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Expensive Ford Focus repairs by problem area

Engine (27%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (20%)

Brakes and Traction Control (6%)

Suspension and Steering (24%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (18%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)

Other (0%)

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Chart based on 140 repairs.

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Ford Focus repair cost distribution

$2500+ (14%)

$1000 - $2499 (86%)

$500 - $999 (0%)

$100 - $499 (0%)

< $100 (0%)

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Chart based on 91 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

62000 mi

US $1000

I noticed that my coolant was disappearing. After 2 trips to the dealer to fill it up, 3 months later the head gasket failed for a second time after the original recall. Ford did not cover the faulty recall work. Luckily I had the extended warranty and had to pay the deductible.

29000 mi US $1800	Replaced clutch
64000 mi US $1400	Had to replace the complete power steering unit. This has an electronic steering unit and the entire unit had to be replaced

80500 mi US $450	Electric Power Steering System failed. Ford refused to help with repair. Required entire new steering rack due to non serviceable electronic module. Rear wheel hub bearing wore out. Replaced both sides as preventative measure.
88000 mi US $250	Shocks and Struts
88000 mi US $800	timing cover gasket failed, leaking oil onto accessory belt, causing belt to slip and requiring repair.

59000 mi US $1350	Bad flywheel. Replaced clutch and flywheel.
80000 mi US $200	Sway bar end link broke. Replaced both.

105000 mi US $950	Emissions control - catalytic converter worn out, needed replacement.
110000 mi US $500	Oxygen Sensor
120000 mi US $1500	Replace aging and worn brake parts, typical brake job. Alignment, tires, etc.

53700 mi US $100	Split sway bar bushing, left rear. Sway bar links, shackles, insulator assemblies and bushings replaced, both sides.
57000 mi US $129	Sunroof leaked from both front corners into the interior during a heavy, all-day rain. A neighbor in the next campsite provided sealing tape and saved an 18-mile trip into town. Dealer found debris in the sunroof drains and cleared them. Rattle upon raising the rear hatch. Dealer couldn't locate the source, but the rattle persists, sounding of a plastic bit that's adrift.
61000 mi US $130	Check engine light revealed an air pollution control component failing; replaced part under extended warranty at 60,000 mile service. Also, owner repaired earlier reported hatch rattle herself after dealer tech failed to find source of noise
69000 mi US $1000	Replace worn factory shocks w/OEM parts.
82000 mi US $110	New discs required resurfacing due to uneven wear. Shop had previously said in October 2017 that they couldn’t diagnose an owner-reported bearing noise that was found in March to be due to worn bearings in all four wheels and worn front hubs. Bearings on all four wheels as well as both front hubs were replaced.

89900 mi A $2300	Heater core leak
96100 mi A $600	Earthing fault fixed, caused by previous bad repair from another shop on front bumper

94800 mi US $105	Sync system is now working after another software update.
131800 mi US $1900	The emission valve stuck open. And created a negative vacuum in the gas tank. It imploded the gas tank. Had to replace gas tank, canister, fuel pump, and emissions valve. The valve is a 38.00 part that cased this to happen.
152000 mi US $460	Oxygen sensor front
166000 mi US $1400	Shift motor and actuator was bad Had to pull trans out.
181300 mi US $400	Right rear wheel bearing
200321 mi US $800	Injectors 4 Wires were rubbing on a sharp edge of the intake manifold, causing injector on -#1 cylinder to not function. 4 wires had to be spiced. But this is after I spent 1000.00 to replace the injectors. Only to find out it was bad wires.

72800 mi US $200	Both rear wheel bearings needed replacement, rear brake pads were also serviced at this time.
79600 mi US $650	Have a loud grinding/whirring noise coming from front end. Thought it was wheel bearings. Dealer said it was the carrier bearing. That was replaced along with the halfshaft and axle nut.
142000 mi US $2200	Replaced TCM, shift forks, shift fork actuator, and clutch packs.

83720 mi C $700	Wheel bearing replacement broke the traction control. Repair shop claimed they damaged the wheel speed sensor. Replaced it, but the loss of abs and traction control appeard again after 50 km. Wheel bearing replacement.
94200 mi C $1600	2 front bearings, 2 front control arms. Left 1/2 shaft. Midas muffler incorrectly replaced the driver side bearing causing other issues. Went back, another repair was attempted but did not fix the issue. No traction control, no abs.

