Ford Focus 1.6TDCi

Does anyone have any views on the Focus 1.6TDCi - the new version. Are they a good car, are they prone to any problems, or are they as good as they say they are on the tin????

Any help appreciated

What's Good

Second generation [broken link removed] 4,342mm x 1,840mm x 1,447mm, has also provided its C1 floorpan for Volvo S40/V50/C50, Mazda 3 and Ford C-MAX. Fitted with Ford's Intelligent Protection system which earned a best in class 5 star NCAP crash safety rating.

Engine line up: Desc/Euro stage/CO2/Combined [broken link removed] cons/Max speed mph/0-100kmh or 62mph/50-100kmh or 31-62mph 4th gear

1.4L chain-cam Duratec 80PS, Euro 3&4, 159g/km CO2, 42.7mpg combined, 101mph, 0-60 13.8 secs.
1.6L chain-cam Duratec 100PS, Euro 3&4, 161g/km CO2, 42.2mpg combined, 111mph, 0-60 11.6 secs.
1.6L chain-cam Duratec 100PS AUTO, Euro 4, 180g/km CO2, 36.9mpg combined, 106mph, 0-60 13.3 secs
1.6L belt-cam Duratec Ti-VCT (variable valve timing) 115PS, Euro 4, 155g/km, 43.8mpg combined, 117mph, 0-60 10.5 secs
2.0L chain-cam Duratec 145PS, Euro 3&4, 170g/km CO2, 39.8mpg combined, 127mph, 0-60 8.9 secs
1.6L belt + chain cam Duratorq TDCi 109PS, Euro 3&4, 127g/km CO2, 58.9mpg combined, 116mph, 0-60 10.6 secs
1.6L belt + chain cam Duratorq TDCi 109PS CVT Auto, Euro 3, 146g/km CO2, 51.0mpg combined, 113mph, 0-60 11.2 secs
2.0L belt + chain cam Duratorq TDCi 136PS, Euro 3&4, 148g/km CO2, 51.4mpg combined, 125mph, 0-60 9.0 seconds.

Keyless entry, Bluetooth hands-free phone system with voice control, optional in dash satnav, dual driver/passenger climate control, 385 litre luggage area expands to 1,245 litres in hatchback, 4,473mm estate carries up to 1,525 litres of cargo, 15" - 17" wheels with 195/65 to 205/50 section tyres, hydraulic PAS on 1.4 and 1.6 petrol models; electro-hydraulic PAS on diesels and 2.0 litre petrol. Very fine, virtually faultless drive.

5 star NCAP occupant safety score, 2 stars for pedestrian impact safery and 4 stars for child protection.



Road test at www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=154

Variations including saloons and estates all the way up to a 300bhp [broken link removed] 160mph Cosworth and a 7 seater MPV/estate.

Good looking saloon announced February 2005 along with [broken link removed] with turbocharged 220PS 5-cylinder Volvo engine, like the S40 and V50, from Jan 2006.

1.8 litre, 125PS, Focus FFV hatch and estate which runs on BioEthanol starts at £14,095.

More at www.ford.co.uk

Focus user Group www.ffoc.co.uk

What's Bad

More than 6' wide. Styling much more conservative than original Focus. Still some Euro III diesels in the line-up mean extra 3% BIK tax base. Starting and running problems and the car reverting to limp home mode can be due to the Power Control Module cluster gateway not closing properly and draining the battery overnight. May need to be reloaded with manufacturer data to overcome a sofware error. Estates have suffered water leaks due to non sealing of hatchback hinges. Mysterious 'Engine System Faults' on diesel leading them to lose power and revert to limp home mode may be caused by an intercooler pipe weld fault leading to a crack in the pipe.

What to Watch Out For

Too soon to say.

Recalls

September 2005 (build April 2003 to March 2005): Recall of 68,722 Focus and C-Max for checks on the windscreen wipers. Water can work its way into the wiper motor along the arm of the blade. If the water contains salt it can cause the motor to short circuit and leave cars without working wipers. In extreme cases, the short circuit can also cause the wiper assembly to overheat and melt nearby trim components. Cars to be fitted with a new cover, which better seals the motor from water.

Ireland has a problem insofar as they are not importing the 110bhp version. It's 90bhp or nothing.

I owned a 2004 and a 2005 110bhp TDCI's and they were excellent motors. No problems at all.

Hi RS2K,

in terms of trading-in a ford focus or selling it privately is depreciation on the high side and if sold privately is there much of a market out there?

I've sold 5 Focus cars privately since 1999. No problems at all. They are ultimately excellent cars.

If the car is right, and the price reasonable*, they will sell readily.

I sold one recently. A C-Max Zetec TDCI 2005 with tiny mileage. It was superb and had almost 18 months Ford warranty.

*Budget dealers price less 10+% btw.

p.s. To answer the question above, depreciation is ok on a Focus. Every car suffers to some extent. Always sell privately if you can btw. Your car will need to be exceptional in condition, mileage, or price however.

DOBBER22 said:

Recalls

September 2005 (build April 2003 to March 2005): Recall of 68,722 Focus and C-Max for checks on the windscreen wipers. Water can work its way into the wiper motor along the arm of the blade. If the water contains salt it can cause the motor to short circuit and leave cars without working wipers. In extreme cases, the short circuit can also cause the wiper assembly to overheat and melt nearby trim components. Cars to be fitted with a new cover, which better seals the motor from water.

Click to expand...

HI I was just wondering if anyone had a similiar experience to me with the C-Max? I bought a year old one in '06 and was totally unaware of the wiper recall issue until 2 weeks ago when the rear wiper motor burnt out and actually went on fire whilst i was driving - not a pleasant experience! Thankfully a good samaritan stopped complete with fire extinguisher - a large hole burnt through the back door panel and there was smoke damage to the panel surrounding the rear window, melted plastic also dripped down on to the boot surround. Apparently three letters were sent to the garage that owned the car for the first year of its life but these were never acted upon. I am currently trying to have the car restored to it's pre fire state by Ford and as I said am wondering if anyone else has been through this.
Thanks