Tales from the Focus (aka how my newest car is a money pit).

Kinja'd!!! by "V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!" (v8demon)
Published 03/15/2017 at 15:07

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Kinja'd!!!

2012 Ford Focus SE. Base wheels. Base.....everything.... we bought it new as reliable yet inexpensive transportation.....

About the only options we ticked off were remote start and the DCT.

I bitch about the electrical gremlins in my Dodge. Those are slight annoyances. This car is pure rage.

Before last Friday, I hadn’t driven the car since Valentine’s Day (it’s the wife’s commuter) when I had to get it a new tire (chunk of metal in roadway JUUUST a bit too big to patch/plug). Fast forward to last Friday. Noise that is reminiscent of gear whine from the rear of a FWD vehicle. Great. Wheel bearing. Or should I say BEARINGS. As in BOTH. Did I mention it’s a drum brake rear? Apparently that makes it a crap-ton harder than the disc rear cars...... Oh, and lucky me, there’s a hole somewhere in the exhaust and it makes WONDERFUL noises when I shift from reverse to drive (or vice versa). I’m fairly confident it’s up towards the exhaust manifold itself as the rest of the exhaust APPEARS solid. It’s due for a transmission service as well. It’s too cold and my wife needs this car done so I’m dropping it off for this work to the shop I use when I’m too lazy and/or pressed for time. Did I mention the car only has 57K miles? Wheel bearings bad @ 57K miles...... Did I mention the TCM has been replaced cause the car bricked itself in my driveway last year? Did I mention the remote start has been replaced as well? When the car had 5K on it?

Maybe I was spoiled by my wife’s previous car...... Maybe I’m spoiled by my 160K mile Lincoln that was driven HARD before I got it. It’s been a champ.

I’m to the point where I’m debating on trading the Dodge and the Focus in and getting a lease...... A brand new MKZ select with the twin turbo V6 and AWD would be under $400 a month.....

Rant over.


Replies (29)

Kinja'd!!! "gawdzillla" (gawdzillla)
03/15/2017 at 15:19, STARS: 3

Ford f’d you over with cheap car

want another ford lol

+1 great story bro, will read again

(go get yourself a mazda 3 / chevy cruze / honda accord like this site always suggest)

Kinja'd!!! "OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
03/15/2017 at 15:19, STARS: 2

granted i’ve only had it for 5 months but my 2012 has been fine so far. I think i had the Allroad apart 3 or 4 times by now.

Kinja'd!!! "Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
03/15/2017 at 15:19, STARS: 1

Sounds like you may have a lemon. That bites. I hope the warranty service can get it sorted out for you, but I wouldn’t blame you if you did trade.

Kinja'd!!! "Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
03/15/2017 at 15:22, STARS: 0

My thoughts exactly

Kinja'd!!! "Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
03/15/2017 at 15:26, STARS: 0

I did that with my smart.

The car was broken from new. It has 123k now and remains just as broken as the day the dealer took off the protective wraps. So, what would anyone do with a broken lemon? Clearly one should buy a second one. xD

If life gives you lemons, go out and buy more lemons.

Kinja'd!!! "BvdV - The Dutch Engineer" (dutchengineer)
03/15/2017 at 15:30, STARS: 0

My dad had a 2012 Focus wagon for about 4 years, and literally the only thing that broke on that were the struts of the hatch. This makes me curious for the quality differences between the German built and American built Focusses. Why would Ford make the American built ones that much worse?

Kinja'd!!! "SpeedSix" (speedsix)
03/15/2017 at 15:38, STARS: 1

Takes a few lemons to make lemonade ...

(to reimagine a cliché)

Kinja'd!!! "V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!" (v8demon)
03/15/2017 at 15:39, STARS: 3

Comparing entry level commuter to a Lincoln.....LOL, OK.

My other Fords are fine....general maintenance and whatnot....

This site recommends Miatas as well......Oh, and a few guys recommend used Mercs with stupid miles and a nack for expensive electrical repairs.....Yeah, NO.

Great response, bro. Would read again.

Kinja'd!!! "SpeedSix" (speedsix)
03/15/2017 at 15:39, STARS: 1

Well, every manufacturer has produced lemons before - I hope you’ve used up your bad luck by getting a lemony Focus and won’t have any further bad luck. :)

Kinja'd!!! "V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!" (v8demon)
03/15/2017 at 15:40, STARS: 1

Warranty is done. The TCM and remote start were, of course repaired under such and the TCM warranty has been extended to 150K.

