Faults:

Brakes squealed from week one. The dealership claims this is normal. The EGR valve had to be replaced in the first month. The brakes and rotors had to be replaced at 17000 miles. The dealership claims this is normal and asked me if I had researched the vehicle before I purchased it- I should have known the brakes wear normally at low mileage. The dealership won't give me the regional service manager's name or phone number.

General Comments:

I like the car in general, but the brake issue is a serious drawback for me.

Faults:

Rear drum breaks began to squeal when coming to a stop at around 42000km. The dealer performed a "complimentary" drum resurfacing and lube job after I complained.

The CD player said that it had an "error16" and stopped working for 3 days. Mysteriously, it began to work again on its own. The radio continued to function though, so it wasn't too much of an inconvenience.

The front windshield wipers will sometimes just stop where they are when you turn them off, without returning to their original down position. This only happens at times. I've read that this is a problem with the computer chip either being bad or not being pushed all the way in, and am planning to have my dealer look at this soon.

There is an annoying rattle coming from the driver's door near the speaker. The dealer basically told me that since it is not a new car (although, it's not even a year old!) I should expect rattles etc. I find it ridiculous that they are not even willing to try and tighten things up or change the speaker cover to get rid of the rattle. It's beginning to drive me insane. I'll complain about it again at my next service, and hopefully they'll look at it.

General Comments:

Despite the minor problems, I am very pleased with my Focus. It handles great and rides nicely. The engine has decent pickup and power for its size and gets decent gas mileage. The tank is fairly small though, and it requires more frequent fill ups. I love the way my car looks. It's a bright red colour and with the car's 16inch wheels with Pirelli P6 tires, I think it really stands out. The interior room in this vehicle is outstanding for it's size. The seats are positioned quite high and with the driver's seat positioned at its highest, I feel almost like I'm driving an SUV. It gives a GREAT view of the road.

Despite all of the press about the car's unreliable nature, I have found my experience to be the exact opposite. This car starts everytime and all of the mechanical parts of the vehicle always work properly. If anything, Ford needs to work to make the interior quality a little bit better. They should use a better grade of plastics so that those annoying rattles don't creep up. Overall though, I am VERY satisfied with the way my Focus performs and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, reliable, economical and roomy vehicle at a great price.

And I must mention again the value! I got this vehicle with a 6 year/160 000km extended warranty AND a complimentary 3 years of free oil changes for just under $21000 cdn with taxes and all in!