Used Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet review and buying guide (2006 to 2011): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet should you buy?

No year of the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet stands out as the safe one, because the folding hardtop decides the buy and its leaks are a High-rated known fault on every car from 2006 to 2011. Seals and hydraulics let water into the cabin and boot, and the hydraulics can fail outright, typically showing between 30,000 and 80,000 miles.

Don't assume a later car's been sorted. Early 2006 builds leaked, every car was recalled to cure a leaking roof, and by September 2007 the replacement seals weren't holding while some roofs closed out of line. There are reports that even the facelifted version lets water in at the top bar, one 2008 owner had a boot that kept filling with water from new, and one 2009 owner's roof stopped halfway when closing.

So pick the individual car whose roof works and whose boot is dry, whatever its plate. Rear legroom's tight, so the back seats won't suit adults on long trips. If you're after an automatic, rule out 2006 and 2007 cars, because there wasn't one on offer in those years.

Which Focus Coupe-Cabriolet engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The roof is the only known fault filed for the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet, and there's no engine or gearbox fault recorded against it, which is a thin record rather than proof the drivetrains are trouble-free. The 2.0 petrol is the engine on record for this car, and it's described as flat and short on character, so drive one properly before deciding it's lively enough for you.

The 2.0 petrol uses a dual-mass flywheel, and one owner's clutch gave out on it. When it was stripped, the uneven wear showed the clutch had been fitted wrongly, so it's a single case of poor workmanship rather than a known weakness. Even so, feel for a slipping clutch or a judder pulling away on the test drive, and ask for receipts if the clutch has been replaced.

Early cars were manual only, since 2006 and 2007 models weren't sold with an automatic. There's nothing on record either way about how the automatic on later cars holds up, so if you're buying one, ask for its service history and check it shifts smoothly from cold, without jerks or hesitation between gears.

What should you check when viewing a used Focus Coupe-Cabriolet?

The roof is the main event, so run it through a full open and close cycle more than once with the car stopped on level ground. It should travel all the way without pausing part-way, and the panels should meet the top of the windscreen squarely with no gaps. A roof that won't open or shut fully, or lines up badly, points to the hydraulic fault; one 2009 owner's would only shut halfway and was said to need a new pump.

Then hunt for water. Lift the boot floor and feel the carpet, press the footwell carpets and the headlining for damp, look for tide marks or a musty smell, and inspect the rubber seal along the top of the windscreen. One 2008 car's boot flooded again and again from new, and a 2006 car's upper screen seal failed and could only be renewed with the car set up in a special jig, the owner was told.

Ask for paperwork on the roof: proof the roof leak recall was carried out, plus receipts for any seal, pump or hydraulic work since. Look for any sign of hydraulic fluid seeping out. Close the roof yourself with the car stationary and level, because that's when it's got the best chance of sealing, and ask the seller whether they've always closed it that way.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet cost to run?