Faults:

Thermostat housing melted!

Front disk brake rotors replaced at 50,000.

Radio volume knob is dis-functional. Turning it clockwise or counterclockwise has the same effect, the volume level goes up and down sporadically as you twist the knob.

General Comments:

I seriously can't believe the thermostat housing melted. We live in a small town, at high elevation, meaning the temperature outside never climbs about 95 during the summer and there is not a lot of traffic to sit in, and we seldom us the air conditioner. This little housing that bolts onto the driver side of the engine block is made of PLASTIC. Our mechanic couldn't believe it, he just laughed, and reluctantly installed a new housing which Ford still makes out of plastic. Not only did the old part melt, part of it was missing, meaning there might be a chunk of it still stuck somewhere.

I'm not expecting to get much more than 100,000 miles out of this thing before something else melts.

Faults:

Ignition switch several times.

Battery cable several times.

Battery three times.

Thermostat housing O-ring several times.

First set of tires came apart approx. within 15,000 miles after purchase, and Ford did not stand behind them.

Door latches.

Is sitting under carport as I speak now, runs for a little and stalls out, and then acts like the battery is dead, but it's not, but yet you can jump it off and it will run for a while, and starts all over again. Piece of crap.

General Comments:

The only good point from the day we bought it was gas mileage. Other than that, this has to be the worst car ever made, and that's even including Pintos and Chevettes. This car has been broke down more than it's been on the road.

My daughter can't even use it to go back and forth to school with, because it's so undependable. And her school is less than 1/4 mile from the house.

I strayed away from Dodge because of price of the Fords was cheaper; well we know why now.

I bought a 2007 mega cab Dodge 1500, and it gets 21.6 miles per gal. and I will not ever buy a Ford or Ford product again.

I tried the lemon law and they claim that the problems were not a safety issue. BS.

We Americans can't threaten auto manufacturers, insurance companies, phone companies, businesses in general, etc with our business because they don't care anymore. Used be that we could threaten to discontinue our business and they would try and make you a satisfied customer. Now they don't care because one person's loyalty means nothing to them.

Faults:

Front brakes replaced at 12500 miles at dealership.

Front brakes replaced at 26000 miles at tire shop, no problems since.

Water leak at right cowl.

Electric lock switch not connected, corrected under warranty.

Left front window squeaks against seals.

Valve cover gasket leaking at 61000 miles.

A/C lost charge at 70000 miles.

Coil pack replaced 3 times under warranty.

Right rear lamps replaced 4 times.

Dealer replaced wheel bearings under warranty at 15000 miles, returned car dirty and with body damage.

Other dealer's collision repair shop difficult to deal with, returned car with many defects.

Exhaust leaking at manifold at 80000 miles.

Both dealerships difficult to deal with, both now out of business.

Rear seat belts are tight, Driver's seat belt is falling apart, needs replacing.

General Comments:

I have mixed feelings about this car. I love its acceleration, handling, styling, comfort and safety. The fuel economy is 26 mpg, less than the 34 mpg advertised.

This car replaced a 1986 VW GTI with 300000 relatively trouble-free miles, but still drove and handled great. Apart from many electrical gremlins the last year of ownership, it was by far the best car I have ever owned. I was hoping to repeat that experience with this Focus.

I am very pleased with how the car performed in a rear end collision. The car suffered $4500 damage, but I walked away with a minor headache. A similar, earlier accident in another car had me in physical therapy for months.

The most frustrating part of owning this Ford has been dealing with the dealerships and Ford's Customer Care. The dealers had poor customer service and quality control. (Both dealerships are now out of business.) Ford has been less than stellar dealing with my complaints.

The last 15000 miles or so have been trouble free, save for the exhaust leak. I'm surprised that the clutch has lasted this long and still feels very similar to when new. The interior has held up very well and the driver's seat is still supportive despite my large/heavy frame.

I'm happy that the power accessories and radio/CD player have not failed. The remote lock device is wearing out tho. The car has never failed to start, save for the very cold Christmas Eve when the original 60 month battery failed at 72 months.

All in all, I like this car very much, I only wish that I, and many others, had had a better experience with the brakes.

I'm disappointed with the other defects and the poor dealer experience. For these reasons, its doubtful that I would buy another Ford.