I own a 2012 Titanium sedan with 287,xxx miles and yes pulling from a stop sign or bumper to bumper Traffic Is annoying but other than that it's a good car
I can relate. I owned a DCT and a 5 speed manual Fiesta. I've got them for cheap and the manual was particularly trouble free and overall much improved over the automatic I let go with half the mileage.
Yep. I have a 5sp Fiesta. Only had to repair the AC in 180k My wife couldn't master or even feel comfortable with a 5sp so she bought the DCT Focus. Ford has replaced the DCT 5 times in 130k and a TCU for free which is better than Chrysler did with their 2.7L time bombs. I doubt it will last 200k....but she is hard on it anyway. Drives OK right now. Gets 32mpg when she drives it. 40 when I drive it. I bought both cars because they had Mazda B and Miata engines in them. The engines are great. 2014 Focus would pass the big freaking cup test with a new design console. The trunk model has more space.
Ahh, the notorious Ford Powershitf transmission! A nail in the coffin for both the Focus and Fiesta. For the record, Ford, I never stopped liking little cars, so don't blame this on me, Mr Weonlyselltrucksnow!
The power shift transmission is not a traditional quote automatic. It's more like a manual transmission what's two clutches but without the clutch pedal. Normally in supercars Ford wanted to put one in small cars. But they rushed it into production knowing its problems.
I rented a 2015 Focus back in 2016 and thought it was fantastic. I rented the same car again six weeks later and wondered if the transmission would even last the whole weekend. Nice car, totally ruined by an abusive transmission, as you pointed out.
My sister-in-law had one of these Focuses with the auto that had the clutches replaced under warranty. I drove it to the dealer for that service appointment and it would slip and then slam into second gear, but the other shifts were okay. She traded it in with only a few thousand miles remaining on the warranty to avoid having to overhaul it again out of warranty, lol Also have a buddy who had a 6-speed manual version. Got to drive it after a night when he had been drinking and it was very good!
I bought a hatchback just like this in black. It was a 2014 in black. My first new car. I wanted to love this thing soo bad and overlooking the transmission it was great! I had clutch packs replaced 3 times and the entire transmission went out at 36 thousand miles (2.5 years after purchase). At that time I traded it in. Yes warranty covered it but the fact Ford kept putting their terrible power shift transmissions in these things ultimately killed the good reputation of the Focus. I know CVTs aren’t great but those would have been a better choice.
Frosted Glass Metallic! That color was only available on the Focus for the 2012 model year... One of my favorite colors! It was also available on the 2013 year model C-Max and Escape as well. 😊
I own a '14 sedan with over 185k miles (nearly 100k since I bought it 5 years ago). The transmission issue was worked on right after I bought the Focus but promptly came back. Rather than paying big bucks to the Ford dealer to fix it again (and go bad again) I decided to live with this. Once you get up to speed, the transmission does fine. Also, if you know how to reset the transmission, the car performs better but still doesn't cure it. Yes, there are youtube videos about that.
I had a 2013 Fiesta with the same transmission. It was the biggest piece of cr*p I've ever owned. For years, Ford knowingly sold hundreds of thousands of these cars to people on a tight budget and they knew all along that this transmission was flawed. And now their Ecoboost engines are having head gasket problems.
Trucks and SUV’s should only be bought to tow (which 95% won’t and 90% of SUV’s are POS crossovers and CANT tow) yet all I ever see is great big trucks and suvs hauling one single person to get their mocha or gallon of milk. It truly is absorbed the individualist society we live in where driving an actual death machine has been so normalized that ANYONE can do it. “They’re safer” only to the occupant not the poor shmuck you run into because you were distracted. I can go on and on about my hatred for large vehicles with no tangible purpose.
The Focus is ending production globally next year, and they've already discontinued the Fiesta in Europe. So I'm not sure how Ford is going to bring small cars back. BTW, you forgot to mention that the transmission is a DCT, which is already a bad choice for an "economy" car to begin with, regardless of how reliable (or unreliable in this case) they might be. There's a reason Volkswagen is moving away from DCTs in their non-performance cars, and yet Hyundai and Kia are continuing to use them in their cars.
God blessed my father with a 2015 focus se with 5 speed manual transmission he still drives that car. It lost value but when these cars becoming rare the cost will go right back up.
This was my first car. A 2014 SE for $3000 with a rebuilt title and in 2018 that was like a brand new car. And boy did I rice that poor thing out. I chopped off the muffler with a sawzall, slapped in a drop in cone air filter, blacked out the chrome with plasti-dip, stripped the whole trunk for weight reduction and I removed the little rubber gasket that plugs up the hole in the firewall where the clutch pedal would be on a manual. I would pretend it was a manual by pressing the plus and minus button to switch gears and boy did I feel like I was Ken Block in that thing. The transmission had that infamous shutter but to my surprise it's actually still working to this day.
When I worked at Avis and Carmax I drove plenty of Focuses from this gen. They always had chattery feeling transmissions. Its was kinda fun to mess with knowing I didn’t own the cars
I was able to find a nicely optioned manual one for a fun daily a year ago now. Fantastic drivetrain with the right setup, and incredibly reliable because it's still a mazda motor technically. Only thing that sucks is the 5th gear ratio is super short, highways aren't the best but around town 45mph in 5th is great for mpgs.
I have a 2014 ford focus se hatch automatic. Never had the TCM replaced. I did have replaced my clutches and actuators and I’m now at 219k miles. The entire trans issue is overblown. Most people don’t know how to drive a DCT as it isn’t really a traditional torque converter automatic.
The Focus is a good car. My mother in law has a 2002 Focus she's had since new. It's been super reliable and after 22 years, it still drives really well.
