2000 Ford Focus LX from UK and Ireland - Comments

Auxiliary belt found to be worn at 100,000 mile service and changed as a precaution.

Front shocks past their best at 110k so replaced (with OEM items).

Original CD player died a few weeks ago.

Proof that you don't need to spend big money to get superb engineering.

122,000 miles and only four components have needed replacement outside normal servicing, three of which could be considered consumables anyway over this kind of mileage.

Great to drive still, with a willing little engine which thrives on revs. Handling is still superb too and makes the Golf I had before (and the mk4 I have driven since) feel stodgy and vague. The engine still uses no oil, and has never missed a beat. The car has only had the recommended maintenance at the local Ford dealer.

Servicing is cheap, apart from the 100k "major" which consisted of the dreaded cam-belt replacement and a check of the valve clearances. Despite the mileage, all clearances were still to factory specs which again is an indicator of the quality of the engineering in this car. As the car had been so reliable, I thought this was money well spent.

Fuel consumption averages 32 mpg with 38 on a motorway run, and 28 around town with the air-con on.

The car doesn't feel at all tired, and is still squeak free inside. The exhaust, battery and clutch are all still original, and none are showing signs of requiring replacement.

Seriously impressed, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend a Focus to friends or relatives. Great to drive, reliable, durable and affordable - what more do you need in a car, if you're not a badge snob at any rate?

Now you see my mother has a focus and had it from new. she is a very careful driver and looks after her car well. and it looked very good!but after 22.000 miles its starting to show its true colours! the plastic trim is coming off the drivers door and the small zetec badge on the door has fell off! also some of the bulbs in the dash for switches has gone! for a year old car I think that is terrible! very bad and very cheaply made. i would never have one myself if after only a year things like this stop working or fall off!

Strange isn't it?

I've had two as company cars, and as a nationwide engineer, my cars work hard for a living. I do 60k per year and carry all manner of heavy parts and tools around. Although the cars are serviced every time it's due, time and work pressures mean it is not unheard of for my cars to run a few thousand miles late. This happened to both of mine on many occasions.

The first Focus I had was a 2000 model 1.8 LX (petrol) estate, in which I covered 122,000 miles in the two years I had it. It only needed an alternator belt and tensioner outside routine servicing and conumables, and didn't once fail to start or break down.

The second one, a 2002 TDCi 115 Zetec estate went back last year with 127,000 miles on the clock. This suffered some engine management issues early on, which seemed to me to be generic rather than an issue with my particular car. However, once resolved, the car didn't miss a beat for 100,000 miles until it went back.

Both cars wore their miles well, both still drove, handled and rode nicely, and their interiors (with the exception of the battered load areas) looked clean and tidy. The only issue on the LX was that the silver trim on the gearknob started looking tatty after about 60k. Hardly grounds to dislike a car though.

A good workhorse and far superior to the Renault Meganes that our company is now leasing. Had more problems with my recently acquired dCi in 40,000 miles than I had in a quarter of a million miles with the Focuses.

Picked up a new 1.6 Focus from Belgium June 1999, for my wife. The next week I took delivery of a Lexus 200. Over the next three years, the Lexus had had 2 new drivers seats, an intermittent brake problem, after I was nearly in a major smash, everything, bar the pipe work was changed. Service on the Lexus was dreadful. On the 10,000 mile service they adjusted the 4 wheel alignment (because of uneven tyre ware and at a cost to me of £100.00). Early the next morning in the dash down the A1, I lost control of the car on the bend just above the Hatfield tunnel. Fortunately the road is very wide there and there was space to recover. Changed Lexus, Focus running beautifully took it to Edinburgh. What a lovely car to drive, it really sits securely on the road and holds a secure line through bends and corners. Top of the range Primera followed the Lexus and now a Jaguar. The Focus is still a smashing car to drive. I live in the west coast of Scotland now (no more A1 & M25 & M4, I feel deprived!!!). Last week I took the nearly 7 year old Focus (58,000 miles) to Glasgow and back 300 miles. It is still a lovely car to drive; it is still one of the fastest cars point to point on the winding roads up here.

The car is still original in everything bar the tyres. In 40 years of motoring I have never had another car that with over 50,000 miles driven, over nearly 7 years, still have the original battery, exhaust, disc pads and all suspension parts. The car still feels tight, is completely rattle free, and came through its third MOT last month require a brake light bulb. A truly great car I would recommend to anyone.

A point to ponder, with all the trouble I had with that Lexus, I was never sent a JD survey form to fill out. So I was never allowed to publicly express my feeling of my 2 years with my new car. Could this survey be selective?

AK.

I am a courier in Canada and have driven the car ever since it's introduction in North America in 2000. I drove the Escort before the Focus. The Escort was a good car, but a can-on-wheels compared to the Focus. The Focus seems underpowered with the standard engine, but has good torque at take-offs. It drives very well and is very stable.

The Focus is driven hard in my job. I drive about 75000kms a year. In general it has been a reliable car given the nature of my work. Mind you, my company recycles the cars at 150 000 kms for reliabilities sake. It is not to say that they were problematic. My company insists on a manufacturers warranty because of the nature of the business.

I agree the 2000 versions had several problems, like, slipping transmissions, cheap interior material, cheap wheel well plastic, ignition key problems, and the common brake rotors lasting only 25000kms, but most of these were overcome in the later years.

Other than that most of the cars we returned after the lease felt and drove just as well as when new.

I have a 2000 Focus with 169,000 and it still runs very solid. I have had to do the usual maintenance, but that's about it. I plan on driving it a long time and I am shopping for another one. I am amazed at how well the little thing handles on the road. It's super on gas too. Cheers.