looking to buy ford focus 1.4 hatchback

nino1

I am looking to buy a ford focus 1.4 hatchback for around €1,000.
It will only be used very infrequently as a second car.
I would be looking at a 1999/2000 model for that price.

Are these cars reliable?
At what milage does the timebelt ormally give out in these cars?
Anything else I should look out for?
Don't want to spend a grand and then have to spend the same again in repairs etc!
would i be better with an older car with less mileage than a newer car with more milage?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Outkast_IRE

nino1 wrote: »

I am looking to buy a ford focus 1.4 hatchback for around €1,000.
It will only be used very infrequently as a second car.
I would be looking at a 1999/2000 model for that price.

Are these cars reliable?
At what milage does the timebelt ormally give out in these cars?
Anything else I should look out for?
Don't want to spend a grand and then have to spend the same again in repairs etc!
would i be better with an older car with less mileage than a newer car with more milage?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Ok i am a 01 ford focus owner and have owned my car for nearly 5 years now.

Most important , you want a full service history that can be verified. A service at the correct mileage or time .

2nd at that age of car the timing belt should of been changed either becuase of mileage or time as its over 10 years old.

Most common issue i have come across is coil pack needed to be changed twice in the five years, this is a minor issue and its seems like all/most 1.4 focus need it done.

There are no other issues which jump out at me but that age of car when doing a test drive roll the window down and listen for any nosie that shouldnt be there, wheel bearing nosies etc i would expect .

Also the 1.4 is a grand car to drive, if slightly underpowered imo. therefore some people end up using the clutch incorrectly and tend to accelerate more than needed to try and compensate.

As i said i have mine 5 years and besides from regular maintance just the coil pack needed to be changed.

nino1

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

nino1 wrote: »

I am looking to buy a ford focus 1.4 hatchback for around €1,000.
It will only be used very infrequently as a second car.
I would be looking at a 1999/2000 model for that price.

Are these cars reliable?
At what milage does the timebelt ormally give out in these cars?
Anything else I should look out for?
Don't want to spend a grand and then have to spend the same again in repairs etc!
would i be better with an older car with less mileage than a newer car with more milage?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Ok i am a 01 ford focus owner and have owned my car for nearly 5 years now.

Most important , you want a full service history that can be verified. A service at the correct mileage or time .

2nd at that age of car the timing belt should of been changed either becuase of mileage or time as its over 10 years old.

Most common issue i have come across is coil pack needed to be changed twice in the five years, this is a minor issue and its seems like all/most 1.4 focus need it done.

There are no other issues which jump out at me but that age of car when doing a test drive roll the window down and listen for any nosie that shouldnt be there, wheel bearing nosies etc i would expect .

Also the 1.4 is a grand car to drive, if slightly underpowered imo. therefore some people end up using the clutch incorrectly and tend to accelerate more than needed to try and compensate.

As i said i have mine 5 years and besides from regular maintance just the coil pack needed to be changed.

Thanks a mil Outkast, great advise

Leonard Hofstadter

The 1.4 Focus wouldn't pull you out of bed - I've seen snails move quicker than these cars!

Apart from that they're a great car and will be very reliable, the only issues with them really are the coils.

The one thing that puts me off the 1.4 Focus is that they were not fitted with ABS brakes as standard, which I think is inexcusable, the 1.6 Ghias will have it though.

Try and find something with as much service history as possible.

Outkast_IRE

captainspeed wrote: »

The 1.4 Focus wouldn't pull you out of bed - I've seen snails move quicker than these cars!

Apart from that they're a great car and will be very reliable, the only issues with them really are the coils.

The one thing that puts me off the 1.4 Focus is that they were not fitted with ABS brakes as standard, which I think is inexcusable, the 1.6 Ghias will have it though.

Try and find something with as much service history as possible.

The old model 1.4 focus arent that slow, now the new models are ridiculously slow in comparison. Im not saying they are quick but nowhere near as bad as your describing I wonder what your comparing it to ?

Your dead right about the ABS though its one of my gripes with my car that they dont have them.

miller50841

Make sure it is the 1.4 zetec engine as LX in old model is totally different and un reliable had 1 85kmiles and engine gone and checked NCT mechanic said common problem

I have a 2000 with 95k miles zetec 1.4 good car

bazz26

miller50841 wrote: »

Make sure it is the 1.4 zetec engine as LX in old model is totally different and un reliable had 1 85kmiles and engine gone and checked NCT mechanic said common problem

I have a 2000 with 95k miles zetec 1.4 good car

Zetec is only a spec. The 1.4 litre engine is the same in all Focus models.

colm_mcm

As above, there aren't any mechanical differences between an lx and zetec.
You can just be unlucky sometimes,

miller50841

Check it up there is a difference between zetec up till 2004 new engines.

Fiesta 1.3 endura compared to 1.25 zetec (zetec better engine + more power) just as an example

Even though engine was bad in lx still would not put down the car they are a terrific drivers car.
Sure ecu went in octavia and wouldnt or couldnt fault the car

colm_mcm

Focus never had the older rattlebox fiesta engines. The engines in the focus are zetec regardless of trim level.

Hal1

I'm on my second as I wanted a bigger engined one. There's been no major issues other than the coilpack. The rest is just routine maintenance, but alot of people ignore that and blaim the car when something goes wrong. Any service history is better than none. :0

AugustusMinimus

captainspeed wrote: »

The 1.4 Focus wouldn't pull you out of bed - I've seen snails move quicker than these cars!

Apart from that they're a great car and will be very reliable, the only issues with them really are the coils.

The one thing that puts me off the 1.4 Focus is that they were not fitted with ABS brakes as standard, which I think is inexcusable, the 1.6 Ghias will have it though.

THe 1.6 Ghia up until the 2001 facelift model didn't have ABS either.

OP, no way would I buy the 1.4 Focus. It's is a shockingly slow car. 1.6 is fine if you can stump for slight higher running costs.

The Pontiac

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

THe 1.6 Ghia up until the 2001 facelift model didn't have ABS either..

Are you sure? I had a 2000 Ghia 1.6 and it had ABS.

colm_mcm

This car will be a second car used infrequently, perspective is required here - the OP doesn't really need a 1.6

AugustusMinimus

<Ollie> wrote: »

Are you sure? I had a 2000 Ghia 1.6 and it had ABS.

I had a 2001 pre facelift and it didn't have ABS.

homingbird

They all have busted o rings in the engine which causes them to drink more oil than a alcoholic on a night out. Stay well away . The problem happens when you have careless owners putting the foot down too early on a cold engine.

colm_mcm

homingbird wrote: »

all

:rolleyes:

Hellrazer

miller50841 wrote: »

Check it up there is a difference between zetec up till 2004 new engines.

Nope--Its the same engine since 1995.

Fiesta 1.3 endura compared to 1.25 zetec (zetec better engine + more power) just as an example

Endura was/is a variant of the old pushrod engine used as far back as the mk1 fiesta commonly called the HCS or Valencia.
One of Fords most reliable engines in my opinion.

The Zetec 1.25 was introduced in the Fiesta 95 on model as an option.

The 1.4 zetec used in the Focus has been the same engine since it was first released and is a variant of the 1.25 Zetec.

The Focus is a great car OP.Other than coil packs they give feck all trouble.