We used to own a 2012 Focus SEL that looked exactly like this one (minus the color, ours was silver with black seats), I already know the issue is the transmission That's one reason we replaced that car a few years back with our 2021 Honda CR-V EX, the family car we still use to this day
I have a 2016 and I'm certain that I'm jinxing this by saying anything but it's at about 110k miles on its original transmission, and it has been almost completely trouble free. The 6 speed DCT is really bad, but when it works well it shifts quickly, and with the little gear selector button on the shifter is nice if I wanna keep it locked up in 2nd and get a noise complaint. It's not particularly quick, but with some small mods to the intake system it can get up and go a little bit. I honestly find the way it handles very fun and engaging for an economy car, and the interior is super fun and conformable with the SE Luxury package. If I have the money to keep it when it dies I would love to just do a manual swap and keep it going because it's a very fun little car. The actual engine has been ridiculously reliable despite me absolutely beating on it and frequently taking it on 12+ hour road trips. Engine also sounds great with a good exhaust. It has the same exhaust routing as the ST, so I ended up with an aftermarket ST exhaust that is entirely too loud for what the car is, but it sounds mean. Great and underrated car that I would never recommend to anybody in a million years.
2012 Focus SFE got 460,000 kms no problems. Now have a 2017 Focus SEL have put 340,000 kms on it with just some repairs to arms and tie rods. Rusty though. Otherwise rock solid rides - also been meticulous with maintenance.
The Duratec engine was never used in a miata. The Miata had the MZR 2.0 engine. THe difference is that the MZR had variable valve timing while the duratec did not.
Man if they just put a normal automatic in these they would be phenomenal small cars. Other than the DCT and rotting out behind the back door they seem largely trouble free. They dominated the small car segment journalism in the early 2010s
I found from a WatchJRGo video that the issue lies in a poor connection from the TCM to the 12V system. There is a battery ground cable that goes from the negative terminal to a painted piece of metal framing which didn’t let enough voltage reach the TCM. If caught early enough (largely too late by now), you can remove the one end of the cable, grind off the painted surface, apply dielectric grease to the surface, and reattach to allow the full voltage to reach the TCM.
about that thing on SUVs towards the end, they are safer but only for you, not for everyone around. if a nissan Qashqai hits a kia cee apostrophe d, the people in the nissan will be fine because it's a bigger vehicle, the people in the kia will not have a good time because it's a smaller car. if kuga hits a juke, they'll be relatively fine and the same with a corsa hitting an aygo because they're roughly the same size and weight. SUVs are huge and safe but they're heavy, bulky and big, you will be fine in one, but the pedestrian or avarage sized hatchback/ sedan will have a bad time
Zack, Was this the model year Ford put in fiberglass rocker panels? The presence of intact, metal rocker panels in a Salt Belt Focus over 3 years old is unprecedented. 🤣
Save for the transmission issue, the car does the job. Had a 2014 with DCT, drove it for 100k miles. If i would have found a way to fix the transmission i would still be having it.
I thought I'd be smart and get the manual Focus of this generation - turns out that was also a bad idea. Electric power steering went out at a little over 60k miles, which wouldn't have been so bad except Ford, in its wisdom, designed the power steering motor and rack to be all one part that must be replaced as a unit, requiring the whole bottom end of the car to be removed in order to replace the part, the dealership quoted 2600 US dollars to fix it! I talked them down to 1900 when I told them I'd sooner drive it with no power steering than pay that amount. I truly think this car was a good idea, but one so intentionally poorly executed that it served to scare any driver away from buying a small ford ever again.
The transmission was a serious screw up. With a manual, these were inexpensive and handled as well as a Mazda3 or Golf of the time. At the time I considered a manual SE with the Sport Appearance package. The Duratec is great. I subsequently bought a used 2010 (the very ugly one) which has been fairly reliable and easy to own. It just keeps going, so I keep driving it and enjoying having no car payments.
My wife dailies this car and exactly as Zack said the transmission is absolutely terrible. I really wish my wife knew how drive a manual transmission I would switch it off for one of those in a heartbeat now don’t get me wrong. The engine is absolutely fabulous for what it is transmission sucks balls my wife is on her third transmission and thank God he’s holding out for the moment plus like with the NC Miata, it has a terrible coolant tank issue which I’m planning on switching out my wife’s for a aluminum coolant tank in the near future as I will with the NC Miata I’m hoping to buy in the near future.
First car I bought myself was a 2016. I got 65k miles out of the original transmission, then when the replacement started to go at 77k I traded it in. It was peppy, handled well, and great on gas. Just a shame about the trans, though.
My parents still have their 2008 Focus as a 2nd/back-up vehicle. MPFI (not GDI) and 4-speed auto trans. Well over 100k miles and no issues with the drive train. Engine pers, trans shifts the way it should and it rides and handles good. No frills, but it's reliable as Hell. Glad my parents never got the last gen Focus.
It's all relative, for the segment they were one of the quickest, better handling vehicles at the time. The 2.0 liter engine + multilink rear suspension made for a fun ride. I owned a 1.8 Corolla at the time and later owned a 2.0 Sentra but also test drove a couple Focus with the 5 spd. Neither of my cars drove as fun nor as quick as the Focus.
They Still have the Focus in Europe! With everyone bringing back hot hatches and fast compacts like the Hyundai N cars, the GR Corolla, and others, Ford could really revive the Focus name by bringing the Focus ST from Europe to North America!
Ford stopped making small cars & sedans several years ago and focused on SUVs & trucks. GM has followed suit. The problem is that American manufacturers built them too cheaply and were unreliable, so they don't hold up like a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic.
