Is a 2014 Ford Focus SE worth it?

Discussion
1

My dad’s coworker ordered him a 2014 Ford Focus SE for $3800. It has 140k miles, and the transmission and clutch have been replaced. I’ve heard this year of the Focus has a bad reputation. Is it worth buying?

Edit: It’s an automatic, and the replaced transmission has 55k miles on it. Also, it needs a new catalytic converter. How much would that cost with labor?

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2

The automatic transmissions in these are the problem. If it were a manual, it’d be a solid car, but the automatics are risky.

3

Reagan said:
The automatic transmissions in these are the problem. If it were a manual, it’d be a solid car, but the automatics are risky.

It’s automatic. The transmission they replaced it with has 55k miles on it.

4

@Nev
Then it’s not worth the risk. Only buy these (and the similar year Fiesta) as manuals.

5

I forgot to mention it also needs a new catalytic converter. How much would that cost with labor?

6

I had a manual 2014 Focus in black. It was a fun car to drive, but the paint quality was awful. It started peeling, and I could literally rip chunks off.

7

This is the worst car I’ve ever dealt with, and I’ve detailed some bad ones over the years. The C346 Focus is just awful. Here’s why:

  • The carpeting is terrible—Mitsubishi Mirage levels of bad.
  • The engine is always rough, no matter the mileage.
  • The dashboard design is awful. It sticks out, and I’ve hit my head and knees on it more times than I can count.
  • The sloped A-pillar is a head injury waiting to happen.
  • The interior plastics are some of the worst I’ve ever seen.
  • The powertrain reliability is near the bottom of the barrel.

I still remember working on one and hitting my head twice while trying to clean the driver’s side carpet. I was so frustrated I cried. Avoid this car at all costs. Get a Toyota instead.

8

Avoid this generation of Focus or Fiesta unless it’s a manual. The Powershift automatic transmission has been a nightmare for Ford, with lawsuits to prove it.

With a manual, these are great cars. With an automatic, stay far away.

9

@Uma
I bought my Ford during the lawsuit. It took six months of back and forth, but I got rid of it under the buyback program. It turned out to be a free car for three years, so that worked out for me!

10

My 2013 Fiesta had the same transmission problems. Stay away from this car. I ended up getting all my money back through Ford’s buyback program. Now I drive a Subaru.

11

Don’t do it. My girlfriend’s Focus died at around 150k miles. We replaced the catalytic converter, but it only lasted two more years before the transmission failed. And we had just put new tires on it too. :rofl: