Ford Focus

Looking for a run about.

Has anybody had any good/bad experiences with a Ford Focus? It'll be a 1.4 from 1999-2000.

big car for a 1.4.

i had hired focus with a 1.6 in for a bit and that gutless.

electronics problems around 03 – dunno if it affected them this early?

speedo and dash just dies. ford know of the problem so bought out a £99 solution.

isn't a 1.4 going to be seriously under powered?

It only has to do local stuff for the wife and kids (and no, she can't walk everywhere before anyone suggests it). Longer trips will be in the mighty Vectra.

Need to keep the engine size down. My wife has no insurance history and we'd like to keep the premiums as low as possible.

Im my opinion a 1.4 Focus will be under powered (I've had a 1.8 and now drive the ST) although that might not be that bad as the only major fault I can think of is that they do have a tendancy to go through front tyre quite rapidly.

I drove my old one until it had about 112k on the clock before I traded it in and I can honestly say that it was very reliable. I did have to replace a few electrical gadgets, things like the abs sensor and something on the dashboard, but the engine only failed to start on me once in about seven years and that was because of a bodged repair that someone had done on it without my knowledge. I'd not hesitate to recomend them.

the 1.4 is horrificaly gutless, and iirc only came on the most basic spec models (no remote central locking and manual windows) if you can get a 1.6 in lx spec, and preferably one with the climate pack – air con and heated front windscreen.
Foci are relatively low insurance group cars (mine is group 7 iirc, I've had my '99 1.8 zetec for 5 years now, and not had to do anything out of the ordinary service/repairs wise (exhaust/tyres/brake pads & discs).

Engine power isn't an issue. It'll never have to do more than 30 mph.

We just don't want to buy something that will roll over and die, or cost an arm and a leg in repairs (I used to have a Fiat).

No-one mentioned the handling? Best thing (only good thing?) about a very tinny, cheap feeling car.
Go Japanese!

Bought a 2002 Focus after having a 2002 Golf, both 1.6. The Golf was the most dreary dissapointing car we have ever owned. The focus out handled it by a country mile. In 6 months with the Golf, the exhaust fell off at the Cat. and earbox started whinig. Had the focus 2 years now, had to replace front drop links £45 pair, easy job. Just replaced front discs/pads (£77)

my parents 1.8 has been fine, think the only money spent has been on the normal consumables and a set of coolant hoses for the engine. I'm buying it off them at some point so must be fairly confident!

If power isn't an issue and insurance premiums are, then the 1.4 would be fine.

Nice little cars really.

The grey car of the road.

I just bought a 1.6 petrol focus yesterday, has aircon, heated windscreen, cd player, FSH, and 65k. All for £2510.

Colour is light bogey green though.

I did consider a 1.4 before realising i need more power. Still good cars and the older models are supposed to be more reliable than the newer ones.

sofatester – Member
The grey car of the road.

Indeed. but then not all of us need our car to make a statement about ourselves since we have personality of our own… 😉

Grey and underpowered it may be, but you can't get a double pram in the back of this.

Like I said earlier, we've got a Vectra for excitement!

Like I said earlier, we've got a Vectra for excitement

That is wrong on soooo many levels.

The Vectra is ace. Fact.

Comfy seats, bags of space and nearly 600 miles on 55 litres.

Oh I don't doubt that it's practical but exciting?

We've got a 1.6 Zetec estate, but it's a newer 55-reg model and I have to say it's the nicest car I've ever owned. Quiet, well made, well specced, fantastic handling, and the 1.6 is easily enough engine for it. (I've got a motorbike if I wanna have fun)

My dad had a couple of the earlier Focuses (Foci?) and I did think they felt and sounded a bit tinny TBH, but like every Ford we've had in our family (Mk2 Escort, 2 Fiestas, Granada, and about 4 or 5 Foci so far) they are silly reliable.

Personally, I'd avoid the 1.4 mainly on the basis that you'll struggle to get rid of it, you'll probably find a 1.6 for the same money and it won't be any cheaper in the long run anyway.

One tip – There's bluddy MILLIONS of the things out there, so don't settle for second best. Keep looking until you find the one you want at the price you want to pay. Hold off for a well maintained, clean one. They are out there!
🙂

But EXCITEMENT??????? All VAuxhalls are excitement-free zones.

Back to the Focus – I would assume you could also get a SH 1.4 cheap as chips too?…

I've got a 52 reg 1.6. Done 15,000 miles, no probs apart from dash electronics issue in winter 07, everything stopped working occasionally, did not fix, been fine since.

