Advice on Focus

[2thebone]

I will shortly be returning to the UK to live from Canada. I have owned a Focus from new since 2006 and it has been an amazingly good car so I want to buy a Focus when I get to the UK. I visit the UK often and always rent Fords and the dealership I rent from said that buyers are switching from diesel to petrol engines in their droves. Can someone please explain why? My experience with the diesel engines has been fabulous economy so I was heading in that direction.

[ohtari]

Do a search for TDCI issues, and you'll get your answer. The zetec and duratec engines are fairly reliable. The diesels, not so much...

[elliotff]

Hi,

I have not seen any issues with the later focuses and are common. My company have 6 ford focuses 1.8TDCI (57-08-58) models and all have done over 150K miles!!

As far as i am aware they have not been problematic and are still going strong.

Guess its luck and how they are looked after...

[dilateous]

2thebone said:

...the dealership I rent from said that buyers are switching from diesel to petrol engines in their droves. Can someone please explain why?

Probably because of the DPF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_particulate_fi...

I understand one problem is short journeys which might not give time and temperature for a Regen. Result: a possible blocked exhaust and stalled engine. And I also understand they are expensive to replace.

[Camaro]

I believe it is more the 1.6 TDCI unit which is recommended to avoid due to its habit of lunching its own turbo.

I believe it is actually a Peugot unit in the cars.

The 1.8TDCI is regarded quite well, but unless you do heavy mileage the 1.6 and 1.8 Duratec petrol engines would probably work out cheaper. Add the stupid price hike you pay for a diesel, I settled for the 1.8 petrol.

[2thebone]

Thank you everyone for your response. I shall be in the UK before the end of October and will be looking for a 2008 or 2009 Focus, 1.6 petrol engine Zetec or Duratec. So you if you know of any that are for sale I would appreciate hearing from you. My preference for colour is black but I suppose a good car is a good car (as long as it isn't red). For reference purposes I shall be living in southeast Wales and am willing to travel to get a good car.

[dilateous]

I've had my Focus for about a year and I'm quite pleased with it. I was quite intrigued by the variable valve mechanism, which does away with the EGR valve business. My previous vehicle was a Vaux Astra which suffered one or two problems with the EGR - stops the car! When I purchased the thing I didn't know about EGR, and so it took me a while to figure out why the car kept stopping and almost impossible to restart (I don't like garages and haven't used one since I was 19 - long time ago!). But even if the VVT solenoids fail with my Focus they would presumably produce an error code, but I can't see them stopping the car!

Although what I don't like about modern cars in general is the small and cramped bonnet area. But that's progess I suppose.