Ford Focus - yes? No?

[Vermilion]

I do realise that the US and European versions are slightly different in the more recent models, but we're looking to purchase a 2001/2002 generation one (once the hubby starts work) and I was wondering if anyone had one and would recommend or warn against it as a family car...?

 

[Chantilyvamp]

I personally hate the ford focus with a passion. I like most fords though but the focus was a bad experience and everything kept going wrong with it. Though I'd probably take one over a chevy though at this point. Chevy (Vauxhall... sp?) cavaliers are the spawn of the devil and should be blown to pieces.

 

[Vermilion]

I personally hate the ford focus with a passion. I like most fords though but the focus was a bad experience and everything kept going wrong with it. Though I'd probably take one over a chevy though at this point. Chevy (Vauxhall... sp?) cavaliers are the spawn of the devil and should be blown to pieces.

What kind of problems? Were they service related or basic manufacturing type of problems?

 

[cloudy]

Consumer reviews

Reading them, I don't think I'd buy one, but that's just me. I don't think I'd own a Ford even if someone gave me the damn thing.

 

[Darkniciad]

After the experience I've had with the Ford I have, and the slow, incompetent idiots that pass as "certified technicians" at three different locations, I'll never own one again.

Didn't have half as much trouble with the GM car ( Olds, RIP ) and when I took it in for service, it came back fixed in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

A friend bought a FOCUS and hates it. Too many repairs, too often.

I bought a Chevy AVEO in 2005, and it is a terrific car. I'll buy another one.

 

[Chantilyvamp]

What kind of problems? Were they service related or basic manufacturing type of problems?

some were service related, parts were expensive and basic manufacturing was an issue. The seats weren't comfortable on longer trips..the ABS was just a nightmare having to be fixed all the time. The starter was recalled and had to be replaced one more after the replacement. The list went on and on.

kid is bugging me so gotta stop the rant now

 

[Vermilion]

See this is interesting cos I love my old Ford Fiesta (and I *mean* old) so I figured it'd be a good make to stick with...
Hubby would probably do most of the maintenance, so we can't get something that's too computer-driven, if you'll pardon the pun.

OK - so what's good as a spacious car that isn't too enormous for driving in town - bear in mind that English towns are far smaller than American ones and I don't think you can buy Chevys here anyway. Oh - and the budget is not that big.

 

[cloudy]

See this is interesting cos I love my old Ford Fiesta (and I *mean* old) so I figured it'd be a good make to stick with...
Hubby would probably do most of the maintenance, so we can't get something that's too computer-driven, if you'll pardon the pun.

OK - so what's good as a spacious car that isn't too enormous for driving in town - bear in mind that English towns are far smaller than American ones and I don't think you can buy Chevys here anyway. Oh - and the budget is not that big.

Nissans are always a good option - the Altima is VERY affordable.

(anything relatively new is going to be computer-driven).

 

[jeninflorida]

What is wrong with fords? Our explorer has 150,000 miles on it? for us, we've had better luck with fords than others....until we purchased a hyundai and love it! and yes we still have our ford, its become our utility vehicle

Consumer reviews

Reading them, I don't think I'd buy one, but that's just me. I don't think I'd own a Ford even if someone gave me the damn thing.

 

[cloudy]

What is wrong with fords? Our explorer has 150,000 miles on it? for us, we've had better luck with fords than others....until we purchased a hyundai and love it! and yes we still have our ford, its become our utility vehicle

150K miles isn't all that much, not like it used to be.

Ford trucks are decent, but I still wouldn't buy one. Every Ford we've ever owned but one has been nothing but a money pit. The one exception was a 1977 one ton truck.

I hate to say it, but American-made vehicles are mostly shit. I'll spend my car money on foreign-made vehicles. In my experience they last a lot longer, and require much less maintenance. I've had two Nissans that went over 300K miles, and were still going strong when I sold them.

 

[oggbashan]

Recently I've had a Toyota Carina that I sold at 190,000 miles, a Volvo 940estate that needed more maintenance than its value at 198,000 miles and I'm now driving another old Volvo 940 estate that is currently on 229,000 miles.

My wife had a very old Colt (Mitsibishi) Lancer saloon that eventually became impossible to get parts for, a Ford Escort that needed more welding than it was worth, and she now has a fairly new Skoda - but she prefers being a passenger in the Volvo.

Og

 

[jomar]

Are Toyota Corolla's about the size of a focus? Honda Civic? Hyundai's are getting better and better and you might find a good deal. Scion (Toyota brand) also has some good boxy but good town models.

 

[Chantilyvamp]

See this is interesting cos I love my old Ford Fiesta (and I *mean* old) so I figured it'd be a good make to stick with...
Hubby would probably do most of the maintenance, so we can't get something that's too computer-driven, if you'll pardon the pun.

OK - so what's good as a spacious car that isn't too enormous for driving in town - bear in mind that English towns are far smaller than American ones and I don't think you can buy Chevys here anyway. Oh - and the budget is not that big.

Not all fords are bad...just saying my experience with the ford focus was.

Chevy in the UK is Vauxhall. Some of the names of the cars are the same and some are the same make, model, style, shape but with different name.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

150K miles isn't all that much, not like it used to be.

Ford trucks are decent, but I still wouldn't buy one. Every Ford we've ever owned but one has been nothing but a money pit. The one exception was a 1977 one ton truck.

I hate to say it, but American-made vehicles are mostly shit. I'll spend my car money on foreign-made vehicles. In my experience they last a lot longer, and require much less maintenance. I've had two Nissans that went over 300K miles, and were still going strong when I sold them.

