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Are You Truly Happy With Your New Focus?

23K views 169 replies 114 participants last post by  BiffTannen 
#1 ·
All,
I just wanted to put this question out there since there seem to be so many issues with the 2012 Focus. Who is happy with there car[:)] and who is down right piss off with theres[:(!]
 
#57 ·
Skippy905,

I can't comment on the MFT because of the complaints and I purposely avoided getting it. Using a rental car as to justify Ford not fixing items is questionable. I doubt that most car rental companies return the car to the dealer to fix small items and have it sit at a dealer when it can be rented.

Why aren't you buying another Honda? They are as good as any another car although they are not perfect either.

As others have mentioned using this forum has it's limits. There are many good and bad comments as well as concerns. These represent a small portion of the 2012 Focus owners.
Check out how many 2012 Focus have been sold compared to the complaints in this forum.
 
#61 ·
The point with the rental cars (to me at least) was that two seperate cars had the problems. If only one had them I would have maybe said it was just a bad production run (it happens), but two cars tells me something is wrong. I rent A TON of cars for work, I've driven almost every model you can think of (except Hondas because the don't rent them), and usually don't see problems. Sure I've seen problems with rental cars, but not so many in two cars (albeit I was probably looking more as it was a car I was considering, but I have looked hard at other rentals I was considering buying).

I used to have a '05 Civic and loved it. However, I absolutely hate the '12s and I now I can't seem to track any '11s with the options I want.

Finally, I understand completely the relevance of forums and that people come here to make complaints. IN FACT.........It was me, myself, and I that posted not too long ago that people don't usually come on a forum to say everything is working just fine. Complaints are the first thing people post.
That being said, I do a lot of research when I purchase large items (more than most people). When I go into a dealership I know more about the car than any of the salespeople there. I am on the Hyundai Forums, Kia Forums, Honda Forums, and sometimes the scion forum (although not much recently). The amount of problems/complaints (both about the vehicle and manufacturer) on this board far, far exceeds those on the other boards. Sure it could have something to do with the amount of people on here, but I find on the other boards the complaints are more varied, meaning minor things from vehicle to vehicle. It seems that on here, the complaints tend to be about the same things over and over, not to mention very poor customer service.
These are the things that keep telling my brain to overrule my heart and not buy the Focus.
 
#58 ·
mostly pleased however i still miss my old zx3 which was way more fun to drive. I just had the opportunity to drive a Golf TSI for 2 weeks in Iceland on paved roads, dirt roads and 'barely' roads... Grades ranged from flat to 15% up AND down and speeds up to about 90mph... All the while i got 36 mpg (u.s. conversions applied) with this fun little car... It handled very well and it's 7 speed dry clutch DSG was much better than ford's. It shifted more smoothly and had much less 'clunkly ness' to it than my focus. Also the driving position was WAY better than in the focus (at least for me). I just can't seem to, despite elec. seats, get a good position in the focus... I think it's cus the front doors are either too short or the dash extends too far into the cabin causing me to push the seat back more (im 6'). dunno..but in any case the Golf was a blast to drive and required ZERO getting used to it... just get in and drive. As well, not a rattle or buzz on even the worst dirt, pitted, gravel roads... like it was built from a single block of steel. And , unlike my focus, the suspension doesn't clunk around as if it's floating beneath the car on rough roads. ford could learn a lesson from VW
 
#59 ·
just a follow up to my previous posting:
i will say my focus is smooth round town but it doesn't like to be pushed at all.... doesn't feel nimble ... feels 'heavy'. I haven't had anything go wrong w/ it and haven't had any mft problems either
I would have purchased a VW however VW sees fit to give us crap in n. america and we can't get the good VWs you find in europe. This TSI engine and tranny comes on upper level VWs but not on the golf in n. america. We get stuck w/ the ancient 2.5 liter that sucks gas....so it was focus as second best pick and am overall pleased just not totally pleased. I have a '07 civic also that i like but it's not a 'fun' car to drive and frankly the VW i drove was better than both vehicles imo.
 
#60 ·
cobie56,

Is the Golf TSI a GTI? If so, that is a 200 HP car that is $25K+. Also, the gas mileage isn't quite as good and I understand VW maintenance is expense. I am 5' 10" with long legs. I had to play around with the seat fore and aft, height and recline adjustments to get comfortable.
 
#62 ·
I agree with you on the new Civic. I think Honda went backwards on the design. I did drive a new Elantra, but felt the Focus was more powerful and solid. I do own a 2000 Elantra that remains in good shape. I have riden in a 2011 Scion xB and it was pretty nice, but the MPG's weren't. My brother-in-law owns a Kia Soul and loves it. The nice thing about the Soul, probably like your Ridgeline is the entry and exit. I owned a first generation xB and that is the only thing I really miss on it.
 
