Ford Focus 2012 Auto, buy or no buy!

muds · 10-09-2018, 08:21 AM

Hi all

This is my first post on this forum and hence if there is anything that is not as per protocol please excuse my noob-ness

I am planning to buy a Ford Focus 2012 Auto (deposit paid)
So after paying deposit for the car, in all my excitement I was reading about thr car on internet, (I know I should have done this before handing over thr deposit but thats done now.)
I came across issues with Ford Focus's auto transmission for cars between 2010 and 2016, now am worried about the car.

Its 2012 model and 50k kms on clock. It drives great and had nothing to worry about when I test drove it. Since am buying it off a Hyundai Store they are giving me 3 months warranty and all other statutory bits.

My questions -

* should I go ahead with the deal or request Hyundai to return me the deposit?
* Is it perfectly ok to run auch a car without any issues?
* If there is any issue in future what are my options?
* And if the suggestion is to no go, then can I ask Hyundai to return my entire deposit?

Please help.

Thanks
Muds!

robertjp · 10-09-2018, 03:36 PM

If you check the forums on the Focus and the PowerShift transmission, there should be lots of info. For starters the gearbox was sold as an automatic when in reality it is a manual with an automatic clutch, which affects how it performs under different conditions.

There were two versions of the transmission, one for high torque applications (wet clutch) and the other for low torque (dry clutch). The high torque version in the turbo diesel did not experience as many issues as the low torque version which unfortunately is what the majority are.

When buying a LW Focus I insisted on the manual, due to me being dubious of this gearbox. Ford eventually tracked down the problem but the reputation for the car (gearbox) has taken such a hammering they dropped PowerShift for the LZ.

Which is a pity as that the Focus is a great little car, drives and handles really well. Interior is laking a few bells and whistles on the lower spec models and leg room in the rear can be a bit cramped if the front seats are pushed back.

As to your question check # 3 would be my first to check when the extended warranty by Ford runs out (class actions), has this gearbox required any fixes and if so what was done. AS for the rest everything runs well upto the point it breaks, and when does the cooling of period for your contract/deposit end. In the end the choice is yours, "caveat emptor"

Robert.

ozpacman · 10-09-2018, 06:33 PM

Which state do you live in Muds? Have you already signed a contract?

My advice is that if you're having serious doubts about it then now is the time to try and get out of the deal. Don't take delivery and then decide it's not right for you after all.

In Qld you have the option of a 'cool down period' when purchasing through a licensed motor dealer, however it is only on the table for one business day.

Give us a bit more detail mate.

Russ.

Adamz Ghia · 10-09-2018, 06:57 PM

Do not touch it. Do what you can to get out of it. From my personal experience, they are lemons and they cannot be fixed. 5 clutches before Ford took it back and put us into a 2017 LZ.

muds · 10-09-2018, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozpacman

Which state do you live in Muds? Have you already signed a contract?

My advice is that if you're having serious doubts about it then now is the time to try and get out of the deal. Don't take delivery and then decide it's not right for you after all.

In Qld you have the option of a 'cool down period' when purchasing through a licensed motor dealer, however it is only on the table for one business day.

Give us a bit more detail mate.

Russ.

Thanks Russ, am in VIC, we have 3 days of cooling off with $100 hit, I have raised it with dealer and they are happy to return the deposit after deducting 100.

Feels bad to have missed on that immaculate piece!!

GTP534 · 10-09-2018, 09:15 PM

I would give it a wide berth. You should be able to see the service history of this vehicle and what work, if any, was done on the transmission.

We had a 2013 Titanium and the transmission spoilt what was otherwise a great little car. In the end my wife was scared to drive it.

Ford helped us out of it into an Escape which my wife loves.

muds · 11-09-2018, 12:25 AM

Thanks everyone I have initiated the process to get out of the deal by informing the dealer within cool off period, they have agreed to deduct $100 and return the rest.

Lesson learnt, worth $100

Thanks everyone!!

Cheers

JG33 · 11-09-2018, 12:46 AM

Lol the grubby mongrels still kept $100 for themselves. Pretty sure your entitled to a full refund.

muds · 11-09-2018, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JG33

Lol the grubby mongrels still kept $100 for themselves. Pretty sure your entitled to a full refund.

