I test drove a 2.0 TDCi today, and I really liked it, but I didn’t realize 2008 is supposedly one of the worst years for the Ford Focus. The tire wear issue seems real since all the tires need replacing, but is it really bad enough to avoid buying the car?
Edit: Curious—how many of you in the comments are American? I’ve heard the American Focus is quite different from the British one.
Get a pre-purchase inspection done. It might cost you $200-$300, but it’s worth it to uncover any major issues and avoid buying a lemon.
I had a 2007 Focus, and it was great for me. I did get stranded once because of a wheel bearing failure, but that was after driving on some really bad roads for a week while camping.
It’s not a bad car. I had a 2009 Focus for 10 years and drove it hard. The front end had some issues—tie rods, ball joints, and brake calipers seizing—but nothing too crazy. I was working on the front end once or twice a year. Aside from that, it was great on gas. I got almost 120k miles out of it before scrapping it.
@Zaire
That’s interesting. My 2005 Focus just had its first front-end repair, a tie rod replacement. The rest of the suspension is still factory, even the shocks. It’s low mileage, though—only 345,000 miles on the odometer.
@Halston
First-gen Focus cars are absolute tanks.
Valen said:
@Halston
First-gen Focus cars are absolute tanks.
Yeah, for the most part. I just wish they didn’t rust so easily. 
Ford’s history of having ‘bad years’ makes me hesitant to buy one of their cars, especially something like an Expedition.
Cam phasers, cam phasers, cam phasers…
I got over 300,000 miles out of my old 2008 Focus before selling it, and it’s still being driven today. The only major thing I replaced was the clutch, and that was a 5-speed manual.
The 2008 Focus is pretty solid overall. Rocker panels tend to rust quickly, but for the money, it’s a decent car. Plus, it’s fun to drive and tossable in corners.
I think they’re okay. If I were buying a Focus, I’d stick to 2011 or older. Whether it’s good depends on if it’s a stick or an automatic. The automatics after 2012 were bad.
The rust is the biggest problem for me. These cars rot away so quickly.
They’re solid cars overall, but the rocker panels will rust just by looking at them.