148000 mi US $1800	Had to have AC replaced.
162000 mi US $238	Power steering was going out. Heavy noise when steering.
166000 mi US $300	Had to have power steering replaced for a second time in less than six months.
173000 mi US $243	Leak in power steering line.
187000 mi US $453	Continued sound turning wheel. They had to replace the steering fluid reservoir.

37200 mi US $233	Water pump failed. Failure also destroyed the serpentine belt. Replaced water pump and serpentine belt. Failure ocurred 3 months after warranty expired.
53000 mi US $1395	AC system not producing conditioned cooled air. Busted evaporator core. Fix - replaced evaporator core.
65500 mi US $200	Front turn signals inop. Replaced "smart" junction box.

37200 mi C $120	Replaced passenger side liquid filled motor mount
59080 mi C $400	Ball joint failed on one control arm.
91040 mi C $1000	New pads and rotors all round, 2 rear cylinders, 1 front caliper. New front control arm because ball joint was worn excessively
155000 mi C $140	Passenger side motor mount replacement

19000 mi US $1100	Transmission burned up at 18,036 miles- Ford said warranty exp at 18,000 miles- Sorry.
40000 mi US $400	Pwr Steering pump- Third attempt to repair by Dealership. Could not find problem until car was out of warranty. Hummmm.
62000 mi US $300	Rear Wheel Bearing
84000 mi US $200	Other service shop cracked plastic power steering fluid storage container.

39000 mi US $450	Steering wheel and car were vibrating annoyingly around 65-70 mph. The front sway bar needed to be replaced, and also the tires were pretty worn. Replacing these items fixed the problem.
75000 mi US $250	The trunk latch was not working reliably--it often required multiple attempts to get it to latch securely. The latch was replaced and that fixed the problem.
153000 mi US $400	The heating control was sticking a lot, making it very hard to change the settings (between defrost and the various other ventilation positions).
156000 mi US $1250	Heating/cooling mix could not be changed because of stuck knob. Knob was stuck because the heater box needed to be replaced.
162000 mi US $450	Lost most braking overnight. Turned out to be rotted brake line. Replaced both rear brake lines.
207000 mi US $900	Driver's side door handle stopped working, broken linkage A/C not really working Car making too much noise, suspected exhaust problem

110000 mi US $230	Sway bar ends broken.
158000 mi US $1300	Rear drum brakes and rear wheel bearings worn. Replaced front struts, strut bearings, sway bar links, rear shocks and rear sway bar links.

58300 mi US $180	Horizontal stabilizers replaced on both sides.
60000 mi US $1000	Power steering pump lost fluid and was burnt out. Replaced pump and power steering gear.
53500 mi US $300	Replaced worn engine mount.

93800 mi US $120	Had both stabilizer bars replaced. Struts and shocks replaced.
123000 mi US $500	Thermostat, Cylinder head temperature sensor, Valve cover gasket, PCV valve replaced.
117000 mi US $1500	Had catalytic converter replaced. Old one rusted out. Had fuel filter, spark plugs, ignition coils and valve cover gasket replaced. Had front and back sway bar end links replaced as well as back sway bar bushings.

160000 mi US $1600	Small oil leak. Replaced gaskets ($650) Replaced all 4 shocks / struts. Small leak in one shock.
175000 mi US $500	Replaced engine mounts

122000 mi US $125	Seized lug nuts on two wheels. Had to drill out wheel studs on one front and one rear wheel. Replaced stud on front. Replaced both rear drums and brake shoes. Replaced all lug nuts.
122000 mi US $1976	Replacement of leaking high pressure line. Steering rack is still leaking, so that repair is scheduled next. Severe power steering rack leak. Rack replaced. Broken front passenger spring. No idea how old struts are, so replaced both front assemblies with quick struts. Replaced worn passenger tie rod end. Passenger side CV boot missing clamp, no grease, joint looseness. Exhibited severe vibration on road after reassembly from strut replacement. Due to the large amount of passenger side suspension damage, I assume previous owner damaged the car in a accident. Passenger side axle replaced.
123000 mi US $125	Seized lug nuts on one front and one rear wheel. Drilled out studs. Replaced both rear brake drums and shoes. Replaced drilled out wheel studs on front. Replaced nuts on all wheels with new solid nuts. Replaced lug wrench with breaker bar and socket.