@@richardepstein3494 they were not top quality, but I'd say the 2nd gen Cruze was much improved over the 1st gen. Very usable car but Chevy didn't feel like earning too little sales from a tainted nameplate would make sense. You might also wonder how brands like Nissan and VW notorious for their bad transmissions have remained selling sedans despite their bad rep. Ford and GM just made a financial decision and would rather earn money for each SUV and truck sold rather than fix their issues on a nameplate they thought wasn't worth saving from a shrinking segment.
@@simeoncastaldo7081 It's absolutely true. Time and time again, US auto makers idea of building an economy car is to take a car and make all the parts as cheaply as possible, *instead* of designing a car that is cheap to make by a simple design (but using the same quality of parts as any of their other vehicles). That's why Ford, GM and Chrysler economy cars have so many faults -- e.g., the leaking O-ring for the Focuses' HVAC system in the cabin, failing HVAC stepper motors in Focus and Fiesta. It's due to using cheap, low quality parts.
I can only say thank God that Mazda and Ford are no longer together. I feel that Ford could have damaged Mazda's reliability. It's a shame that Ford didn't learn from Mazda at the time. Excellent review. 👍
They should have changed to a mazda derived torque converter after the first problems. Its such a good car in manual configuration with so much shared mazda 3 dna
The issue is due to the dry type clutches associated with gasoline models. Ford's current response is to replace the clutch pack assembly (with updated parts) when shuddering exceeds 250 rpm (upon customer complaint).
I bought a 2017 new and thought I was ok since I made sure it was a stick shift. Nope it was junk. Had a front suspension clunk since new the dealer refused to fix. Multiple recalls. One for the clutch coming apart and potentially causing a fire. The wipers would stop mid stroke for 5-10 seconds in pouring rain. The radio would reset itself to a random station (infuriating when listing to an audiobook poof your spot it gone). The HVAC would reset itself to random temp. Front passenger has a laughably poor amount of leg room. My kids would get motion sickness riding in the backseat. I cut my hands twice on sharp metal exposed in the trunk loading luggage. Car started acting like it was going to have more issues so I unloaded it to Carvana after 6 years and only 50,000 miles. Good riddance.
Yeah but you probably won't give two shits when you sell a family of 4 a shitbox you know has a catastrophic issue down the line when you sell it for more than it's worth
I had a silver focus hatchback as a loaner ten years ago-absolutely loved it. I wish I had bought one with a stick instead of the overpriced junk I was driving at the time
Man I think you were too nice for this car lol. I currently daily a '14 base sedan (auto) with 133k miles and oh boy is it AWFUL. I got mine for 2k from family a few years ago after the center diff in my 2000 outback went boom :( When I got it the transmission was just replaced, and even then the tranny shifts like someone learning a manual for the first time. Other than the tranny the seats are uncomfortable, there are tons of vibrations in the cabin which cause excessive rattles, the cup holders are tiny, the back seats are TINY, the turning circle is HUGE for a compact car, the radio requires 7 button pushes EVERY TIME you turn on the car to connect to bluetooth, the rubber gasket around the doors are coming off... There are probably other things I'm forgetting... I know it's supposed to be an economy car but there are better options out there. My cousin owns a '14 chevy cruze, and it sucks, but its way better than the focus. GOD I miss my subaru so much 😭 Once I save enough money I'm getting something else. The only things in the focus I like/am ok with are the engine, the mpg, the side mirrors, and the price. I would avoid unless you just need an car to get around for cheap. If that's the case get the manual
I had a '13. Once the recalls were done it ran great. Sold & 130k. I had it for 6 years, did 95k... it over heated a lot, but I attribute that to the salvage title it carried
My wife had one of these she got new when she started college. It had the shuddering transmission issue that all of these had. The problem was it was a poorly executed automatically-shifting dual clutch transmission. When she dropped it off at Ford, they told HER all was well and normal because she was a girl (I think it sucks too, but it’s what they pulled). When I showed up, they explained that, as the car shifts, it develops small leaks of transmission fluid which lead to the constant transmission slips. To quote the technician, “it’s built to do that.” I replied, “my 2000 mustang doesn’t slip gears.” “The focus is supposed to,” they said. What a terrible fucking car.
The Ford Focus was very popular in Australia, but now you can't buy one anymore. You can only get the Ranger dual cab pickups, and the Everest SUVs. I guess maybe also a Mustang. Nothing else.
They are fun to drive cars with sporty Ford-Werke German suspension! Not cushy like US-market tuned economy cars. They payback should be in excellent tight handling on a twisty mountain road. If you thought the regular ones were bad, don't try the Fiesta ST or Focus RS, lol...
These were great great cars best small car ever in my opinion except the transmission of course. If they had fixed the transmission it would have been great
Ford has had a 3 pony car budget lineup since 1971 that share parts. Every 10 years they are retired and replaced. Torino, Maverick, Pinto 70s ... Fusion, Focus, Fiesta 2010s 2019 they stopped because they couldnt regularly beat 40mpg for price point cars at 28k, 19k, 15k base model. Today they are building Maverick Trucks and Escapes that get 40mpg...so they can move back into cars...but it'll take 4 years at least to develop any.
I was wondering why those cars came and went like a meteors. It was supposed to be a world car and it was good looking one yet somehow NA version was very different from Asian or European versions. I've spoken only once with Focus owner and he was a vet using Focus for business. It had MT and everything behind drivers/ passenger seat was removed and replaced with plywood flooring. He liked it and he put a lot of mileage on it.