I know, but the dots that they took my sign on said that they will deduct $100 in first 3 days or 1% of car price whichever is more. So $100 it was..

Adamz Ghia · 11-09-2018, 09:54 AM

If your budget allows try getting into an LZ. The Focus is a ripper car, it was only spoilt by the transmission. The current model has a conventional auto and is near faultless.

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 11-09-2018, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JG33

Lol the grubby mongrels still kept $100 for themselves. Pretty sure your entitled to a full refund.

A $100 retainer is perfectly legitimate in Vic:

https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/cars...ing-off-period

JG33 · 11-09-2018, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psychobimbo

A $100 retainer is perfectly legitimate in Vic:

Yeah not in in W.A., the dealers in Vic must be poorer.

ozpacman · 11-09-2018, 06:30 PM

I reckon that may just turn out to be the best hundred bucks you ever spent Muds.

Sometimes you have to go with you gut feeling in these situations, and yours was screaming at you to reconsider by the sounds of things.

Something I've finally learned after damn near six decades on this planet is that there's always another great deal waiting around the corner. You just have to be patient and be ready to jump on it when you know it's definitely the right one for you.

Happy hunting mate!

Russ.

Ben73 · 11-09-2018, 08:22 PM

The $100 hit is worth not having to deal with the issues which may cost you much more in the long run.

I had a Focus with transmission issues as a rental a few years ago. It was the most annoying car I have ever driven. I had to take it back to the rental place because I was sick of the car jerking around while accelerating and the wheels chirping every time I turned onto another street while accelerating.

Crazy Dazz · 11-09-2018, 11:48 PM

The question I would be asking (and I don't know the answer) is WHEN the problems should show up? Is it a case of if the car drives ok after 50kk it means you have a good one?
Or is it still likely to happen within the next 50kk?

happy1 · 12-09-2018, 01:52 AM

Hi,

With the consumer action against Ford it would be a little safer to buy a petrol Focus. If I had to buy one, I would buy it from a dealer and demand 3 years full warranty. I would demand a letter from Ford to confirm the particular car had ALL the relevant fixes, including updated clutch actuators and updated clutch friction material. The Focus is not suitable for stand-still city driving, but in an area with less busy traffic it would be less strain on the dry clutch.

Currently the cheapest 2012 Focus from a dealer cost $7000. I wouldn't pay much more than that for such a troubled car model.

I doubt any dealer will give full warranty on such a lemon car at that age, but Ford will to some degree have a lifetime responsibility to keep these on the road, but it could involve some legal assistance, or consumer protection assistance, so that's not for everyone to jump into.

A troubled Focus, if fitted with the latest upgrades and fixes should in theory be trouble free for the next 100.000 km, but it will depend on driving style. And don't expect it to behave like an 'Auto'. It is an electronically controlled auto-shift manual.

Cheers,

Adamz Ghia · 12-09-2018, 09:24 AM

Ours had a clutch fitted at 30k, then again at 43k, another at 60k, another at 75k, and another at 105k. It needed another at 118k but we refused to let the dealer fix it and the car was gone at 130k. By the time it was gone it was near undrivable.

Funny thing was the clutch fitted at 60k was this new whiz bang clutch that was going to solve all the problems and be a permenant fix.

OzJavelin · 12-09-2018, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

Funny thing was the clutch fitted at 60k was this new whiz bang clutch that was going to solve all the problems and be a permenant fix.

Powershift (DSG) ... the solution to a problem that didn't exist ...

DMXR6T · 17-09-2018, 05:48 PM

We had 2 x Focus and 2 Fiesta in our company. Clutch change in one Focus at $30K and apart from that no problems at all. Cars range from 6 to 8 years old approaching 100K. It is important to drive then as an automated manual - e.g. do not hold on a hill using the transmission.

Adamz Ghia · 17-09-2018, 07:17 PM

It’s all well and good to say that, however these cars were advertised as automatics. They were talked up by salespeople as automatics. People signed sales contracts under the impression that they were automatics. If in fact they were manuals with an automated clutch they should have been advertised that way and potential customers advised of the required driving styles.