Back to the Focus – I would assume you could also get a SH 1.4 cheap as chips too?…

Yep. About £1,500 seems to be average after a few minutes on Autotrader.

But EXCITEMENT??????? All VAuxhalls are excitement-free zones.
Have you driven one of the new Astras? Handling is a-mazing (girlfriend).
Oops, just realised I'm not the slightest bit interested in cars, so I'm off.

I had a load of 1.6LX models (new one every 8 weeks)during 2001/2 due to the mileage (1500 per week) I was putting on them (company car).

They were thrashed everywhere and never ever let me down. Great handling & lovely gearbox though even the 1.6 had no torque. If you jump in one after a time in a diesel the first thing you'll do is stall it 🙂

The driving experience was quite excellent though but this may be somewhat irrelevant considering how it will be used.

Indeed. but then not all of us need our car to make a statement about ourselves since we have personality of our own…

Says the man who thinks a Vectra is an "exciting" car to drive!

Comfy seats, bags of space and nearly 600 miles on 55 litres.

I bet you’re a blast at parties! "Fact" 😉

52 reg 1.8 here, had it for 2 years with no major problems. The well known dash electronic issue crops up very occasionally (speedo cuts out for 10 secs or so) but I can't be bothered to get it fixed as the problem is only every short lived.
Otherwise comfy, economical motoring. The general consensus above appears to be that stw focus owners are happy with their cars.

Have you driven one of the new Astras? Handling is a-mazing (girlfriend).

Sorry? Do you have any concept of good handling in a car?????? I had a 55 plate Astra SRi Sporthatch for 3 years and the handling was DREADFUL! Granted ride quality was good on a long journey, but handling was amongst the worst I have ever encountered – it understeered so badly I was petrified even slightly overcooking it into a corner even on 100% dry roads.

I think he was being ironic when he said "excitement".

You were being ironic, weren't you?

FWIW, my 1.4 isn't underpowered 😉

Sorry, i don't do irony.

I have a 52 reg 1.8 TDCi zetec. Not as amazingly economical as I'd hoped (its the 115 version), also the level of equipment is a bit lower than say an Astra, but all the basics are there, just not many gadgets. It does drive really well though.

Not had a problem with the dashboard but it can be a right PITA to start in the winter, however as far as I can tell this is partly down to Diesels behaviour in the cold, but also appears to be fairly common in diesel foci with no obvious common fault / fix.

Other niggles – The remote key can be a bit despondent at times, and the hydraulic thingies in the boot lose their pressure meanng the boot lid drops down if you don't open it all the way.

You may find the 1.4 slightly underpowered 😀

I think he was being ironic when he said "excitement".

No I wasn't!

If they made that orange Dodge in the photo in right hand drive I would have one. But they don't, so i've got a Vectra.

Could you stretch to the Mk2 Focus?

IMO much more refined than the Mk1 and feels much better built, and certainly is a lot safer car ie more airbags, better NCAP score.

Which ever you go for get the quick clear windscreen, its fantastic on winter mornings.

I had a 1998 Focus from 2000 to 2007, never any trouble with it, did 70,000 miles.

Which ever you go for get the quick clear windscreen, its fantastic on winter mornings.

Yes, indeed it is a wonderful gadget!
Does any other mainstream maufacturer fit them? Ford have had them for donkeys years now……

I had an 03 focus (tdci). Very few problems in 125k miles, apart from an intermittent dashboad problem when it rained heavily (same issue noted above by a couple of people I guess). Suspension was a bit knacked after that distance, but that's to be expected. It was still on the original exhaust and clutch. No breakdowns, just standard maintenance.

I preferred it to the focus MkII that I have now.

As far as I know Ford have the patent for it, that's why no one else fits them. Winter in the NE of Scotland makes it more important than AC in my opinion.

As far as I know Ford have the patent for it, that's why no one else fits them. Winter in the NE of Scotland makes it more important than AC in my opinion.

Is that a fact? I never knew….
I'd agree they are more useful than AC too, even in Hampshire.

Just checked the NCAP. The Mk1 scores a 4 whilst the Mk2 gets a 5.

4 isn't bad. I spent 7 years driving around in a 1 without getting killed.

lol, I didn't get killed in 5 years in mine either, but since i didn't crash it, that's not too surpising.

Small engine in a big car – like a small willy and a big chest. Might be useful for some 😉