Kinja'd!!! "V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!" (v8demon)
03/15/2017 at 15:41, STARS: 1

Friday afternoon build?

To be fair I know a couple of other people who have had problem free experiences with them. Luck of the draw sometimes....

Kinja'd!!! "Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
03/15/2017 at 15:43, STARS: 0

Any of that covered under a TSB?

Kinja'd!!! "V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!" (v8demon)
03/15/2017 at 15:43, STARS: 1

I think it’s my bank account just being angry from getting larger due to no more car payments ;)

Kinja'd!!! "415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)" (415s30)
03/15/2017 at 15:43, STARS: 0

Just get a used Honda, I have had used DD commuter Hondas since 1994 and not one has had a major problem with regular maintenance (2 cars). I had the Accord from 1994 til two years ago. I have a CRV now which is a lifted AWD Civic and it’s great.

Kinja'd!!! "Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition" (realasabass)
03/15/2017 at 15:46, STARS: 3

I will say yours is a lemon or mine was very good. I got rid of my 2012 in 2015 with almost 150k miles on the odometer. Zero problems except new tires and oil changes. YMMV

Kinja'd!!! "V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!" (v8demon)
03/15/2017 at 15:57, STARS: 0

I heard the rimshot in my head when I read that. Lol

Kinja'd!!! "V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!" (v8demon)
03/15/2017 at 15:58, STARS: 0

None that I’ve found so far.

Kinja'd!!! "V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!" (v8demon)
03/15/2017 at 15:59, STARS: 1

Probably a little column A, a little column B.

Kinja'd!!! "Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
03/15/2017 at 16:16, STARS: 1

Yeah, you have to catch them, as opposed to them admitting it.

Kinja'd!!! "Spoon II" (Spoon_II)
03/15/2017 at 16:41, STARS: 0

Maybe it’s just my experience, but around here everyone I know with a recent Ford is having some serious quality issues. Random stuff too, like the door locks just coming off.

Kinja'd!!! "pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
03/16/2017 at 06:35, STARS: 0

get a Hyundai or Mitsubishi perhaps

Kinja'd!!! "MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner" (montegoman562)
03/16/2017 at 09:21, STARS: 0

1 - new mkz with twin turbo v6 and AWD = badass. Love that car.

2 - focus auto trans sucks balls and has been an issue for quite a while.

Kinja'd!!! "MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner" (montegoman562)
03/16/2017 at 09:22, STARS: 0

don’t forget they won’t contact you over a TSB, they don’t have to because it isn’t a recall.

Kinja'd!!! "Nayman898" (nayman898)
03/17/2017 at 10:01, STARS: 0

Well, for the bearings, it’s most likely a fault in a brake pad replacement. Rear drum brakes are are very precise in the torque you need to apply to those bearings to avoid any issue. If your mechanic (or you) did not torque it correctly, then they WILL go, and fast. It’s a well known thing among focus owners, and it says so in multiple manuals and how-to’s.

Kinja'd!!! "V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!" (v8demon)
03/17/2017 at 16:12, STARS: 0

First time the rear brakes were off was today. All original. Still had meat on the pads. Needless to say new pads and drums. Why go that far and NOT replace stuff that will need it soon enough?

Kinja'd!!! "Eric @ opposite-lock.com" (theyrerolling)
05/23/2017 at 12:35, STARS: 0

Was it a manual or in Europe?

Kinja'd!!! "Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition" (realasabass)
05/23/2017 at 12:44, STARS: 0

Neither. I never had any issues with the DCT, other than an weird shift every now and then. It might have been because I did not expect it to be smooth at low speeds, so it did not freak me out like some Consumer Reports reviewer.

Kinja'd!!! "Nayman898" (nayman898)
07/17/2017 at 05:33, STARS: 0

Wait, 57k miles and you never replaced the rear brakes? It’s 173ft-lbs of torque for that rear break drum bearing to press correctly. There is not way you never replaced them after that mileage and still had meat on the bones. You would’ve heard grinding beyond your bearing whines if they hadn’t been changed. Are you sure a mechanic didn’t replace them? Also sorry for the revival like, 4 months later

Kinja'd!!! "V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!" (v8demon)
08/12/2017 at 04:03, STARS: 0

100 percent. Only one shop has ever touched the car. I’ve gotten mileage like that and more from brakes on other vehicles....