Mk1 Focus 1.6 Auto - any known issues?

tc20

Hi all,

with Mrs tc20s K11 gone to the next life, we're looking at a number of options and the Focus Mk1 is in the frame. She had set her sights on another K11, but I've managed to broaden her horizons.
It'd be the hatch rather than the saloon we'd be looking at, and it must be auto, petrol and 5 door.
Does anyone have knowledge particularly of the auto version, and any other known concerns or issues with this model. It would be a later model 02-04.
What is the recommended timing belt change on these? the last few cars we've had have all had timing chains, so I'm a bit out of the loop re TBs.

cheers

kerten

Researched them during my search.

Gearbox doesn't have any specific problem. It is 4 speed torque converter setup. comfortable but expect higher fuel consumption than manual due to nature of this type gearbox.

That focus model is a reliable car in general other than usual wear like ignition system, wheel bearings, etc.

Timing belt for them should be 10 years or 100k miles but I may be wrong. It is recommended not to wait that long though. Anything you buy should have timing belt changed already or a ticking bomb.

As a side note, A friend had 2000 1.6 manual focus and he changed timing belt in Ford dealer around 8 years and 80k miles. Timing belt snapped at 141k miles after 4 years.

Aim for Ghia spec.

tc20

thanks Kerten - did you purchase a Focus in the end?
the car I hope to look at has close to 90k miles on the clock, so TB should be factored in to the price. Would €200-300 cover the cost at an indy?

kerten

I bought a 2005 Focus mk2 1.6 auto with same engine and gearbox at the end. It is a thirsty car comparing to Focus mk1. Lowest consumption I get on M/N roads is 7-7.5 lt/100 kmh.

In city, it can go up to 14-15 lt/100 kmh in my 5 km long short commutes from a cold start. Other than that I am happy with it.

Mk1 should be better than Mk2 fuel consumption wise due to weight difference and aerodynamics..

TB Kit + Water Pump should cost around 300-350 Euro at an indy. Even Ford dealers had a 350 Euro for timing belt kit changes for old cars.

tc20

thirsty enough, but cold short hops will kill consumption alright.
Our budget won't stretch to the Mk2, but i still think the Mk1 is a fresh enough looking car considering the design is over 15 years old (well, the hatchback anyway)
Have you had yours for a while now?

kerten

tc20 wrote: »

thirsty enough, but cold short hops will kill consumption alright.
Our budget won't stretch to the Mk2, but i still think the Mk1 is a fresh enough looking car considering the design is over 15 years old (well, the hatchback anyway)
Have you had yours for a while now?

I think they are pretty reliable option for the price range. Still should find a clean one.

I was focusing on potential issues with gearboxes as it can cost more than car to sort out. Only issues I could find during research was solenoids in box can go wrong and they are cheap to replace.

I had my mk2 for 5 months but mine was a cleanest used car I have ever bought in Ireland. I had to fix alternator(common issues with mk2) and change ignition cables (another common issue due to high running temperature of engine ).

Other than that it is more refined than mk1 but I found mk1 more agile probably because of additional weight of mk2. Both model lacks noise insulation and road/wind noise is intrusive on rough surfaces over 80 km/h.

If I need a cheaper automatic car, I would buy a clean ghia mk1-mk1.5.

good luck with your search.

JohnBoy26

In general they are a reliable car but they do suffer from many small niggles such as rear wheel bearings, coil packs, iffy central locking, cracked waterpump housings, body control units can corrode due to water ingress from the pollen filter housing, causing electrical issues. Instrument clusters On 02-05 facelifts can also fail. The facelifts can also develop oil burning issues.

They are a good car to drive though and the usual service items can be got cheaply for them. I'd do the belt before the interval though, personally I wouldn't be waiting for 10 years or 100k miles. For peace of mind I'd get it changed if it wasn't changed recently.

Rust is another thing to watch out for on these. Even though they came with a 12 year anti corrosion warranty, they still rust regardless of this. On the top half of the car, Places to check are the bottom of the rear doors, lower arches, the bottom edge of the boot door and along the bottom of the glass on the boot door, the top of the front suspension towers (from the engine bay.)

Also on facelift hatchback, ford removed the plastic sill protectors that was found on the pre facelift hatchback model. As a result the rear area of the sills on the facelifts are exposed to stone chips so check this area for any signs of rust.

Also check the rear underbody, The usual areas they rust here is on the area beside the chassis rails at the very rear(behind both corners of the bumper) and in both pockets, where the rear trailing arms bolt to the body.



I know the above list is long but not all suffer all of the above. It's good to check though.

Id opt for a good pre facelift over a facelift model if I was buying. They are a better car imo.

tc20

thanks again lads for the detailed replies, much appreciated.
As it happens, a K11 came up for sale locally this AM, so we jumped on it.
I still would have preferred the Focus, but its for herself to pootle about in, has decent NCT, no major rust in the known spots, so all good - saved us a 3.5hr round trip too.
Here's the link to the Focus in question.
Seller is a small dealer, TB not done, and thanks to your advice above - it was probably the deciding factor (yes there's some small cosmetic damage, but that wouldn't put me off) - might still be a goo d find for someone

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2003-ford-focus-automatic/8029109