[msmiley]

Hey all, new user here. Just wanted to say that after all the positive reviews from the usual suspects (r&t, c&d, etc) AND all the thoughtful posts about the 2012 focus, I traded in a 2009 Mercedes C350 and a 2007 BMW 525i for a brand spanking new Focus SE. Just got tired of all the maintenance costs. 15k service on the Mercedes was $700 just to keep in warranty!

Anyways, got 500 miles on my new Focus and today my baby broke down. After a dealer tow back to the service dept., they diagnosed it as a faulty thermostat housing unit. Parts are being shipped from Detroit as I write this. Dealer estimated 5-7 days minimum.

Not griping, just wanted to throw that out for discussion. Love the car, just hate inconvenience!

Cheers

 

[Mike_Mac]

bad t-stat housing cause the car to "break down".. looks like a common focus issue is still carried on.

i would be looking for other damage, eg warped head, ect from it getting too hot (im asuming that put it in gimp mode)


and what the hell did they do for $700?
with the focus you might spend $700 in maintenance over like 6-7 years (~100k miles)

 

[Nutty 5.0]

That stinks. :-( When was your build date? We're just under 300 miles now... <GULP!>

 

[msmiley]

Yeah, message came up on console and told me to stop the car as it was overheating. Lucky I was in a good spot to do it. Popped the hood and all the coolant was gone in the reservoir and I heard a hissing sound (from the thermostat housing area).

Agreed about the service costs for the focus, as it was a major reason to trade in the imports. I bought my daughter an 07 ZX3 and it's been flawless.

Build date was June 2012.

 

[Hypnotoad]

Another disadvantage of being an early-adopter is that spare parts are not in stock locally yet and they have to get them from the factory, which as likely as not has none surplus because of JIT stocking.

 

[feta_mgp]

This has been an issue on a few I've read already... so far so good for me. Good luck with your car!

 

[msmiley]

Back in shop...

Got it back from the shop and everything looked good to go. Next morning, pull out of the garage and notice an oil leak. Took it back to the shop a few days later and they've determined that it's an oil leak from a seal near the transmission.

Dealer has ordered the parts and say it's a six hour job. So far, it's been in the shop for over 2 weeks since I've had it. I've got 1k miles on her...

Sigh[!]

 

[Bill3rAIL]

Did your dealer supply you with a loaner car?
I was curious about this as if I need any repairs, I would hate to go back to the 2002 Dodge B1500!
A friend had been a BMW driver for over thirty years, and gave them up recently due to the excessive maintenance costs.

Good Luck!

 

[Kryssa]

Did your dealer supply you with a loaner car?
I was curious about this as if I need any repairs, I would hate to go back to the 2002 Dodge B1500!
A friend had been a BMW driver for over thirty years, and gave them up recently due to the excessive maintenance costs.

Good Luck!

Isn't a rental covered by the warranty? I got extended with first day rental so I know mine is, but I'm curious about the factory warranty.

 

[Elizabeth]

Most dealers who sell you a car will give a free loaner if your new car needs fixing.
And yeah, buying the extended warranty guarantees a loaner as it is paid for.
Either same day (For$$ up front on warranty) or extended..
Since i bought my car from a far away dealer, i plan on the same day loaner in the extended warranty. As soon as i get the one I cancelled off the books...

As for imports.. i could have bought a 2000 BMW M5 for about the same i paid for my 2012 Focus.
Just the speeding tickets I already have from my last hotrod, and repairs kept me away from it.

 

[msmiley]

Yeah, they offered a rental, but we've got another car, so I'm not hurting in that regard.

 

[Dynamech]

I just picked mine up tonight and checking under the hood after I got home (~30 miles) the engine compartment seemed abnormally hot. The hood support stand was almost too hot to touch. Hopefully it'll be ok on the drive to work and back tomorrow. I'll run the vehicle health thing when I get to work and see if that says anything.

Odometer: 88 miles
Build date: 8/5/11

Definitely loving this car! ....As long as it doesn't blow up....

 

[1sloho]

this is why i do not buy the first year of a new lineup. hope things get worked out with ur car and u dont have anymore issues.

 

[xwhit3devilx]

Damn! Things shouldn't break like on a brand new car. Improper installation is one thing but to see parts flat out failing isn't giving me reasuring feelings about build quality.
Related story; The thermostat broke on my old Cadillac once driving home from a 3 hour trip. Luckily since it was a v8 and had Cadillacs "limp-home" feature the engine just shut half the cylinders off and pumped air through the others to keep it cool until I got home. Doesn't seem to be possible with the Focus [xx(],(2 cylinders wouldn't get you very far) but with 2800 miles on mine I'm hopeful the issue doesn't surface.