112220 mi C $220	alternator failure-brush stuck, worn stator slip ring beyond repair. Reman alternator installed.
147800 mi C $300	left rear wheel bearings were loose, new bearings installed and wheel alignment
164300 mi C $550	shift linkage inside transmission failed. Roll pin failed causing trans not to shift into gear.
173600 mi C $1000	noisy power steering, oil in reservoir was foaming. Cause was a crack oil reservoir. AC clutch would not work. Clutch coil was weak. Replaced AC compressor and clutch as it was less expensive to replace complete unit.
191580 mi C $267	slowly lost electrical on dash, eventually engine died, no warning lights. Alternator brushes worn out (150k km on alternator)
194060 mi C $150	blower motor failed
201500 mi C $180	replace rear shocks and front struts system low on freon, leak tested, no leak found. charged up with 1.6lbs freon
211420 mi C $350	Replaced rear brakes. Wheel bearings on both sides were failing.
235600 mi C $220	battery light on intermittently. Replaced alternator, alternator harness connector and repair damaged wire.

51500 mi US $200	Rear wheel bearings replaced because of failure on left rear
75700 mi US $1200	Replace struts and shocks
93000 mi US $300	Clutch master cylinder started leaking, and return spring also broke while the mechanic was replacing the cyclinder

56420 mi C $230	slightly sticky accelerator pedal going down, not up. Dealer lubed pedal/cable/linkage. Problem solved.
83080 mi C $300	Previous sticky throttle body, would stick at random time when applying accelerator pedal. Replaced with aftermarket throttle body from CFM.
88040 mi C $100	alternator packed it in, had car towed to dealer. Had extended warranty on vehicle, only had to pay $100 deductable.
110600 mi C $1200	Code P2004 Intake manifold Runner control stuck open. Had to replace manifold including tumbler flaps, Vacuum and solenoid.
126760 mi C $440	Clutch master cylinder leaking. Replaced, all good
131440 mi C $1200	Clutch and slave cylinder replaced. Front wheel bearings and brake pads.
142600 mi C $1010	Car died going down hwy. Electrical all died then car shut down. Towed to closest dealer. This is my 3rd alternator
143220 mi C $600	Cv boot blew open. New one installed.
143220 mi C $300	Coil pack on Cylinder 3 stopped working. Replacrd coil pack and spark plugs

109700 mi US $1200	Replaced Engine Mounts Valve cover gasket Replaced Spark Plugs Replaced injectors replaced alternator
124500 mi US $1100	Replaced evaporator & condenser

83280 mi C $1000	The compresser was broken
84520 mi C $700	Alternator replaced Axle replaced

Expensive Ford Focus repairs by problem area

Ford Focus repair cost distribution

2017 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2016 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2016 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2014 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2014 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2013 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2013 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2013 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2012 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2012 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2012 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2012 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2010 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2010 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2009 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2008 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2007 Ford Focus

2007 Ford Focus 4dr Wagon

2007 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2007 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2007 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2007 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2007 Ford Focus 2dr Hatch

2007 Ford Focus 2dr Hatch

2006 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2006 Ford Focus 2dr Hatch

2006 Ford Focus

2005 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2005 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2005 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2004 Ford Focus 4dr Wagon

2004 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2004 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2003 Ford Focus 4dr Wagon

2003 Ford Focus 4dr Wagon

2003 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2003 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2003 Ford Focus 2dr Hatch

2003 Ford Focus 2dr Hatch

2002.5 Ford Focus 4dr Wagon

2002 Ford Focus

2002 Ford Focus 4dr Wagon

2002 Ford Focus 4dr Wagon

2002 Ford Focus 4dr Wagon

2002 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2002 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2002 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2002 Ford Focus 4dr Hatch

2002 Ford Focus 2dr Hatch

2002 Ford Focus 2dr Hatch

2002 Ford Focus 2dr Hatch

2001 Ford Focus 4dr Wagon

2001 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2001 Ford Focus 4-door

2000 Ford Focus 4dr Wagon

2000 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2000 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

2000 Ford Focus 4dr Sedan

Ford Focus Expensive Problems

64000 mi US $1100	Dampers and endlinks were in really poor shape after 60,000 miles. I decided to replace springs, dampers, endlinks, etc with an Eibach Kit.
72500 mi US $100	I noticed the car was pulling to the left under braking. Decided to do the rear drums when I discovered a blown drum piston. So aside from shoes, I replaced the piston as well.
85000 mi US $250	Bad end link and broken strut tower mount.

