A Mk3 Ford Focus with the 1.6 Ti-VCT petrol and a manual gearbox is the lesser risk once you've checked the steering assist, while the dry-clutch Powershift automatic on 2011 to 2018 petrols is best avoided.
36 known faults, 28 rated high severity in our database; owners report 44.9 mpg, 80% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Check a Ford Focus advert (free) →Go for a Mk3 (2011 to 2018) with the 1.6 Ti-VCT petrol and a manual gearbox, because no known fault names that engine, while every EcoBoost petrol and the 1.6 TDCi diesel from the same years carries at least one serious fault. It isn't faultless, though: on 2011 to 2014 cars the electric power steering motor on the rack can burn out, so drive it long enough to see whether a steering assist warning comes on.
On a Mk2 (2004 to 2011), a petrol manual is again the lesser risk if you check three things. 1.6 petrols from 2004 to 2007 can have water sitting around their spark plugs until they rust into the head; power steering pumps failed on 2004 to 2009 cars; and on 2008 to 2011 cars the fusebox module corrodes, setting off the alarm and flashing the lights. The ST's 2.5 five-cylinder is the exception, since its timing belt tensioner can fail from 50,000 miles and wreck the engine.
The diesels and automatics are where the serious known faults pile up. Mk2 1.6 TDCi engines starve their turbos of oil through a blocked feed pipe, the wet-clutch Powershift on 2008 to 2011 2.0 TDCi cars can fail if its three-yearly fluid and filter change is skipped, and the dry-clutch Powershift on Mk3 petrol automatics judders and suffers control module failures. Don't consider the 1.6 TDCi CVT automatic at all, since its gearbox isn't rated for the engine's torque.
The Mk1 (1998 to 2004) comes with petrol timing belt tensioners that fail and wreck the engine, front coil springs that snap on 1998 to 2001 cars, and a fuel pump or pump drive fault on each of its 1.8 diesels. There's less to go on for the Focus sold from 2018, but owners of nearly new cars have reported a run of electrical and electronic faults, and several saw exhaust filter warnings on petrol cars within their first few thousand miles.
In a Mk3, the 1.6 Ti-VCT petrol is the engine to pick, since no known fault names it; its dry timing belt is due at 100,000 miles or eight years, so ask for that receipt on an older car. The Mk2's 1.6 petrol needs more care: on 2004 to 2007 cars water rusts the spark plugs into the cylinder head, so treat a misfire, hard starting or a warning light as a reason to say no.
Every Mk3 EcoBoost has a serious known fault. The 1.0's wet timing belt degrades and clogs the oil pickup between 60,000 and 80,000 miles, well before it's due at 100,000 miles or six years, and its nylon degas hose cracks and can drain the coolant in seconds and warp the head. The 1.5 from 2014 can let coolant into its cylinders, and 2011 to 2014 1.6 EcoBoosts can crack their heads, which Ford recalled.
The 1.6 TDCi is the diesel with most against it. Mk2 engines block the turbo oil feed and kill turbos, Euro 5 1.6 TDCi 110 and 2.0 TDCi 136 engines have DPFs that give out around 100,000 miles, and 2011 to 2014 cars add clutch slave cylinder and gearbox bearing failures. The 2.0 TDCi is named by fewer faults, but check 2014 to 2015 cars had the recall for engine software that couldn't detect overheating.
The Powershift automatics and the CVT are the gearboxes to avoid. The dry-clutch Powershift on Mk3 petrols shudders, hesitates and suffers transmission control module failures between 30,000 and 70,000 miles. The wet-clutch Powershift on 2008 to 2011 2.0 TDCi cars needs fresh fluid and a microfilter every three years or it can fail outright. The CVT fitted to some 2004 to 2007 1.6 TDCi models is built for less torque than the engine makes, so don't buy one.
Open the bonnet on any EcoBoost and look at the coolant level before anything else, because coolant loss is behind its worst faults. On a 1.0, don't go further if the tank's low, the temperature gauge climbs or there's any sign the hose has been leaking; on a 1.5, unexplained coolant loss, white exhaust smoke and rough running from cold all point to coolant reaching the cylinders.