I'm curious if this is the same gearbox as in the european models. Most of the Focus and its siblings (C-Max, etc.) in Europe are manual anyways, but I don't think we have this level of problems with the automatic cars here. In Germany all generations of Focus are known as quite reliable (besides rust issues with the early generations) and quite fun to drive. I drove two early Focus myself (`99 and `02), my cousin owns his second C-Max. Nothing to complain about.
Zack, it's a 6 speed "dual clutch" automatic. It's not a regular automatic, they shift weird even when working properly. Didn't do enough research? Yes, these dual clutches are known to have problems. Ford should have used an Aisin or at least, a 6F transmission. These are good cars other than that.
All the American Automakers care about is their bottom line - making higher profits & reducing costs. They don't care about build quality and reliability the way the Japanese automakers do which is they use cheaper quality materials and parts to save money. Of course they also the burden of the costs of the United Auto Workers that the foreign automakers don't have
It is a 6-speed DOUBLE CLUTCH automatic transmission better known as powershift, I emphasize this because it is not a conventional transmission like the others, there is the same reason for its failure, and in order not to misinform people
It's also a dry clutch-pack as that reduces friction. Some DCTs use a wet (in oil) clutch-pack like a motorcycle, and for those it is much harder for the computer to wear out the clutch pack by operating the transmission badly.
yes, my mom purchased a 2009 since new. Sold it 6 years ago and I still see it around town. But the 3rd gens with the manual are underrated. Very good deal if you can find one for sale
@@engineer_alv I had a 2010 Focus SES Loved it to Death had it for 7 Years Sadly the Rockers Rusted out and the brake System failed but motor and transmission was still good 👍 miss that car I still see then on the road Now I got a 2018 Kia Rio lol still a good car surprisingly
I feel like it Ford brings a small car back they need to make it very affordable. I think the Subaru Crosstrek/impreza and Nissan Kicks are top competitors
What transmission did the European Ford Focus get, because I don't think I've heard issues with their versions. If any Europeans can specify, love to know. I think this car would've been great, if Ford actually got into making sure this car's tranny was great, they'd still have a market!
I had a 14 Focus SE with the auto. I blew the engine around 58,000 miles because of the previous owners accident at 10,000 miles. Because of the accident there was overheating issues that killed my head gasket then my engine. That transmission was the worse part. At least the engine I fixed the radiator fan and stopped the overheating issue. That transmission gave me issues the whole time I had the car. Crazy long hesitation when you put your foot down, very rough shifts, holding gears randomly and way too often was it lurching forward on its own as you would start to come to a complete stop. Garbage transmission design.
Without even watching the video, I know the big problem. Transmission!
I own a 2012 Titanium sedan with 287,xxx miles and yes pulling from a stop sign or bumper to bumper Traffic Is annoying but other than that it's a good car
Yep - same here. Thrilled that mine had the 5spd. Flawless.
@@michaelwagner3952 mine has the dct
Exactly! Car enthusiasts unite!
Yup
The benefit of the AWFUL transmission problem is that the manual versions are also depreciating like crazy and they're largely trouble-free
I can relate. I owned a DCT and a 5 speed manual Fiesta. I've got them for cheap and the manual was particularly trouble free and overall much improved over the automatic I let go with half the mileage.
Yep. I have a 5sp Fiesta. Only had to repair the AC in 180k
My wife couldn't master or even feel comfortable with a 5sp so she bought the DCT Focus.
Ford has replaced the DCT 5 times in 130k and a TCU for free which is better than Chrysler did with their 2.7L time bombs. I doubt it will last 200k....but she is hard on it anyway. Drives OK right now. Gets 32mpg when she drives it. 40 when I drive it.
I bought both cars because they had Mazda B and Miata engines in them. The engines are great.
2014 Focus would pass the big freaking cup test with a new design console.
The trunk model has more space.
Good luck finding one.
Ahh, the notorious Ford Powershitf transmission! A nail in the coffin for both the Focus and Fiesta.
For the record, Ford, I never stopped liking little cars, so don't blame this on me, Mr Weonlyselltrucksnow!
The power shift transmission is not a traditional quote automatic. It's more like a manual transmission what's two clutches but without the clutch pedal. Normally in supercars Ford wanted to put one in small cars. But they rushed it into production knowing its problems.
My friend had this transmission and had it serviced 5 times in 100,000 miles.
I rented a 2015 Focus back in 2016 and thought it was fantastic. I rented the same car again six weeks later and wondered if the transmission would even last the whole weekend. Nice car, totally ruined by an abusive transmission, as you pointed out.
My sister-in-law had one of these Focuses with the auto that had the clutches replaced under warranty. I drove it to the dealer for that service appointment and it would slip and then slam into second gear, but the other shifts were okay.
She traded it in with only a few thousand miles remaining on the warranty to avoid having to overhaul it again out of warranty, lol
Also have a buddy who had a 6-speed manual version. Got to drive it after a night when he had been drinking and it was very good!
I bought a hatchback just like this in black. It was a 2014 in black. My first new car. I wanted to love this thing soo bad and overlooking the transmission it was great! I had clutch packs replaced 3 times and the entire transmission went out at 36 thousand miles (2.5 years after purchase). At that time I traded it in. Yes warranty covered it but the fact Ford kept putting their terrible power shift transmissions in these things ultimately killed the good reputation of the Focus. I know CVTs aren’t great but those would have been a better choice.
Frosted Glass Metallic! That color was only available on the Focus for the 2012 model year... One of my favorite colors! It was also available on the 2013 year model C-Max and Escape as well. 😊
I own a '14 sedan with over 185k miles (nearly 100k since I bought it 5 years ago). The transmission issue was worked on right after I bought the Focus but promptly came back. Rather than paying big bucks to the Ford dealer to fix it again (and go bad again) I decided to live with this.
