Hi folks! I’m a mechanic, though not in the automotive field. My daily driver is a 2001 Ford Focus SE with the DOHC Zetec engine and an automatic transaxle. It has 110,000 miles on it, and I try to take good care of it.
I’m curious—how reliable were these cars? How many miles can they realistically go? I’m considering upgrading, but I like being able to handle most of the work myself on this car. I’ve kept up with maintenance, including a tranny service at 80k (spotless pan) and a valve cover gasket replacement recently (the overhead was also clean). Still, I wonder if these cars cap out at, say, 120k miles.
Anyone with experience, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
These cars are fairly durable as long as they’re maintained well. I’ve seen plenty of first-gen Focus models cross 200k miles. Just keep an eye out for rust—22 years is a long time for any vehicle.
I’ve seen the original Focus models reach over 200k miles with proper care. Yours sounds like it’s in excellent condition, but any 22-year-old car could:
Last many more years.
Have a major failure tomorrow.
Fall somewhere in between.
Keep an eye on rust, especially in the rocker panels and rear cross member.
Thanks for the insight. I live in the rust belt and try to keep it clean, but I’m starting to see bubbling on the rocker panels. Hopefully, I can keep it going for a while longer.
Rust is usually what kills these cars. If you’re seeing bubbles now, you might get a couple more years before it becomes a structural issue. When you get a chance, have a shop check the underside, especially the rear cross member. If that’s solid, you’re in good shape for a bit longer.
Don’t get rid of it. I’ve had older Fords (2000–2011 models) that have been solid, reliable, and simple to work on. Keep maintaining it, and it’ll serve you well.
Keep the car. Have you seen the prices of new or newer cars? These early Focus models ride great and get solid gas mileage. I had one for five years and always got 30–33 mpg.
If your main concern is longevity, keep driving it until something major happens. I drove an ‘01 Focus until around 180k miles, and it was reliable. These were made before Ford’s quality started to decline.
I haven’t seriously looked into selling it, but the most I was offered was $1,500. That seems low, so I think I’ll keep it. And yes, it feels like quality has declined across all brands recently.
I bought an ‘01 Focus with 150k miles a few years ago and haven’t had to do much besides replace the thermostat. It’s been a great car, but I needed more space, so I moved on to something bigger.
The Zetec engine is solid as long as you keep the rust at bay and stay on top of maintenance. If you’ve already made it 22 years, you’re doing great. The SPI engines, on the other hand, are probably all gone by now.
As a Ford mechanic, I can tell you that the older Focus models (like yours) were much more reliable than the newer ones. I’ve seen multiple with over 300,000 km come in for just minor repairs. The newer ones fall apart after 100k–150k km. You’ve got a solid car there.