On the test drive, a Powershift that judders pulling away, hesitates between gears or shows a transmission malfunction message has the known fault, and several owners have found software updates didn't cure it. In a manual 1.0 EcoBoost or 1.6 TDCi, a burning smell, clutch slip, a sticking pedal or trouble finding gears when warm points to the clutch, slave cylinder and dual mass flywheel. Listen for whine or rumble from a 1.6 TDCi gearbox.
On 2011 to 2014 cars, very heavy steering or a steering assist warning that clears after a restart is the rack motor failing. On the same cars, lift the mats: a damp front footwell with a sweet smell is the heater matrix or its pipes, and wet rear footwells or a damp boot floor point to rear light seals or seams. On 2008 to 2011 cars, lights flashing on their own, the alarm going off or the doors unlocking by themselves is the fusebox module.
Ask for receipts showing the Powershift fluid was changed every three years, with the microfilter on a wet-clutch 2.0 TDCi, and proof the coolant degas hose work and any cylinder head or clutch pressure plate recall were done on EcoBoost cars. On a Mk2 diesel that tops its DPF up with Eolys fluid, ask when the tank was last refilled, as owners whose tanks ran dry got warning lights and limp mode. On a Mk1, you'll want a receipt for a timing belt with its tensioner and pulleys.
Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.
A Mk1's biggest risk is a petrol timing belt tensioner letting go between 60,000 and 90,000 miles, worst on the 1.8, which throws the belt and wrecks the engine. Front coil springs also break on 1998 to 2001 cars, and a broken one can shred the tyre and damage the front brake pipe, so look for a car that's sitting low on one side or clunking from the front.
Each 1.8 diesel carries its own serious fault. The 1.8 TDCi's high pressure fuel pump failed so often that traders shied away from cars without a new one, though Ford recalled most of them; the lower-powered 1.8 TDDi's Bosch pump control module can fail and cut the engine dead; and the older 1.8 TD's fuel pump belt drive can wreck the engine if it's neglected. Dual mass flywheels fail on 2.0 petrols and diesels too, and the filings they shed kill the starter motor.
When you view one, listen for rumbling rear wheel bearings, especially on an estate (one late Mk1 went through four), and look for rust at the bottom rear edge of the front wheel arches and in the recess under the rear screen. Speedo, fuel and temperature gauges dying together mean dried-out contacts in the instrument cluster, and an owner reported that flickering ABS lights now fail the MOT.
Real-world economy on this generation: Ford Focus 41.2 mpg.
A petrol Mk2 is a sound buy once you've checked a few known faults, and it drives with real polish; one owner of a 2007 1.6 petrol covered 127,000 miles without trouble. On 2004 to 2007 1.6 petrols, though, water gets into the spark plug wells and rusts the plugs into the head, worst on cars that rarely get properly hot, and power steering pumps failed on 2004 to 2009 cars, making the steering heavy and whiny.
The diesels bring the Mk2's turbo and DPF trouble. The 1.6 TDCi's turbo oil feed pipe blocks and starves the turbo, bringing a whistle or growl, lost power and smoke, and the DPFs on the 1.6 TDCi 110 and 2.0 TDCi 136 give out around 100,000 miles. One 2008 1.6 TDCi owner went through three DPFs in 77,000 miles despite regular motorway driving, and other owners hit warning lights and limp mode when the Eolys fluid tank ran dry.
Two faults hit 2008 to 2011 cars in particular. The fusebox module corrodes when condensation from the chilled glovebox drips on it, sending the lights and alarm haywire, and the wet-clutch Powershift on the 2.0 TDCi can fail between 50,000 and 80,000 miles if its fluid and microfilter changes are missed. One owner's 2008 2.0 TDCi had a Powershift sensor fail and was told only a complete gearbox was available, not the smaller parts.
If you're looking at a Focus CC, work the folding hard top several times: its hydraulics and seals leak on 2006 to 2011 cars between 30,000 and 80,000 miles, letting water into the cabin and boot and stopping the roof closing properly. Check estates for a wet boot floor too, since water gets in through the tailgate hinges and the seam where the roof meets the rear pillars. On an ST, the 2.5 five-cylinder's timing belt tensioner can let go from 50,000 miles and wreck the engine.