Once you get up to speed, the transmission does fine. Also, if you know how to reset the transmission, the car performs better but still doesn't cure it. Yes, there are youtube videos about that.
I had a 2013 Fiesta with the same transmission. It was the biggest piece of cr*p I've ever owned. For years, Ford knowingly sold hundreds of thousands of these cars to people on a tight budget and they knew all along that this transmission was flawed. And now their Ecoboost engines are having head gasket problems.
Get the manual gearbox you get a more reliable car for less money 🤷
Auto marketing has brainwashed America into thinking they need trucks and SUVs. Its pathetic
Trucks and SUV’s should only be bought to tow (which 95% won’t and 90% of SUV’s are POS crossovers and CANT tow) yet all I ever see is great big trucks and suvs hauling one single person to get their mocha or gallon of milk.
It truly is absorbed the individualist society we live in where driving an actual death machine has been so normalized that ANYONE can do it. “They’re safer” only to the occupant not the poor shmuck you run into because you were distracted.
I can go on and on about my hatred for large vehicles with no tangible purpose.
My family and their stuff fits way better in my 4runner than in my prius
@@senseicorey9979 Yeah for like a few special times a year lol. why do large car owners cope so much about why they need such big cars?
@@chickenpasta7359 you've obviously never dealt with car seats
@@senseicorey9979Yeah because you’re comparing a small hatchback to an suv,
such a shame about the transmission killing these in america, they are quite the pretty car and are aging well in my opinion
The Focus is ending production globally next year, and they've already discontinued the Fiesta in Europe. So I'm not sure how Ford is going to bring small cars back. BTW, you forgot to mention that the transmission is a DCT, which is already a bad choice for an "economy" car to begin with, regardless of how reliable (or unreliable in this case) they might be. There's a reason Volkswagen is moving away from DCTs in their non-performance cars, and yet Hyundai and Kia are continuing to use them in their cars.
God blessed my father with a 2015 focus se with 5 speed manual transmission he still drives that car. It lost value but when these cars becoming rare the cost will go right back up.
This was my first car. A 2014 SE for $3000 with a rebuilt title and in 2018 that was like a brand new car. And boy did I rice that poor thing out. I chopped off the muffler with a sawzall, slapped in a drop in cone air filter, blacked out the chrome with plasti-dip, stripped the whole trunk for weight reduction and I removed the little rubber gasket that plugs up the hole in the firewall where the clutch pedal would be on a manual.
I would pretend it was a manual by pressing the plus and minus button to switch gears and boy did I feel like I was Ken Block in that thing. The transmission had that infamous shutter but to my surprise it's actually still working to this day.
Cheat code: manual transmission.
Especially Nissans and Fords 😉
Hondas and Acuras too
@@SouthsideKidd550 not anymore.
Honda + manual = ricers = modified + abused
and VW
When I worked at Avis and Carmax I drove plenty of Focuses from this gen. They always had chattery feeling transmissions. Its was kinda fun to mess with knowing I didn’t own the cars
My Focus has the Dual Crutch Transmission 😂 it feels depressed, anxious, and manic at the same time lol
That's what this has.
I was able to find a nicely optioned manual one for a fun daily a year ago now. Fantastic drivetrain with the right setup, and incredibly reliable because it's still a mazda motor technically. Only thing that sucks is the 5th gear ratio is super short, highways aren't the best but around town 45mph in 5th is great for mpgs.
yeah, same on the Fiesta. Mine would scream at almost 3K @ 65MPH but still got 38 MPG doing so. It just needed more insulation or a taller gear ratio
I have a 2014 ford focus se hatch automatic. Never had the TCM replaced. I did have replaced my clutches and actuators and I’m now at 219k miles. The entire trans issue is overblown. Most people don’t know how to drive a DCT as it isn’t really a traditional torque converter automatic.
The Focus is a good car. My mother in law has a 2002 Focus she's had since new. It's been super reliable and after 22 years, it still drives really well.
We used to own a 2012 Focus SEL that looked exactly like this one (minus the color, ours was silver with black seats), I already know the issue is the transmission
That's one reason we replaced that car a few years back with our 2021 Honda CR-V EX, the family car we still use to this day
I have a 2016 and I'm certain that I'm jinxing this by saying anything but it's at about 110k miles on its original transmission, and it has been almost completely trouble free. The 6 speed DCT is really bad, but when it works well it shifts quickly, and with the little gear selector button on the shifter is nice if I wanna keep it locked up in 2nd and get a noise complaint. It's not particularly quick, but with some small mods to the intake system it can get up and go a little bit. I honestly find the way it handles very fun and engaging for an economy car, and the interior is super fun and conformable with the SE Luxury package. If I have the money to keep it when it dies I would love to just do a manual swap and keep it going because it's a very fun little car. The actual engine has been ridiculously reliable despite me absolutely beating on it and frequently taking it on 12+ hour road trips. Engine also sounds great with a good exhaust. It has the same exhaust routing as the ST, so I ended up with an aftermarket ST exhaust that is entirely too loud for what the car is, but it sounds mean. Great and underrated car that I would never recommend to anybody in a million years.
2012 Focus SFE got 460,000 kms no problems. Now have a 2017 Focus SEL have put 340,000 kms on it with just some repairs to arms and tie rods. Rusty though. Otherwise rock solid rides - also been meticulous with maintenance.
The Duratec engine was never used in a miata. The Miata had the MZR 2.0 engine. THe difference is that the MZR had variable valve timing while the duratec did not.
