Used Ford Focus Hatchback 2011-2018 reliability
Category: Family car
The Focus is one of Britain’s most popular family cars – it's good to drive and practical, and cheap to buy used
What should I look for in a used Ford Focus hatchback?
With so many examples of the Focus to choose from, it’s more important than ever to remember the basic used car checks, such as looking for a full service history, verifying the mileage with a history check and looking for repaired accident damage.
If you’re considering a car with the Powershift automatic gearbox, ensure it shifts gears smoothly with no juddering when you pull away or come to a stop. Look too for evidence that the gearbox fluids have been changed every third service, both to maintain correct operation and to benefit from any warranty protection or potential goodwill on Ford’s part should you encounter a problem.
What are the most common problems with a used Ford Focus hatchback?
Engine failures
Cars built between 2012 and early 2013 with the 1.0-litre Ecoboost have been known to leak coolant, which can ultimately lead to engine failure. Ford has since modified and retrofitted a new hose to affected cars as part of a scheduled service, but it remains good practice to let this engine idle for 15 or 20sec after a long run to help the turbocharger cool down before switching off. A Ford dealer should be able to check to tell you if the new ‘Degas’ hose has been fitted - if not and the engine fails you could face a four-figure repair bill.
Gearbox issues
Cars with a manual gearbox have also been prone to clutch problems, so check the gears engage cleanly and there’s no slip from the clutch.
In 2015 Ford discontinued the dry-clutch version of the Powershift gearbox as featured on lower-powered models and in its place offered a six-speed wet-clutch system on the diesel and 1.6-litre petrol models, or a six-speed torque convertor on for the 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre Ecoboost.
Is a used Ford Focus hatchback reliable?
This earlier version of the Focus didn't appear in our most recent reliability survey, but in the last one it did feature in a diesel-powered Focus finished in 11th place out of 31 cars in our family car class. The petrol-powered car finished in 17th place out of 31.
Ford, as a brand, finished in 17th place out of 32 manufacturers with an overall score of 91.4%. That's a better result than it has achieved in recent years , and put it above rivals from Nissan, Peugeot and Volkswagen but below BMW, Kia and Toyota.
If you would like to see the full reliability survey, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.
