Ford Focus III (2011-2018): owner opinions, common problems and buying tips

Ford Focus is a car built by Ford Motor Company, created under Ford 2000 plan by Alexander Trotman, aimed at globalizing model development and selling a globally compact vehicle. The original Focus was mainly designed by Ford’s German and British teams in Europe.

The Focus was launched in July 1998 in Europe, replacing the Ford Escort and the Ford Laser. Wayne Stamping & Assembly began producing Focus for North America, with sales starting in 1999.

The Ford Focus (third generation), also known as Focus Mk III, debuted at the North American International Auto Show in 2010. The cars shown were a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback, launching a new 2.0-liter I4 engine with direct injection. A five-door hatch (wagon) was shown at the Geneva Auto Show a month later.

This generation of Focus was Ford’s first vehicle designed under the leadership of CEO Alan Mulally and his One Ford plan, which sought to leverage Ford’s global resources to create more competitive vehicles that could be sold globally in every segment with minimal changes.

The One Ford plan would bring together the North American and global Focus lines. The previous North American version was thus phased out, and the new model was launched simultaneously in North America and Europe on 2 March 2011, both starting production near the end of 2010.

Let’s move beyond this general presentation and learn more details directly from Focus III owners. We collected several responses from them through reviews on our site.

When asked “Why did you choose to buy Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi (115 Hp)?”:

Boroleanu Bogdan answered: “I wanted a car that looks good inside and out, and that is somewhat sporty, with a pleasant feel and not lacking in personality. It behaves very nicely in the city and on long trips, and if you want speed you can have it, while if you want to save fuel you can easily achieve 4% to 5% in traffic.”

Godino Alin answered: “I chose this model mainly for the large boot space and for maintenance that isn’t too expensive. A very good car that doesn’t make you open your wallet too wide.”

Dragan Daniel answered: “I’m a Ford fan first of all. I also have a 10-year-old Ford Fiesta and I’m very satisfied. I think it’s the best choice at the moment.”

When asked “Why did you choose to buy Ford Focus 1.6 EcoBoost (150 Hp)?”:

Alexandru Lixandre answered: “I also had a Ford Focus mk1 from 2002 used, and from 106,000 km to 172,000 km it didn’t give me any headaches. Consumables and that’s about it.”

Common problems of Ford Focus III (2011 – 2018)

The most frequent issues appear in:

• DPF
• EGR
• automatic transmission
• electrical system
• clutch

Available engines

The engines available for the European market are:

• 1.0 litre EcoBoost — this engine delivers 125 HP;
• 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT — this engine delivers 125 HP and a torque of 159 Nm;
• 1.5-litre EcoBoost — this engine delivers 182 HP;
• 1.6-litre Duratorq — this engine delivers 95 HP and a torque of 230 Nm;
• 2.0-litre Duratorq — this engine delivers 185 HP and a torque of 400 Nm.

How it drives and what fuel economy does Ford Focus III (2011 – 2018) offer?

We asked Focus 3 owners about their driving experience behind the wheel of such a car. When asked “How does it drive in the city and on long trips?”:

Alexandru Buta answered: “In the city it drives OK, aside from the relatively high consumption and a rather stiff clutch, I have nothing but praise. On long trips, excellent! In overtaking you have the necessary power, and there’s noise only after 3000 rpm, very comfortable.”

Murariu Cristian answered: “It has a manual gearbox and a Start-Stop system. In traffic the clutch is used a lot. On long trips it’s very pleasant. It handles tight corners well. It brakes very well.”

Alexandru Lixandre answered: “In the city you mostly use second gear, with the third gear forgiving, it’s quick beyond the legal limit if you press the accelerator a bit more. It’s also a city car, but the highway suits it much better. It’s a pleasure; the road hold is exemplary, and if you have features that improve driving, all the better.”

Let’s discover what owners said about the fuel consumption of this model. When asked “What fuel consumption does the Ford Focus ST 2.0 EcoBoost (250 Hp) have?”:

Alexandru Buta answered: “On long trips around 7 l/100 km, in town 10.5–11 l/100 km.”

When asked “What consumption does the Ford Focus 1.5 EcoBoost (150 Hp) S&S have?”:

Murariu Cristian answered: “7.2 liters/100 km on a long run, combined with highway, not driving economically, but not sporty. It can reach 9 liters/100 km in Bucharest.”

Reliability

Let’s hear what Focus 3 owners say about reliability. When asked “How reliable is the Ford Focus ST 2.0 EcoBoost (250 Hp)? Tell us what problems (minor or major) you have had with it.”:

Alexandru Buta answered: “Apart from the moment when the ECU failed, I can’t say I’ve had many problems. Unfortunately it was quite costly because the car is US and the ECU from the European model doesn’t fit.”

We then move to another engine: when asked “How reliable is the Ford Focus 1.5 EcoBoost (150 Hp) S&S? Tell us what problems (minor or major) you’ve had with it:”:

Murariu Cristian answered: “Chronology-wise: tire-pressure sensor - under warranty. Trunk release switch defective outside warranty, water pump shows signs of leakage at the shaft and loses coolant slowly - resolved under an extended warranty. Currently, when pulling away from a standstill and turning the wheels to the right I sometimes hear a strange noise, but I haven’t managed to show it to a service. The paint is very demanding (red candy). The GPS maps weren’t great and updating costs around 800 lei. The car does not have Android Auto.”

When asked “How reliable is the Ford Focus 1.6 EcoBoost (150 Hp)? Tell us what problems (minor or major) you’ve had with it?:

George Severin answered: “The car was very reliable. In 105k km nothing failed. I changed only the battery, the windshield and a tie-rod end on the anti-roll bar. Other than that, no problems.”

How much does Ford Focus III (2011 – 2018) cost on the second-hand market?

We checked Autovit to get a sense of second-hand Ford Focus III prices. For example, a 2015 Ford Focus 1.5 with 170,000 km on the odometer is priced at 6,700 euros. Meanwhile, a 2012 Ford Focus 1.6 with 200,000 km on the odometer is priced at 5,390 euros.

Buying tips

We asked owners for their advice on acquiring a Ford Focus III and what to watch out for.

Alexandru Lixandre answered: “Try to combine price and equipment in the most advantageous way, and think very carefully about what you will use the car for (depending on that choose the most suitable variant). Buy from trusted people (private seller, autohaus or dealer). Have the service history up to date and guarantee a high percentage of satisfaction with the purchase (new or used). Be careful first of all about the car’s exterior/interior, engine bay, and undercarriage; if during test drives you hear strange noises or notice any irregularities, ensure documents are in order, that the VIN matches, and that the seller seems serious; and if the buyer isn’t mechanically inclined, bring someone who knows car mechanics.

Photo source: wikipedia.org