Man if they just put a normal automatic in these they would be phenomenal small cars. Other than the DCT and rotting out behind the back door they seem largely trouble free. They dominated the small car segment journalism in the early 2010s
I found from a WatchJRGo video that the issue lies in a poor connection from the TCM to the 12V system. There is a battery ground cable that goes from the negative terminal to a painted piece of metal framing which didn’t let enough voltage reach the TCM. If caught early enough (largely too late by now), you can remove the one end of the cable, grind off the painted surface, apply dielectric grease to the surface, and reattach to allow the full voltage to reach the TCM.
That Focus is CLEAN. Love the color too.
about that thing on SUVs towards the end, they are safer but only for you, not for everyone around. if a nissan Qashqai hits a kia cee apostrophe d, the people in the nissan will be fine because it's a bigger vehicle, the people in the kia will not have a good time because it's a smaller car. if kuga hits a juke, they'll be relatively fine and the same with a corsa hitting an aygo because they're roughly the same size and weight. SUVs are huge and safe but they're heavy, bulky and big, you will be fine in one, but the pedestrian or avarage sized hatchback/ sedan will have a bad time
Zack, Was this the model year Ford put in fiberglass rocker panels? The presence of intact, metal rocker panels in a Salt Belt Focus over 3 years old is unprecedented. 🤣
Save for the transmission issue, the car does the job. Had a 2014 with DCT, drove it for 100k miles. If i would have found a way to fix the transmission i would still be having it.
I thought I'd be smart and get the manual Focus of this generation - turns out that was also a bad idea. Electric power steering went out at a little over 60k miles, which wouldn't have been so bad except Ford, in its wisdom, designed the power steering motor and rack to be all one part that must be replaced as a unit, requiring the whole bottom end of the car to be removed in order to replace the part, the dealership quoted 2600 US dollars to fix it! I talked them down to 1900 when I told them I'd sooner drive it with no power steering than pay that amount. I truly think this car was a good idea, but one so intentionally poorly executed that it served to scare any driver away from buying a small ford ever again.
Duel clutch transmission...
If it ain't broke BREKE IT! RUIN IT. WITH A DREDFUL CONTRAPTION THAT THAT IS STOUT AS A DRY SPAGHETTI NOODLE.
I had a '14 SE with the 5 speed for 10 trouble-free years. Loved it.
I had a 14 SE with the 5 sp. Was pretty good with the manual. But traded it for a fiesta ST that I still have.
The transmission was a serious screw up. With a manual, these were inexpensive and handled as well as a Mazda3 or Golf of the time. At the time I considered a manual SE with the Sport Appearance package. The Duratec is great. I subsequently bought a used 2010 (the very ugly one) which has been fairly reliable and easy to own. It just keeps going, so I keep driving it and enjoying having no car payments.
Its a shame the transmissions in these were such junk and ford didn't stand behind them at all. They were decent driving cars and decently efficient
There used to be a lot of these here years ago. If the transmission didn't kill it, the salt in winter did. Thanks Zack.
I knew the Power Shit transmission would be the only problem
My wife dailies this car and exactly as Zack said the transmission is absolutely terrible. I really wish my wife knew how drive a manual transmission I would switch it off for one of those in a heartbeat now don’t get me wrong. The engine is absolutely fabulous for what it is transmission sucks balls my wife is on her third transmission and thank God he’s holding out for the moment plus like with the NC Miata, it has a terrible coolant tank issue which I’m planning on switching out my wife’s for a aluminum coolant tank in the near future as I will with the NC Miata I’m hoping to buy in the near future.
i had this as a rental several times. loved it. shame about the transmission
The ones with manual transmission are excellent.
First car I bought myself was a 2016. I got 65k miles out of the original transmission, then when the replacement started to go at 77k I traded it in. It was peppy, handled well, and great on gas. Just a shame about the trans, though.
My parents still have their 2008 Focus as a 2nd/back-up vehicle. MPFI (not GDI) and 4-speed auto trans. Well over 100k miles and no issues with the drive train. Engine pers, trans shifts the way it should and it rides and handles good. No frills, but it's reliable as Hell. Glad my parents never got the last gen Focus.
In Australia the manual models while extremely boring were very reliable
It's all relative, for the segment they were one of the quickest, better handling vehicles at the time. The 2.0 liter engine + multilink rear suspension made for a fun ride. I owned a 1.8 Corolla at the time and later owned a 2.0 Sentra but also test drove a couple Focus with the 5 spd. Neither of my cars drove as fun nor as quick as the Focus.
They Still have the Focus in Europe! With everyone bringing back hot hatches and fast compacts like the Hyundai N cars, the GR Corolla, and others, Ford could really revive the Focus name by bringing the Focus ST from Europe to North America!
Ford stopped making small cars & sedans several years ago and focused on SUVs & trucks. GM has followed suit. The problem is that American manufacturers built them too cheaply and were unreliable, so they don't hold up like a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic.
So this just blatantly isn’t true
@@simeoncastaldo7081 Well, no Chevy Cruize, Focus , Neon or Fiesta. Would you consider these vehicles "Quality"?
@@richardepstein3494 they were not top quality, but I'd say the 2nd gen Cruze was much improved over the 1st gen. Very usable car but Chevy didn't feel like earning too little sales from a tainted nameplate would make sense.
You might also wonder how brands like Nissan and VW notorious for their bad transmissions have remained selling sedans despite their bad rep.
Ford and GM just made a financial decision and would rather earn money for each SUV and truck sold rather than fix their issues on a nameplate they thought wasn't worth saving from a shrinking segment.
