What sorts of problems has your Focus experienced?

[focusmaniaczx3]

ive had all kinds of things break and need replacing. 90% of them were due to me beating the hell out of the car though. the only things that i have replaced due to them wearing out or just breaking due to no fault of my own were timing belt, wheel bearings, alternator, and clutch. and the clutch actually was probably in part because of me because i didnt really know how to drive a manual very well when i first bought the car.

things that i have had to replace due to being a moron are, transmission because i exploded the differential from doing 3rd gear burnouts with only 1 tire spinning. axles due to improper installation after pulling the tranny to replace the clutch. motor mounts because i was way too hard on the car. hard launches and constantly snagging the crap out of gears. shifter tower because i was in the habit of snagging second gear like the incredible hulk. i could go on for quite awhile but i will go ahead and stop there...

ive owned the car for 5 years or so now so i would say it wasnt a bad investment and it has treated me pretty well considering how hard ive been on it.

[coldbear]

The Focus is a great car to beat the crap from it. Easy to work on if you have any experience. And easy to get into trouble if you don't! But one cannot learn if they do not TRY! Go for it!

[zx3sekev]

I had 2 trans put in my car every 30k miles luckly warranty covered it.
Also my intake manifold broke, had some electrical problems also.
Now im having the ole Alternator light problem but everything is running smooth charging system is fine just dumb like comes on. thats what u get when u dont buy OEM alternators

[coldbear]

I beat the hell out of em' for the fun of it! I had to buy another one just because of my harshnesses! Pretty dumb stuff but fun!

[SUELZER]

i've put about 25k on since i bought about 3 yrs ago from a non-ford dealership. had to deal with a lot of major fixes in the 3 month "warranty" period from the dealer, so they luckily covered that. been doing general upkeep and adding a few mods here and there. guess i'd have to get an even better inspection if i bought used again. still digg my svt even with all the troubles

[biker50610]

the biggest problem with the wagon we have is that it has killed tires from day one on it. have had to have in alined a few times but it still eats tires

[Zach man]

i bought my car for 100 dollars
it had 119k and ive had since january of this year and its at 136k now
it had issues when i got it...
replaced, windshield, mirrors, window regulators (in fact there breaking again already... every damn one but the passenger front...)
need a new radiator, core support, a/c condenser and driver headlamp assy due to someone pulling out front of me... (no ticket, no fault, no insurance... but its driven 10k miles with these things broken... 3k was a 6 day sprint from Jacksonville florida to grants pass oregon... as much as a piece of crap my car is... its has been surprisingly reliable)
Transmission feels like it might be slipping... its an auto, but when im cruising on the Interstate, it will ship fine until about 65-70 (where it feels it should shift again) but sadly... by time 75 and 80mph, my rpms are kicking 3000 rpm... (maybe someone has an idea of what is wrong? perhaps PM me... i dont know if this is serious or if changing my fluid will help)

I still need to catch up most maitenance from the previous owner... its behind on everything but oil and battery...

i will need new breaks soon, need to align my wheels, i need to replace my suspensions, maybe tierods? a new oil pan... might need some work inside the engine... i dont know... feels like there is a slight loss of compression, especially at low speed/rpm

need a new hood, new driver mirror (held on by reflective tape) got a new radio but i need a new antenna... all my tires are not factory size... front 2 are 205/55, backs are 195/55 :\

alot of work... 100 dollars bought... got 800 in it... im not sure if i should keep going or not... i want too... it starts right up... even with the winter coming (and this is the first winter this car has had out of florida... im in oregon now...)

but theres other issues... i love this car though

i dont regret it... especially at 100 dollars...

[1hotfocus]

Originally Posted by Zach man

i bought my car for 100 dollars
it had 119k and ive had since january of this year and its at 136k now
it had issues when i got it...
replaced, windshield, mirrors, window regulators (in fact there breaking again already... every damn one but the passenger front...)
need a new radiator, core support, a/c condenser and driver headlamp assy due to someone pulling out front of me... (no ticket, no fault, no insurance... but its driven 10k miles with these things broken... 3k was a 6 day sprint from Jacksonville florida to grants pass oregon... as much as a piece of crap my car is... its has been surprisingly reliable)
Transmission feels like it might be slipping... its an auto, but when im cruising on the Interstate, it will ship fine until about 65-70 (where it feels it should shift again) but sadly... by time 75 and 80mph, my rpms are kicking 3000 rpm... (maybe someone has an idea of what is wrong? perhaps PM me... i dont know if this is serious or if changing my fluid will help)

I still need to catch up most maitenance from the previous owner... its behind on everything but oil and battery...

i will need new breaks soon, need to align my wheels, i need to replace my suspensions, maybe tierods? a new oil pan... might need some work inside the engine... i dont know... feels like there is a slight loss of compression, especially at low speed/rpm

need a new hood, new driver mirror (held on by reflective tape) got a new radio but i need a new antenna... all my tires are not factory size... front 2 are 205/55, backs are 195/55 :\

alot of work... 100 dollars bought... got 800 in it... im not sure if i should keep going or not... i want too... it starts right up... even with the winter coming (and this is the first winter this car has had out of florida... im in oregon now...)

but theres other issues... i love this car though

i dont regret it... especially at 100 dollars...

autos are only 4 speed trannies btw, so if its shifting 3 times, thats all it will shift, 1 into 2, 2 into 3, and 3 into 4. for a $100, that is a steal of a deal. a new mirror is $50.. change out your suspension, then alignment, then new tires. if i was you, since the winter is days away, put synthetic oil in it. get the compression checked, change your fuel filter, replace your air filter, clean your maf sensor, and get your brakes done. a new antenna as well is cheap, however maybe the antenna adaptor ( since you had to get a euro conversion antenna adapor for the head unit) isnt on right, because when i had no antenna for a while the radio was fine. also replace your oil pan.

after all this, im estimating another 900 into the car, maybe less depending on the brand of your brake parts, suspension parts, and if your fixing the car yourself, or getting it done by a mechanic. could be a lot less. dont give up on these cars. at 136k, its a baby still. im assuming you got a zetec, if you take care of it, you can get another 200k out of this motor, if its maintained well

[Zach man]

awsome man, i appreciate a ball park estimate as far as what i need done, as well as what i should do...

[mitch9521]

Ive only owned my Focus for a couple of months, and nothing has gone wrong on it so far. Other than when the engine is cold the timing belt squeaks really loud, but when its warmed up its silent. But it has been like that even when my Mother owned it before she gave it to me.