2004 Ford Focus Estate reviews

Ford Focus Estate TDCI 115ps 2004

Bought it second hand from Ford dealer with 6 months warranty left. Initially liked the car... powerful diesel engine, clean gearshift and it drove pretty well with reasonable fuel consumption. Those are the good points though. After a few months I started to get starting problems. Then a funny sound from the gearbox/clutch area. Asked Ford what the problem was and they said pay us £150 to take the gearbox apart and we’ll tell you. Went to local mechanic and diagnosed dual mass flywheel problem. This is a common problem with most diesel engines where the flywheel is made from two halves and bonded together with rubber. The rubber is a vibration cushion and helps prevent gearbox strip-out due to the high torque diesel engines produce. It cost me just short of £1000 to fix. Next problem: squeaky steering arm. Again replaced at a cost or £125. Then more starting problems (new starter motor at £120). The seats are not a patch on my old Astra either. Sold the car. It’s cheap and tinny. I’ll never buy a Ford or a diesel again. I’ll stick to tried and tested petrol engines in the future. If there was a rating of zero, then that would be my choice. Incidentally, at no time did Ford admit to the major dual mass flywheel problem even though they must have known.