40000 mi US $1600	Transmission "hanging up" in first, abruptly shifting into 2nd, other gears normal, shop said problem caused by failure of seal between engine and transmission
60000 mi US $200	Emission control sensor
70000 mi US $900	Band broke which controls 2 and 4 speed in auto trans After band replaced, car developed a harsh 1 - 2 shift, which shop could not diagnose or repair
71000 mi US $700	Problem diagnosed to be a bad valve body, replaced and car runs perfectly.

97200 mi C $350	Front link kits.
98360 mi C $750	Wheel started wobbling on long highway trip, and ABS/traction control warning lights went on. Replaced both rear wheel bearings / brake drums.
100440 mi C $275	Replaced front passenger-side brake caliper
102300 mi C $1000	Exhaust pipe and muffler rusted through. Replaced exhaust (incl muffler and resonator).
108500 mi C $130	Replaced reverse light switch
110980 mi C $115	Replaced front sway-bar links, both sides.
111600 mi C $200	Replaced brake rotors because of warping. Exhaust was leaking from rust hole and was very noisy. Replaced flex pipe.
117180 mi C $1100	Replaced warped rotors and burnt pads from stuck caliper Replaced seized caliper Replaced worn ball joints

113300 mi US $350	Thermostat was apparently going bad, car overheated
121000 mi US $1320	The car would abruptly stop running, warning lights would come on. Very unreliable for any distance, alternator failed, ignition coils failed, spark plugs burned
127000 mi US $370	Rear wheel bearings failing, outer tie rod worn, and alignment needed
129000 mi US $909	Front wheel bearings failing, left outer tie rod end worn, replace sway bar links

118420 mi C $295	Replaced two front anti-sway bar links.
119040 mi C $1551	Clutch rebuild to install new clutch kit with slave cylinder.
135160 mi C $529	Replaced left inner seal and left side CV axle.
143840 mi C $1300	Front springs replaced. Water pump replaced.

136000 mi US $1200	A valve seat came out of the cylinder head, ruined the head and 1 piston. Replaced head, piston, connecting rod, rings
158000 mi US $500	timing belt tensioner failed.
177000 mi US $450	water pump started leaking, replaced

47500 mi US $700	Rear door handles/locks
60000 mi US $140	EG pipe broke. Purchased new one from local Ford dealership. Rubber tube connected to the engine had broken off. Previous owner had stuffed the broken end with wad of electrical tape. The air wasn't able to circulate through the engine properly. Shift cable was melted from problem 1. Has not been installed yet.
87000 mi US $330	Car was misfiring on cyl 1. Also smelled strongly of anti-freeze. Found a loose clamp and the coolant thermostat needed to be replaced. Was missing the motor mount on the driver side. Due to damage from it being missing, the passenger side motor mount was replaced as well.
90000 mi US $260	Left front wheel bearing making a loud roar.
93900 mi US $800	Engine had cracked head gasket. Cause unknown. Had the heads resurfaced and repaired using a head gasket kit.
97000 mi US $1680	Reverse and 2nd gear were completely lost. Replaced entire transmission with a used one with about 30,000 miles on it.
118300 mi US $385	alternator died
123000 mi US $325	Radiator hoses were dry rotted. Water pump died. Decided to not replace.

21334 mi US $4679	Replace Flywheel and Clutch Assembly. Failure damaged splines on transaxle so it was replaced also.
65034 mi US $1245	Dual-mass Flywheel again failed and was replaced along with clutch assembly.

116000 mi US $550	Alternator failed and was replaced.
136000 mi US $1200	Splined center hole on the clutch disc wore smooth. Had to replace disc. Thermostat housing cracked and leaking.

44000 mi US $250	Shift cables fell apart again. It took three days to get the parts. I've been experiencing a "clunk" in the front end and http://focusfanatics.com suggested I check the "endlinks". I asked my mechanic to inspect the "endlinks" and he said they were worn out. He replaced them with "moog" parts and the clunk was fixed.
58000 mi US $340	Clutch master cylinder was replaced; again.
80000 mi US $1352	Timing belt, water pump, serpentine belt, all associated tensioners, hoses, cooling system service and a broken SVT-specific exhaust bracket was replaced. The bracket took several days to find since virtually all replacement parts for SVTF have stopped.