Saying goodbye to this 2012 Focus SE

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.

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That’s an amazing story and a great adventure! I hope it lives on with someone else and keeps going. Even though the car isn’t alive, it feels like it has a spirit.

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It’s such a great story to share. Love to hear peoples experiences with their cars :upside_down_face:

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That’s so cool that it was sealed in a giant ice cube and survived!

I can’t believe you drove a Delta 88 into a flooded ditch! Submerging the front end and still getting it to start is impressive. It’s wild how tough some cars can be! :joy:

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Maybe the story ain’t complete just yet :crossed_fingers:

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Thank you for sharing this story! This was very nice to read and did motivate me smh.

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I miss my 12 SE (Tater, the “slow edition”), but it was actually a lot of fun to drive! Mine had UAE rims, not as cool as yours. I barely hit 100,000 miles in 2020, and I had paid it off a few years before—great car. Sometimes, my son and I say “RIP Focus” when we see one, especially near the corner where I had a close call. Luckily, I was fine, and so was Swyper. She hit my rear wheel well, which is one of the strongest parts of the car. I still have a key and a spare shifter. My older 5 is kind of filling the gap, and my son is learning to drive stick on it.
Thanks for sharing about Toxicar. RIP Focus (Tater), and drive on, Toxicar!!!

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I think you’re one of the lucky ones. I have a 2012 Titanium, and it’s been really frustrating. It shudders a lot, and I’ve had to reset the transmission control module (TCM) three times. Last Saturday, it stalled in traffic while I was coming off an overpass. Even with my hazard lights on, it was scary watching cars come towards me. I got the TCM replaced on Monday because Ford extended the warranty on that part until June 2025. They know there’s a problem. There have been settlements in the US and Australia due to a class action lawsuit, and Canada has one too, but it won’t be settled anytime soon. Also, the park assist alarm goes off randomly, even when the car is parked. Other than that, the car hasn’t needed much maintenance just a battery and winter tires. But all these issues have really affected how I feel about the car, and I’m not even at 90,K kilometers yet.

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I’ve a different story to tell.
I bought a 2009 Ford Focus recently, and it’s amazing! It has 195,000 miles on it, some damage on the front of the hood, and needs a few small repairs, but it’s really tough and drives great. I hope someone has a good experience with your car too.

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woow, i’m just left speechless at the mom.