Faults:

1. Ignition lock cylinder jammed and needed to be replaced.

2. Ignition coil replaced.

3. Air conditioning had a major leak and did not work.

4. Exhaust manifold to exhaust pipe gasket replaced.

5. Parking brake did not work and required the brake drums to be replaced.

6. License plate light connections corroded and lights went out. Needed to replace sockets (I got a ticket for this).

7. Window lift mechanism broke and window fell down into the door.

8. Throttle cable broke (cable that connects the pedal to the butterfly valve) and was replaced.

9. Side view mirrors are plastic and cheap. I had them broken off twice and replaced.

10. Radio died; replaced with an aftermarket radio.

11. Numerous other problems (I cannot remember them all).

General Comments:

This car is junk and a reliability nightmare!

The only thing good was the MPG (22 city/32 highway).

Faults:

4 tires at 170000.

Front springs at 189000.

Battery at 200000.

Thermostat housing at 202000.

General Comments:

I am pleasantly surprised. I never thought that a Ford Focus would turn out to be my most reliable vehicle so far. It has 209000 miles on odometer and is still going strong.

Faults:

0 - 80,000 km. Nothing, just regular maintenance:

- Engine oil + filter changed every 5,000 km.

- Manual transmission oil changed once.

- Two fuel filters. Once at 30,000 km, and again at 60,000 km.

- One tail light bulb.

- One interior dome light bulb.

General Comments:

From what I remember:

Bought the 02 Focus new in 2002. It was the basic model. Manual windows, locks, mirrors, no A/C, no ABS, and 5 speed manual transmission.

It was an excellent car to get from A to B. It had quite a bit of power for a 4 cylinder; about 120 HP. Acceleration was quick if you know how to drive manual. Steering was crisp and responsive. The suspension was a little stiff, which made handling around corners at higher speeds easy. A nimble car if you like to fool around.

The interior was nicely done. All the controls were easy to reach and in the right place. Three large knobs for the heater made it easy to use without taking my eyes off the road. It had a nice single CD stereo player.

Interior room was spacious for a 2-door hatchback. Sitting in the back was not a problem for me, still had adequate head room. Front head room was quite good. At 6 ft 3" I still had a few inches of head clearance. Getting in and out was easy too. The 2-door has longer doors than the 4-door version. This also made for excellent visibility, because the pillar is set back farther.

Seating comfort was fine on short 1 hour trips. A few hours in the driver's seat was tiresome, but not bad. Road noise was as expected for a basic car. A bit of noise at highway speeds, and in town. When the pavement surface is smooth it's quiet, and when rough it can be like sitting in a commercial airliner.

Fuel economy was OK, not great. 11L/100 km city, and 8L/100 km highway.

At 5 years old the car was totaled. A stupid teenager talking on his cell phone while driving ran the red light, and hit the car from the passenger front side panel going 80 km/h. My car bounced two lanes over and stopped a few inches before a steel pole. Luckily I walked away. The front wheel was pushed into the engine and the front door was pushed in, glass broken. The dashboard was moved a few inches, and windshield smashed. It was a wreck.

I wish people would concentrate on driving, and stop talking on their phones or having the dog sitting on their lap behind the wheel. Stupid!

Overall I was happy with the Focus. Would I buy another? Yes, I always had good luck with Ford. The 2013 Focus base model now has 160 HP. There is a few thousand off dealer incentives, and being a Costco member, you get an additional $1,000 discount.