#63 ·
Hey Skippy, not sure what forum you're looking at but the new Elantra has similar if not worse issues. Water leaks, engines replace, failed trannys, electrical gremlins, way below EPA mileage, on and on.

http://www.hyundai-forums.com/231-md-2011-elantra/122079-what-problem-s-have-you-experienced-your-new-2011-elantra.html

The Focus community is made up of more enthusiasts, and as such I would expect more passionate discussions here. Hyundai's are more like transportation appliances than an enthusiast's vehicle.

There's nothing scientific about these boards.
 
#72 ·
Read that thread again, from beginning to end. Not really problems at all (except for one guy). Tranny problems listed aren't really problems (just like most Focus tranny complaints aren't valid).

Considering you start a thread about problems, you get 18 pages of guys saying they had a problem only to find out it really wasn't a problem at all.
Some standard complaints about paint, but that is every manufacturer nowadays due to EPA.

No comparison to the complaints about the Focus quality. I understand your enthusiasts comment, but people will complain about problems no matter what they use their car for. Overall, the thread about problems was not many problems. Now do you think if we had a thread labelled "What problems have you had with your Focus" it would be all minor details like that?

Seems to me like really only 3 real complaints on that thread.
 
#65 ·
Seriously enjoying this car. Had it about six weeks, and just got back from a week on the central coast of Oregon where I particularly enjoyed the handling on the curvier stretches of the 101. My only quibble would be the comparative lack of low-end torque combined with the DCT. On a lot of hills you add throttle to get the thing to kick down, and then when you let off slightly it shifts right back up and bogs down. This seems like more of a problem at city speeds than the open road. At 50mph plus there seems to be plenty of passing power.
 
#68 ·
I got my 2012 Focus SEL without the MyFord Touch or any added packages, and have been very happy with it. Fuel economy is good, daily average between local and highway tends to be in the 30-34 MPG range. There have been a few times when SYNC was unresponsive, but within 15 minutes it was back to normal.

With MyKey, that opens the door for rental companies to put limits on what you can and can not do, speed warnings, etc. Problems with MyFord Touch that some have experienced in rentals can easily be written up as the same problems that affected MFT that HAVE been fixed, but the rental company never bothered to get updated.

Overall, as long as you pay attention to details, like making sure all the doors open/close properly, trunk/hatch not having problems, etc, you should not have too many problems. The dual clutch automatic does take some time to get used to but isn't a real negative...I expect things to improve with the next model year.
 
#69 ·
I started to hate my car yesterday when I checked the oil and the dip stick was dry. No low oil warning light. Had to add 3 litres to fill it. Then I went for a drive and the dip stick showed down a 1/4 inch from full. It burns a lot of oil and I am just shy of 2000KM (1243 Miles) on the car.
 
#70 ·
[wiggle]I have had mine for 3 weeks now and about 800 miles on it. Love the mileage..first tank was 35 mpg. Second tank was a trip on country roads and got 43 mpg. My NET 10 phone synch'd perfectly and my mp3 player works wonderfully. Only one small issue with the accent lighting..could'nt control colors and the dealer fixed it with no problems. This car has met or exceeded all of my expectations. I have an SEL with most of the options except moon roof. I look forward to driving it (that's when my wife isn't using it). We now have 3 Fords in our family. I was concerned that the frosted glass color would be too blue until I got it. I love that color (my wife's choice) now that I have it.
 
#71 ·
Good stuff:
Car starts,
Air conditioning works,
Battery holds charge,
Key works from over 200ft away to blink and sound horn when searching for car in shopping mall.
Tires hold air fine,
Wheels turn,
Steering wheel is small and nice controls,
Wipers work good,
Gas cover works,
Door locks work,
Windows work,
Rear hatch works,
Rear seat fold properly,
Hood opens and closes good,
Horn works,
headlights work,
Turn signals work,
seat adjustments work,
stereo works,
heat works,
Sunroof works,
climate control fan speed adjust works,
seatbelt works,
clutch works,
brakes work,
gas pedal works,
vent adjusters work,
Central door lock works,
gastank holds gas,
no leaks,
car goes forward when press gas pedal,
nice window view,
good paint,
shiny wheels,
stereo sound good,
backs up good, shifts good (manual tranny)
Neutral works,
fog lights light up,
cup holders hold,
fancy gizmos do have bling, bling works (Of what bling features I have used...)
key fob unlocks car,
key fob locks car,
keyfob unlocks trunk,
parking brake works,
center console holds stuff,
Windshield washer squirts juice,
sunvisors flip down,
tach works,
Speedo works,
turn signals work,
one touch driver window down works,
shocks work,

These are features which work on my car.
There are others I was not able to think of off hand which work fine.
Gazillions of small internal parts all seem to work though i cannot verify they are..[poke]
 
#77 ·
Best car I've ever driven. [thumb]

I let a friend drive it on the way back from a state park. He has quite strong feelings on Ford's history, but came away saying it was really fun to drive. Much more so than other cars in its segment.

Plus, mine is yellow! It brings a little delight to every car I pass on lonely rural roads. [:D]
 
#78 ·
Another happy SE Sport hatchback (auto not manual though) owner here - I really love my car!!!