This. Ford six and eight cylinder engines aren't that bad, but the four cylinders are crap. Most American four cylinders I've had are crap and I wouldn't buy another one ever. Every one I've ever owner had massive electrical fail within the first 50,000 miles.

 

[midwestyankee]

See this is interesting cos I love my old Ford Fiesta (and I *mean* old) so I figured it'd be a good make to stick with...
Hubby would probably do most of the maintenance, so we can't get something that's too computer-driven, if you'll pardon the pun.

OK - so what's good as a spacious car that isn't too enormous for driving in town - bear in mind that English towns are far smaller than American ones and I don't think you can buy Chevys here anyway. Oh - and the budget is not that big.

The Ford Fiesta was an entirely different beast from an entirely different era. First off, it started out life as an English Ford and then was brought to the U.S. to help Ford lower its overall fuel economy calculations. As OMS pointed out earlier, most American car companies couldn't build a four-cylinder engine for the U. S. market to save their souls. But the English Ford was a reliable, steady vehicle that was cleanly designed and simply engineered.

I owned a 1980 Fiesta that ran almost completely faithfully for ten years and for somewhere around 200,000 miles. Tune-ups on my little green Fiesta took about twenty minutes from start to finish, including adjusting the valve train. My only complaint was that the car ate water pumps. I got so that I could replace one in fifteen minutes in the dark but that was a rare weak spot in an otherwise wonderful little car.

 

[Safe_Bet]

[Threadjack]

I miss Joe Isuzu. Wish they'd bring him back.

[/Threadjack]

 

[R. Richard]

[Threadjack]

I miss Joe Isuzu. Wish they'd bring him back.

[/Threadjack]

Unfortunately, he's working as an assistant to Rod Blagojevich in Illinois.

 

[redpaint]

150K miles isn't all that much, not like it used to be.

Ford trucks are decent, but I still wouldn't buy one. Every Ford we've ever owned but one has been nothing but a money pit. The one exception was a 1977 one ton truck.

Same here. I would not own anouther Ford.

 

[jomar]

[Threadjack]

I miss Joe Isuzu. Wish they'd bring him back.

[/Threadjack]

I once saw a an Isuzu with the license plate - GZNHDT

 

[Weird Harold]

I do realise that the US and European versions are slightly different in the more recent models, but we're looking to purchase a 2001/2002 generation one (once the hubby starts work) and I was wondering if anyone had one and would recommend or warn against it as a family car...?

There is a reason FORD has been disparaged as an acronym for Fix Or Repair Daily ecer since they discontinued the Tin Lizzie.

Ford makes some very good vehicles, but everyone I've ever known who was a diehard Ford owner was almost OCD about routine servicing -- oil changes, tire pressures, ete -- or were of the trade-up-every-year persuasion.

IMHO, your odds are better of hitting 00 twice in a row at a roulette table than they are of getting agood, reliable used Ford. Buying New with a factory warranty is a different story, but used Fords have been, in my experience, unreliable money pits.

 

[DesertPirate]

Consumer reviews

Reading them, I don't think I'd buy one, but that's just me. I don't think I'd own a Ford even if someone gave me the damn thing.

It scares me when we agree like this!

 

[LLs Man]

I notice that almost everyone who's replied has been American, so let's have a bit more British input to this thread, since Vermilion is over here.

I've no experience with the Focus, but I've never heard any horror stories about them either, & there are plenty around. I've had Fords in the past (Granada, Capri, Sierra), & had no major problems with them, though of course those were from the days when a car was more mechanical than a computer on wheels

You can get Chevrolets over here, but they're actually rebadged Daewoos; while it's true that Vauxhall is the UK arm of General Motors, the cars sold under that name are European designs (mostly based on Opel (Germany's GM)).

Of course, I'm a great one to talk about British cars, considering that I drive a Chrysler...

 

[Katyusha]

A friend bought a FOCUS and hates it. Too many repairs, too often.

I bought a Chevy AVEO in 2005, and it is a terrific car. I'll buy another one.

I can't stand Focuses, and I can't stand Aveos. I can't stand Cobalts, either. I have yet to drive an American compact that I DO like.

What is wrong with fords? Our explorer has 150,000 miles on it? for us, we've had better luck with fords than others....until we purchased a hyundai and love it! and yes we still have our ford, its become our utility vehicle

What model year is it? Ford was in its heyday with pretty good cars about eight-twelve years ago, or at least everyone I know who had a Ford/Mercury/Lincoln from that era had very few issues with them and felt they were very good cars. These days they once again suck big donkey.

Are Toyota Corolla's about the size of a focus? Honda Civic? Hyundai's are getting better and better and you might find a good deal. Scion (Toyota brand) also has some good boxy but good town models.

I hate Corollas. Hyundai Elantras are pretty good IMO. So are Sonatas but I'm not entirely sure Sonatas are small enough. I like driving the Hyundais and I'm pissed that they're not in our fleet anymore.

There is a reason FORD has been disparaged as an acronym for Fix Or Repair Daily ecer since they discontinued the Tin Lizzie.

Fix Or Repair Daily? I thought it was Found On Road Dead, but that's me. And a friend of mine swears the acronym is actually Fucked Over Rebuilt Dodge, so who knows.

 

[Katyusha]

FYI, from what I understand the Focuses from 7-8 years ago were really dreadful cars, and they're probably even more horrid when they're secondhand. Honestly, if you'd like a compact from that timeframe I'd either go with a Honda or a Toyota. I only have hearsay on how good those manufacturers' compacts were like at that time but from what little I understand they were pretty good.