I want to share the story of my 2012 Focus SE.
In 2012, my wife and I were excited to find out she was pregnant. We were driving a 1999 Mazda Protege that I got from my dad’s estate. Since it was old and we were having a baby, we wanted something safer and more reliable.
My sister-in-law worked at a Ford dealership, so we went to see her about our options. I prefer manual transmission, which limited our choices. However, when I test drove the Focus, I loved how it looked and felt fun to drive. The strong safety ratings convinced us to buy it.
My wife drove the car most of the time while I took public transport. It kept her and our two kids safe for years.
In 2020, when my wife went back to work and the kids were in school, she needed a bigger car for her job. We had paid off the Focus, so instead of trading it in, we leased an SUV, and the Focus became mine.
I started commuting just as the pandemic hit, which meant I worked from home for a while. The Focus sat unused for long periods but kept running well with regular maintenance.
One winter night, I moved the Focus to make space while taking out the garbage. Later that night, my neighbor’s garage caught fire. The fire spread to our house, but my family and I got out safely. Sadly, our house was lost.
Two days later, I learned our cars were towed to an impound lot. When I checked, I found a burned SUV and the Focus covered in ice from the firefighters’ water. I had it towed to a friend’s garage, and it started right up! There was some damage, but it still worked. I was grateful for moving it that night.
During our recovery from the fire, we relied on the Focus a lot. I cleaned it up, but it had a faint fire smell for a while. My daughter started calling it “toxicar,” and the name stuck. Some rust appeared after the ice incident, but it was manageable.
Last winter, the AC belt started screeching, so I cut it instead of replacing it. This summer was hot, but the Focus kept running. A few months ago, the ABS light came on.
Considering everything the Focus has been through, it’s impressive how well it has held up. I’m proud of this car and really sad that our time together is ending. I’m trading it in for a new car on Friday.
I wanted to share this story in memory of my Focus.
