Bought a cheap beater automatic to help heal leg pain

Kurtatron

Kurtatron

Joined
Apr 7, 2010
Messages
1,390
Location
Atlanta
2005 Ford Focus with 150k miles for $1600

It was a government owned car with a very robust maintenance history. See valve cover image.

I bought this car because my scion manual transmission has been murdering my leg. So I may sell it if I can’t resolve the manual transmission pain.

This focus Was hit by a tree, so it went to auction. Apparently the guy who bought it from auction had plans to fix it up, but never got to it. Sold it to me cheap after it sat for 2 years.

The car runs and shifts excellently, but the motor mounts are shot. Engine vibrations at idle are very bad. AC doesn’t work, but I don’t care about that. This car is a commuter car only. Plan to change the oil and filter tomorrow. All other fluids look good.

This is my first Ford. I read good things about the 2005+ focus cars.

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I briefly had a 2002 Hatch that I gave to the brother in law. He could no longer drive, so I re-gifted it to my nephew. It lasted a good few years until a mechanic toppled it off a lift, and it was totalled. I'm a big fan of that vintage Focus, cheap parts, readily available, and rock solid drivetrain. It will need maintenance and junkyard parts but it is cockroach Corolla reliable imo.
 
cptbarkey said:
I briefly had a 2002 Hatch that I gave to the brother in law. He could no longer drive, so I re-gifted it to my nephew. It lasted a good few years until a mechanic toppled it off a lift, and it was totalled. I'm a big fan of that vintage Focus, cheap parts, readily available, and rock solid drivetrain. It will need maintenance and junkyard parts but it is cockroach Corolla reliable imo.
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I saw one with 226k miles for sale on Craigslist. That one inspired me to get a Focus.
 
While they can be decent, they aren't quite as stout/reliable as the car it replaced (the late 90s Escort).
Those cars didn't have any of the issues mentioned below. Many agree that even when new, the Focus was noticeably worse than the Escort they replaced. Especially the earlier versions 2000-2003

We owned an 03, 05 and 07 in the family. Some common issues were:

-passenger side engine mount -it's fluid-filled and fails frequently. Once you replace it, the engine vibration decreases noticeably. Just make SURE to NOT skip out and get an off-brand mount. It'll vibrate/make noise worse than a broken OEM mount. Same goes with the other mounts, OEM only!
-alternator- with Ford's great wisdom, they placed it at the back of the engine in a tight area with the exhaust manifold. As a result, many alternators fail prematurely due to being cooked. And when it's time to replace it, is a real hassle to R&R.
-Battery- basically the entire electrical system isn't very reliable.
-Vibrations-the car has plenty of cheap plastic that makes it sound like a much worse car than it is. It literally feels and sounds like you are in a primitive tractor.
-Auto button-sometimes falls off randomly. i just glued mine back with some crazy glue.
-Fuel economy- doesn't come remotely close to the competitors ratings (Corolla, Civic etc.). Being an auto makes it worse. But on the upside, at least the 4 speed is quite stout and fluid replacements using a fluid extractor (as I did), makes shifts smoother and is quite easy to accomplish. In the 4 years of ownership, I put 60k miles and never dropped the pan. Just spill and fill and she's good!

I'm sure there's other items I'm missing. Others can chime in with their issues.
They were quite common but not particularly desirable (unless you are able to find an SVT version).
Overall for a cheap, throwaway car, it'll get the job done....
 
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Best of luck. I have hopes that swapping the clutch in the other car will fix it, but all the same, best of luck with this one.
 
Kurtatron said:
200 miles so far. No surprises yet!

I am growing fond of it. It has roll up windows, no cruise control, no tachometer, it is soooo basic. I sort of like it that way.

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A true giga-chad mobile. Very basic and it’s rolling birth control, so you’ll also save money by scaring all of the women away. 😂. The water filled driver headlight is a nice touch, I’d keep it that way just for fun!
 
Owen Lucas said:
A true giga-chad mobile. Very basic and it’s rolling birth control, so you’ll also save money by scaring all of the women away. 😂. The water filled driver headlight is a nice touch, I’d keep it that way just for fun!
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Already married, so just as well, though she refused to ride in it, so it is definitely a woman repellant.
 
Kurtatron said:
200 miles so far. No surprises yet!

I am growing fond of it. It has roll up windows, no cruise control, no tachometer, it is soooo basic. I sort of like it that way.

View attachment 267832
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Getting a Focus with less electronics is the way to go. My Mk2 from 2008 is a nice basic commuter like yours - crank windows, manual locks, manual external mirrors, no cruise control. Very reliable and a cheap commuter.

For the vibrations, like @Oillover said, get OEM mounts only for the passenger side. I learnt that lesson the hard way. I don’t remember if the Mk1.5 Focus had a tranny drain plug - but I’d refresh that fluid as soon as you can if it wasn’t already. The 4F27 is a reliable unit but doesn’t tolerate dirty fluids quite well. They’re also known to have the 2-3 shift flare/slip.

Overall, it should be a good reliable commuter. Happy miles!!
 
jsean said:
Getting a Focus with less electronics is the way to go. My Mk2 from 2008 is a nice basic commuter like yours - crank windows, manual locks, manual external mirrors, no cruise control. Very reliable and a cheap commuter.

For the vibrations, like @Oillover said, get OEM mounts only for the passenger side. I learnt that lesson the hard way. I don’t remember if the Mk1.5 Focus had a tranny drain plug - but I’d refresh that fluid as soon as you can if it wasn’t already. The 4F27 is a reliable unit but doesn’t tolerate dirty fluids quite well. They’re also known to have the 2-3 shift flare/slip.

Overall, it should be a good reliable commuter. Happy miles!!
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Already replaced them with cheap ones highly rated on Amazon. Very unusual, only $70 for all three, but had 1000+ reviews at 4.5 stars. Vibrations nearly gone now. I plan on changing the transmission fluid this weekend. It has no drain plug sadly.

By the way, I gotta comment on how awesome it was to change them. Easiest mounts in the world to change. I wish all cars were as easy to repair as that. Only about 2.5 hours to replace all three! 😮
 
Confirmed this morning that the transmission fluid has never been changed 😞 The silicone seal on the oil pan is still there. Figured since Ford called it “lifetime” fluid. I did an ATF fluid and filter change. Noticed no change in shifting. We’ll see how long this neglected transmission lasts.

I also changed out the CV axle, since the old one had a torn boot from long ago.

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Yeah, can't stand the clouded headlights, even on a beater. And I'm white trash, so that says a lot. I'd reco CAPA cert, though -- not some crappy "Eagle Eyes" which may have a horrendous beam pattern

I put aftermarket motor mounts in an '09 (next gen) and it did nothing for the vibration.

I think '08-11 was way better looking but OP's generation seems reliable (as was '08-11)
 
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