Real-world economy on this generation: Ford Focus 41.2 mpg, Ford Focus Saloon 42.8 mpg, Ford Focus 44.1 mpg, Ford Focus 45.7 mpg, Ford Focus Estate 48.7 mpg.
The 1.0 EcoBoost and the dry-clutch Powershift automatic cause the most Mk3 trouble. On 2012 to 2017 1.0 EcoBoosts, the nylon coolant degas hose goes brittle and snaps between 40,000 and 70,000 miles, and with so little coolant on board the engine can lose it in seconds and warp its head. Owners have reported whole engines replaced, and one 2012 car's replacement hose failed within months and took the head gasket with it.
The 1.0's timing belt runs in oil, and as it degrades it clogs the oil pickup and starves the engine, showing up between 60,000 and 80,000 miles as a low oil pressure warning, lost power or a brake servo that stops helping. Manual 1.0 EcoBoosts from 2012 to 2015 also get through clutches, slave cylinders and dual mass flywheels from as little as 5,000 miles, and one owner had the clutch and flywheel replaced twice, at 20,903 and 45,257 miles.
The dry-clutch Powershift fitted to petrol autos judders pulling away, hesitates and suffers control module failures between 30,000 and 70,000 miles. Some owners have had the clutch pack replaced two or three times only for the judder to come back, and it's been reported on cars as late as 2016, so don't assume a later one escaped. The 1.5 EcoBoost from 2014 can let coolant into its cylinders, and 2011 to 2014 1.6 EcoBoosts can crack their heads and leak oil onto hot parts.
The 1.6 Ti-VCT petrol isn't named by any known engine fault, but it shares the 2011 to 2014 electric steering fault where the rack motor burns out between 60,000 and 95,000 miles, bringing a steering assist warning and heavy steering. Have it with a manual: one owner's 2012 1.6 Ti-VCT Powershift had its clutch pack fail twice, 4,000 miles apart. On 2011 to 2014 cars, coolant can also leak into the footwells from the heater matrix.
Real-world economy on this generation: Ford Focus 45.7 mpg, Ford Focus Estate 48.7 mpg, Ford Focus 46.0 mpg, Ford Focus Estate 48.3 mpg, Ford Focus 45.8 mpg, Ford Focus Estate 42.5 mpg.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
Paste any Ford Focus advert and we check it against the faults, the MOT record and these figures in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 44.9 mpg across the Ford Focus engines with data, about 80% of the official figure, from 9,033 submissions.
Ford Focus Real MPG by engine →The Mk3 balances a comfortable ride with handling that's fun on a good road, and 2014 to 2018 cars feel relaxed and easy to drive whether you're in town or cruising on the motorway. The Focus that replaced it in 2018 rides better still and has more room inside than the car before it.
It's a practical car too. Fold the rear seats in a Mk3 estate and they lie flat, with a wide opening that makes loading easy, and the Mk2 saloon's boot takes golf bags or a couple of big suitcases without a fight. On 2014 to 2018 cars the centre console is tidier and less cluttered than on the earlier Mk3.
A Mk3 Ford Focus with the 1.6 Ti-VCT petrol and a manual gearbox is the lesser risk once you've checked the steering assist, while the dry-clutch Powershift automatic on 2011 to 2018 petrols is best avoided. Our database holds 36 known Ford Focus faults, 28 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
Go for a Mk3 (2011 to 2018) with the 1.6 Ti-VCT petrol and a manual gearbox, because no known fault names that engine, while every EcoBoost petrol and the 1.6 TDCi diesel from the same years carries at least one serious fault. On the fault record the Mk1 (1998 to 2004) carries 7 known faults against 17 on the Mk3 (2011 to 2018). Each generation's section above gives the detail. Ford Focus faults by generation.
Open the bonnet on any EcoBoost and look at the coolant level before anything else, because coolant loss is behind its worst faults. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known Ford Focus fault before you travel.
Owners report 44.9 mpg on average, about 80% of the official figure, from 9,033 submissions. Wet belt (Mk3, Mk7, Mk8, 1.0 ECOBOOST): 100,000 miles or 6 years, whichever comes first, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. Ford Focus Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Ford Focus buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 387 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services. What happened to Honest John, and where each feature lives now.
The Ford Focus is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
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