Faults:

-When I first bought the car it needed a new DPFE sensor, a very common problem in the Focus. $35 and 15 minutes is all it take to fix it.

-The interior hatch button doesn't work anymore, I think this was self-inflicted though.

-Besides regular maintenance, nothing else. This car has been good to me.

General Comments:

I love it. At first it was just another car, but it grew on me and I can't imagine being without it now. These cars handle very well as their chassis is built around a Rally car's. It is quick enough for me and the torque is great from this little 2.0. It is small enough to fit pretty much anywhere and has a great feel in the steering wheel. Stable, crisp, and precise. The bucket seats are supportive and fully adjustable to fit the biggest drivers. I am 6 feet tall and fit without a problem. Passengers in the backseat have mixed feelings. The one behind me hates it because I leave my seat moved far back and the one behind the passenger has enough room to fit comfortably.

It is a great little car. I would love to buy another one of these little cars, but not one of the newer ones. Ford seemed to have strayed away from the same formula they used on this car.

Faults:

Waterpump @ 100k.

And that's it. If you're being picky, a sidelight blew at 125k and a numberplate light bulb at 111k.

General Comments:

I really like the Focus TDDi's. Excellent, reliable engines. Tad noisy perhaps, but I have added some sound deadening into the doors and underneath the carpet and quite a few people think it's a petrol now as far as noise is concerned.

The turbo has a very smooth delivery and if you give it the beans and change up around the 3k mark you can make excellent safe progress with it.

I don't think i'd be able to get any lower than 40mpg with mine. On average I get 51mpg and that is with a performance air filter, 205 width tyres and lowered suspension; not to mention the weight of a not-insubstantial driver and stereo install!

I chose it over the TDCi's as they are nowhere near as reliable- they seem to blow injectors very regularly and would cetainly not be as reliable as mine is @ 130k. I would also definitely not recommend an Astra DTI 1.7 as that's what I had before. Huge turbo lag and the fuel pump/ECU are very badly designed.

I do my own servicing on the Focus- the Ford garage is full of monkeys.

The standard velour interior was nice enough- its the Ghia estate, but have replaced this with leather which is more supportive. Stock stereo is rubbish and so are the stock springs- the car rolled a bit too much, especially with the 185/65 tyres.

Plastics inside are durable and cope well with odd scratches and the overall quality is good.

I would recommend a TDDi Focus, not TDCi.

Faults:

Still running as the first time when I got it from the dealer.

General Comments:

The ford focus s. e 2001 is a good car, what many people says about breaking parts or malfunctions I have not experienced yet, but for the moment everything is running smoothly, just make sure the oil levels are OK (breaking fluid, motor oil, transmission oil, steering fluid etc) and change the hoses for new ones and I think you will be fine, just don't make changes that compromise the system, like car alarms or things like that, at least that's what I do and I have no problems. If you think that the car is a lemon, just think about other cars, they too have recalls from manufacturers, my brother have a (toyota 2006) and the car already have 5 recalls, nothing is done perfect... including cars.