm ball joint to the steering knuckle may result in separation of the joint or fracture of the ball joint stud. If this should occur while the vehicle is in motion, loss of vehicle control may result.
TC #2002213(2000, 2001)
On certain vehicles equipped with a Zetec engine, the battery cable insulation could be damaged due to loose or broken attachments and/or misrouted battery cables. This in turn may cause the battery cables to short resulting in heat damage. The check engine light being illuminated or the engine failing to start are some of the possible symptoms however, smoke, melting or fire may also occur.
TC #2001204(2000, 2001)
Certain passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, smoke or, potentially, ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
TC #2000305(2000, 2001)
Certain station wagons and 3 door vehicles come equipped with a folding 60/40 second seat that becomes a load floor in the folded position. When the 60% portion of the seat is folded, if a load is applied to the front edge of the load floor, the outboard hinge pivot could disengage from the hinge. If the seat is then returned to the upright position without re-engaging the hinge pivot, the seat, and seat belts may not provide the intended level of performance in the event of a crash.
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