Clearly people with MFT and titanium models have been experiencing more issues than the SE/SEL models, I wonder if there are other patterns as far as reported issues? It would be fun to do some kind of survey (more complex than the forum allows) and create a chart with model>frequent and type of reported issues.
 
#80 ·
I LOVE my Focus. The only fault that I can find with the car is that it is not emissions compliant in carb states (I don't live in a carb state but I might move back to one at some point). Other than that there are no issues here. The 5 speed manual is great as is My Ford and Sync. If I had to do it all over again I would order another Focus in the same configuration.
 
#81 ·
All you will need to do if you do move back is have the PCM reprogramed to meet standards. Easy fix. Just not economical for Ford to reprogram all the foci in states that don't need to be compliant, stickers cost way less!

My SEL hatch has been perfect! really enjoy driving it and the interior is so nice with the leather seats. No problems with sync recognizing my ipod or usb. just a great car all around!
 
#82 ·
I really like my Focus. Got the SE hatch with sport option among other options. I started driving with big block V8's then went to 4 cylinders then for years drove only V6's. Got used to the quiet power of the V6's and was reluctant to go back to 4 cylinder cars again because they were noisy and rough compared to V type engined cars. Well that is past with the new generation of 4 cylinder cars like the Focus. Once you are up to speed, it is V6 quiet. Ride quality is like a bigger more expensive car. Can't wait to start roadtripping in the spring!
 
#83 ·
Can't say that I am. I'm not shifting blame, I should have done the research, but the salesman lied and told me it had Applink. I wanted to go home and research because it wasn't working in the dealership. Sales guy said he would have service reflash MFT if I bought it. I still wanted to go home first but they sweetened the deal too much. So I bought it...again, my bad.

I have intermittent bluetooth problems. I've done the reset, pulled the fuse, reverse pairing, turned the phonebook off and all that. The A2DP connect when it wants.

MFT actually works fine, aside from being pig slow.
 
#85 ·
Here's an example of a Veloster owner's issues. The thread title is "And the list continues to grow..."

1) Blue Max still doesn't work. After several attempts to "fix", I've asked dealer to replace - haven't replied to that e-mail. (I think this is their version of SYNC)

2) Cruise Control has not set on occassion

3) Auto volume doesn't work, except for the day it cranked to 25 as I drove out of my driveway. It must have thought I was doing 70mph...

4) a speedometer that consistently reads 5 mph faster than I'm actually traveling. Seriously????? This is the 21st century, right? They can't fix this????

5) Fuel use measurement is a joke. Some days it starts from where it left the day before. Some days it resets itself and starts at 41.0L/100km, and then slowly makes its way back down.

That's only after 8 weeks and 5000km

My ultimate hope is that one of these "electronic" issues will set fire to the dash. That way maybe I can get something replaced...


So I STILL love my Focus and would never consider giving it up for anything.
 
#89 ·
"Mostly" delighted with it. The glaring exceptions:

1) transmission - all the usual AT complaints and so far my dealer won't agree to do the TSB flash without keeping the car all day to diagnose it themselves. So I'm waiting for the first oil change.

2) head restraints - extremely uncomfortable, give me neck pain on long drives. I understand the compliance and liability issues here, but don't consider it a valid trade-off to be forced to accept chronic injury as a means of avoiding acute injury.
 
#95 ·
2) head restraints - extremely uncomfortable, give me neck pain on long drives. I understand the compliance and liability issues here, but don't consider it a valid trade-off to be forced to accept chronic injury as a means of avoiding acute injury.
Have you tried tilting the seat slightly back further? At first I felt the head supports pushed my neck forward too much but I moved the seat tilt back very slightly and now it's great!
 
#91 ·
I'm very happy with my new Focus! I haven't had any issues with it at all *knock on wood* and the transmission has been smooth as butter, I've never felt a shudder or jerk in 2000 miles. MFT has been laggy once or twice but never for more than a few seconds. I haven't had any rattles, wayward steering or anything like that. I can't say I've 'fallen in love ith it' the way I have other new-to-me cars, but I'm still very happy. And my fuel costs have been cut by 60% or more over my old bimmer.

On the Veloster:
I looked the car over many times and test drove it over and over. I was seriously considering it for several months. The fact they they'll let you get it loaded to the teeth with a 6MT is awesome. But while the Focus is a premium small car that rivals many midsizers, the Veloster is a premium compact that rivals many small cars. It's really in a different class IMO. It rides rougher and noisier (sp?), doesn't have IRS, the interior is not the same quality and it doesn't have nearly the same level of equipment available. That being said, a fully loaded Veloster tops out at $23.5K while the Focus pushes $30K. Similarly equipped the Veloster is $2-3K cheaper. But it's also less car.
 
#93 ·
On the Veloster...
It's a sexy looking car on the outside, but I just can't get over all the Hyundai's nasolabial folds on the front of their newer cars. It's nice to hear that you don't think it rides as well as the Focus; that helps me keep thinking that I made the right decision!
 
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