Very typical of Ford and GM
@@simeoncastaldo7081 It's absolutely true. Time and time again, US auto makers idea of building an economy car is to take a car and make all the parts as cheaply as possible, *instead* of designing a car that is cheap to make by a simple design (but using the same quality of parts as any of their other vehicles). That's why Ford, GM and Chrysler economy cars have so many faults -- e.g., the leaking O-ring for the Focuses' HVAC system in the cabin, failing HVAC stepper motors in Focus and Fiesta. It's due to using cheap, low quality parts.
Why did people stop buying small Ford cars? See above.
I can only say thank God that Mazda and Ford are no longer together. I feel that Ford could have damaged Mazda's reliability. It's a shame that Ford didn't learn from Mazda at the time. Excellent review. 👍
They should have changed to a mazda derived torque converter after the first problems. Its such a good car in manual configuration with so much shared mazda 3 dna
They changed to a conventional auto eventually, but they switched to the 1.5 Ecoboost at the time which has other problems.
I love the big freeing bottle test sound lol it's catchy 😊
The issue is due to the dry type clutches associated with gasoline models. Ford's current response is to replace the clutch pack assembly (with updated parts) when shuddering exceeds 250 rpm (upon customer complaint).
I bought a 2017 new and thought I was ok since I made sure it was a stick shift. Nope it was junk. Had a front suspension clunk since new the dealer refused to fix. Multiple recalls. One for the clutch coming apart and potentially causing a fire. The wipers would stop mid stroke for 5-10 seconds in pouring rain. The radio would reset itself to a random station (infuriating when listing to an audiobook poof your spot it gone). The HVAC would reset itself to random temp. Front passenger has a laughably poor amount of leg room. My kids would get motion sickness riding in the backseat. I cut my hands twice on sharp metal exposed in the trunk loading luggage. Car started acting like it was going to have more issues so I unloaded it to Carvana after 6 years and only 50,000 miles. Good riddance.
As someone that sells Cars for a living: Just remember that Friends DON'T let friends buy Ford Focus's......
Unless it’s equipped with a manual transmission
Or equinox and terrains
Friends teach friends how to drive a manual so they can save big on a Ford Focus or Fiesta.
Best $3K I spent on a used car
Yeah but you probably won't give two shits when you sell a family of 4 a shitbox you know has a catastrophic issue down the line when you sell it for more than it's worth
Friends don't let friends buy cars from dealers
Yes! these are not perfect, they are cheap and easy to buy! We need those right now, cheap light and fun...
If only ford had put a conventional transmission. What could have been a good reliable car is hampered by a transmission that is faulty.
I had a silver focus hatchback as a loaner ten years ago-absolutely loved it. I wish I had bought one with a stick instead of the overpriced junk I was driving at the time
Man I think you were too nice for this car lol. I currently daily a '14 base sedan (auto) with 133k miles and oh boy is it AWFUL. I got mine for 2k from family a few years ago after the center diff in my 2000 outback went boom :( When I got it the transmission was just replaced, and even then the tranny shifts like someone learning a manual for the first time. Other than the tranny the seats are uncomfortable, there are tons of vibrations in the cabin which cause excessive rattles, the cup holders are tiny, the back seats are TINY, the turning circle is HUGE for a compact car, the radio requires 7 button pushes EVERY TIME you turn on the car to connect to bluetooth, the rubber gasket around the doors are coming off... There are probably other things I'm forgetting... I know it's supposed to be an economy car but there are better options out there. My cousin owns a '14 chevy cruze, and it sucks, but its way better than the focus.
GOD I miss my subaru so much 😭 Once I save enough money I'm getting something else.
The only things in the focus I like/am ok with are the engine, the mpg, the side mirrors, and the price. I would avoid unless you just need an car to get around for cheap. If that's the case get the manual
2011 was the last year for the crown vic
I got lucky with my 2012 I bought it at 100000 miles I just bought a new car but the focus made it 247000 and still going on the original transmission
Owned a new 2012 and two 2014's all had major major problems with the clutch packs and transmission
I had a '13. Once the recalls were done it ran great. Sold & 130k. I had it for 6 years, did 95k... it over heated a lot, but I attribute that to the salvage title it carried
tt's amazing you could get recall work done on a branded title. Some dealers refuse to do it.
My wife had one of these she got new when she started college. It had the shuddering transmission issue that all of these had.
The problem was it was a poorly executed automatically-shifting dual clutch transmission. When she dropped it off at Ford, they told HER all was well and normal because she was a girl (I think it sucks too, but it’s what they pulled). When I showed up, they explained that, as the car shifts, it develops small leaks of transmission fluid which lead to the constant transmission slips.
To quote the technician, “it’s built to do that.”
I replied, “my 2000 mustang doesn’t slip gears.”
“The focus is supposed to,” they said.
What a terrible fucking car.
My wife had a 2015 Focus with 112k miles and yes the automatic transmission was failing fortunately it is gone now
I had one from the same year and glad I upgraded to a Tacoma because I was afraid of it falling apart on me eventually
@@gumpgump3635 yes and when the a/c quit that was game over (we live in Texas black car)
The teal ford focus…the official car of Drive Time 😂
The Ford Focus was very popular in Australia, but now you can't buy one anymore. You can only get the Ranger dual cab pickups, and the Everest SUVs. I guess maybe also a Mustang. Nothing else.
About 12 years ago, I work for Roush and tested Ford Focus on test drives.
They were so uncomfortable on long trips. The Ford Fiesta were even worse.
They are fun to drive cars with sporty Ford-Werke German suspension! Not cushy like US-market tuned economy cars. They payback should be in excellent tight handling on a twisty mountain road. If you thought the regular ones were bad, don't try the Fiesta ST or Focus RS, lol...
