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I am shopping the 2012 Focus. Right now I am looking at a Titanium with a mid July production date. I have been paying a lot of attention to shifts, noise, and steering due to the known issues in pre-August builds. So far it seems OK (have driven it twice now).
However, something odd happened. During first test drive, at beginning of drive, we pulled it from its parking space and stepped out for just a moment to look at the engine compartment before going on the drive. Steering was cut hard to one side or the other, probably left, but not sure. Salesman and myself walking around the car with the hood up. AC is on. Belt (one that goes to the alternator) squeaked very distinctly a few times, then car died at idle. The car had about 32 miles on the odometer at this point. Outside temp was around 75 F, in other words not stressing the car. The car was low on gas, but still enough to read 40 miles to empty after the test drive was over, so we thought that was not the cause.
Has anybody else seen this happen? Any clue why a car with 32 miles on it would die at idle? Would you hesitate to buy a car that died at idle and was built before August?
So the dealer says they put it in service to check it out, and found no problem. I went back a second time myself and recreated the circumstance but could not get it to die during five timed minutes of idling with AC on and steering cut hard either way. The belt had stopped squeaking. They say they did not lube the belt. No one else had driven it since me (odo still at same mileage), and no gasoline had been added.
Overall, after reading this board, I feel like anyone buying a pre-August build is doing both Ford and the dealer a favor, so if I go forward it would be only for a screaming good deal.
However, something odd happened. During first test drive, at beginning of drive, we pulled it from its parking space and stepped out for just a moment to look at the engine compartment before going on the drive. Steering was cut hard to one side or the other, probably left, but not sure. Salesman and myself walking around the car with the hood up. AC is on. Belt (one that goes to the alternator) squeaked very distinctly a few times, then car died at idle. The car had about 32 miles on the odometer at this point. Outside temp was around 75 F, in other words not stressing the car. The car was low on gas, but still enough to read 40 miles to empty after the test drive was over, so we thought that was not the cause.
Has anybody else seen this happen? Any clue why a car with 32 miles on it would die at idle? Would you hesitate to buy a car that died at idle and was built before August?
So the dealer says they put it in service to check it out, and found no problem. I went back a second time myself and recreated the circumstance but could not get it to die during five timed minutes of idling with AC on and steering cut hard either way. The belt had stopped squeaking. They say they did not lube the belt. No one else had driven it since me (odo still at same mileage), and no gasoline had been added.
Overall, after reading this board, I feel like anyone buying a pre-August build is doing both Ford and the dealer a favor, so if I go forward it would be only for a screaming good deal.
