What to watch for on the Ford Focus

The Focus is praised for its steering and chassis and is usually cheaper than a comparable Golf or Octavia. Because of that, many people looking for a family car at a reasonable price look at it. The differences between engines and gearboxes are large, though. This is a general overview of what owners talk about, not statistics. Always check a specific car against the pre-purchase checklist.

Generations. Focus I (1998–2004), Focus II (2004–2011), Focus III (2010–2018) and Focus IV (2018–2025). The used market today is mostly the second and third generations.

Petrol engines.

• The naturally aspirated 1.6 (in the second and third generations) is undemanding and is considered a safe choice.
• The three-cylinder 1.0 EcoBoost (from the Focus III) is economical, but some older cars have cooling and overheating problems. Watch the coolant level, ask about repairs and find out whether the car went through a recall. The timing belt on this engine runs in oil. The replacement interval and the quality of the oil matter more here than usual.
• The 1.5 and 1.6 EcoBoost are less common. Ask about the cooling and service history.

Diesels. The 1.6 TDCi (shared with the PSA group) has intake clogging, injector seal and turbo oil feed problems on some engines. That is why regular oil changes and clean oil are key. The 2.0 TDCi tends to be more robust, with the typical weak spots being the DPF, EGR and dual-mass flywheel. On a Focus IV with AdBlue ask about SCR system faults.

PowerShift gearbox. The PowerShift dual-clutch automatic in the Focus III has judder, clutch slipping and control unit problems on some cars. It is also a regular topic in discussions. If you want an automatic, on the test drive repeatedly try pulling away, creeping in traffic and reversing. Ask what was repaired on the gearbox. The Focus IV has a classic eight-speed torque converter automatic.

Body. Older Focuses (mainly the first and second generations) tend to have rust on the rear wheel arches, sills and the lower edges of the doors. Look under the car too, at the brake lines and the tank. On an estate check that the boot doesn't leak.

Suspension. The multi-link rear axle is why the Focus handles well, but it has more bushes and arms that wear out. On the test drive listen for knocks and creaks, and watch for unevenly worn rear tyres, which point to bad alignment.

Electronics. Try the air conditioning, window controls, central locking and, on the Focus III, the infotainment. On older cars ask whether the door locks work, because they sometimes stop responding.

Current offer and prices. How many Focuses are on offer now and for how much is shown on the page Used Ford Focus. You find the price development in Price trends.

Do you have a Focus? Write the generation, engine, gearbox and mileage and what you dealt with. Experiences with the 1.0 EcoBoost and the PowerShift especially will help those who are deciding.