These were great great cars best small car ever in my opinion except the transmission of course. If they had fixed the transmission it would have been great
My 2014 Focus has had two transmission rebuilds
Ford has had a 3 pony car budget lineup since 1971 that share parts. Every 10 years they are retired and replaced.
Torino, Maverick, Pinto 70s
...
Fusion, Focus, Fiesta 2010s
2019 they stopped because they couldnt regularly beat 40mpg for price point cars at
28k, 19k, 15k base model.
Today they are building Maverick Trucks and Escapes that get 40mpg...so they can move back into cars...but it'll take 4 years at least to develop any.
Problem can be with dual clutch seal leak, automated dual clutch transmission or transmission control module.
All they had to do was put a regular six speed automatic in this car. It’s not like they didn’t have one that they could use
My first day at a Ford dealer I found out real fast.
I was wondering why those cars came and went like a meteors. It was supposed to be a world car and it was good looking one yet somehow NA version was very different from Asian or European versions.
I've spoken only once with Focus owner and he was a vet using Focus for business. It had MT and everything behind drivers/ passenger seat was removed and replaced with plywood flooring. He liked it and he put a lot of mileage on it.
I'm curious if this is the same gearbox as in the european models. Most of the Focus and its siblings (C-Max, etc.) in Europe are manual anyways, but I don't think we have this level of problems with the automatic cars here. In Germany all generations of Focus are known as quite reliable (besides rust issues with the early generations) and quite fun to drive. I drove two early Focus myself (`99 and `02), my cousin owns his second C-Max. Nothing to complain about.
Can you do my Passat next😂
I have a Focus & Passat with a DCT rip 🤣
@@randalcalvert270 nice
If someone did a manual conversion on this one, that could save it. Although it would probably be worth doing only if you can do it for yourself.
should have got the focus st or focus rs
Ford 3.5 & 3.7 V6 engine had the Water Pump Inside the Engine.
_Ford is not your Friend_
These small cars needs no automatic transmission.
Zack, it's a 6 speed "dual clutch" automatic. It's not a regular automatic, they shift weird even when working properly. Didn't do enough research? Yes, these dual clutches are known to have problems. Ford should have used an Aisin or at least, a 6F transmission. These are good cars other than that.
My sister has a 2018 SE 5 door hatchback. And it would be a perfectly good car if Ford would have just put a normal automatic transmission in it.
Is this transmission in the ford ecosport 2.0 awd?
All the American Automakers care about is their bottom line - making higher profits & reducing costs. They don't care about build quality and reliability the way the Japanese automakers do which is they use cheaper quality materials and parts to save money. Of course they also the burden of the costs of the United Auto Workers that the foreign automakers don't have
Sorry to inform you, but the Japanese car makers are = no pun intended= focused on higher profit vehicles too. Honda especially-no more Fit.
Shout out to the automatic versions of these cars for being so awful that it let me get a manual version for dirt, dirt cheap
It is a 6-speed DOUBLE CLUTCH automatic transmission better known as powershift, I emphasize this because it is not a conventional transmission like the others, there is the same reason for its failure, and in order not to misinform people
It's also a dry clutch-pack as that reduces friction. Some DCTs use a wet (in oil) clutch-pack like a motorcycle, and for those it is much harder for the computer to wear out the clutch pack by operating the transmission badly.
I wanted to like these but the transmission is awful
That's not a bad car, my sister had one...& went through two transmissions before she sold it for scrap.
The owner ever hear of a swiffer duster lol? great vid, terrible trans
2008-2011 Ford focus the Best.
yes, my mom purchased a 2009 since new. Sold it 6 years ago and I still see it around town.
But the 3rd gens with the manual are underrated. Very good deal if you can find one for sale
@@engineer_alv I had a 2010 Focus SES Loved it to Death had it for 7 Years Sadly the Rockers Rusted out and the brake System failed but motor and transmission was still good 👍 miss that car I still see then on the road Now I got a 2018 Kia Rio lol still a good car surprisingly
@@engineer_alv and I've been looking at a 3rd Gen
so is this a 2012 or 13? At 8:16 you said 2012.
I feel like it Ford brings a small car back they need to make it very affordable. I think the Subaru Crosstrek/impreza and Nissan Kicks are top competitors
What transmission did the European Ford Focus get, because I don't think I've heard issues with their versions. If any Europeans can specify, love to know. I think this car would've been great, if Ford actually got into making sure this car's tranny was great, they'd still have a market!
The same one, but most cars sold in Europe were manuals. Small cars in Europe tend to be manuals.
6 minutes ago is tantalizing
We need more pink Ford Focus cars to get the mothers and girls out of SUV's.
Nah, they probably won't come back, the Fiesta has already been cancelled in Europe, and the Focus is in it's final generation.
I had a 14 Focus SE with the auto. I blew the engine around 58,000 miles because of the previous owners accident at 10,000 miles. Because of the accident there was overheating issues that killed my head gasket then my engine. That transmission was the worse part. At least the engine I fixed the radiator fan and stopped the overheating issue. That transmission gave me issues the whole time I had the car. Crazy long hesitation when you put your foot down, very rough shifts, holding gears randomly and way too often was it lurching forward on its own as you would start to come to a complete stop. Garbage transmission design.
Same same & same here 😂
I work for the government, and our company car!! Is a Ford Focus!! So we call it the Ford Fuckus!!😂😂😂😂
These dumb transmissions made the Chrysler a604 look good
I wish the ford's transmission would b better made in Japan because Japanese transmissions are more reliable