Should I buy this 2008 Focus as my first car?

I’m thinking about buying a used 2008 Focus from a company selling their cars at an auction. Here’s what I know:

  • It’s cheaper than what I’ve seen online or at car lots.
  • Manual transmission.
  • In good mechanical condition.
  • 93,000 miles on it.
  • Has an anti-theft system and was heavily used for 8 years.

I’m 22, just got my license last month, and this will be my first car. I want something reliable to learn and gain driving experience.

So, I’ve got a couple of questions:

  1. Is the 2008 Focus a good option, or should I look for something newer?
  2. What kind of issues should I expect from a 9-year-old car? (Besides the clutch, which I’ll replace if needed.)

If the price is good and the carfax checks out, go for it. These are solid and reliable cars.

I’ve got the same car with 100k on it, and it’s been great. Only needed normal wear-and-tear fixes like brakes and fluids.

At this mileage, you might need to replace suspension parts soon. Things like ball joints, struts, and tie rod ends usually wear out around 10 years, especially if the grease in the boots is gone. Just something to plan for.

@Chen
I’ve got an 08 with 135k. Bought it a year ago, and it’s been great. Only issue is my driver’s side door handle broke, and I’ve been too lazy to fix it. The 5-speed is solid. I learned to drive manual on it, and even my 16-year-old brother learned on this car. Clutch will need replacing soon, but that’s expected. I had an 05 before this, and it lasted almost 250k miles. Love these cars.

@Adley
Haha, my driver’s side door handle is broken too! I think someone tried to break in. Fixing it is a pain because you have to remove the window glass to get to the reinforcement.

Chen said:
@Adley
Haha, my driver’s side door handle is broken too! I think someone tried to break in. Fixing it is a pain because you have to remove the window glass to get to the reinforcement.

Same! I pulled off the trim, saw how much work it’d take, and thought, ‘I’ll deal with this later.’

@Adley
Yeah, and now it’s too cold to work on it. I missed my chance when the weather was decent.

I’ve got a 2010 with 91k. No real problems so far!

I drive a 2007 Focus with 135,000 miles every day. The 2008 should be just as reliable.

At 93,000 miles, it probably hasn’t had the 100k service yet. That can be expensive since it covers a lot of maintenance. Make sure you can budget for that along with the potential clutch replacement you mentioned.

Check if the timing belt has been replaced. If not, get an estimate from a shop and factor that into your budget.

Sounds like a great first car. Good luck!

Chin said:
Check if the timing belt has been replaced. If not, get an estimate from a shop and factor that into your budget.

Sounds like a great first car. Good luck!

There’s no timing belt. These have a timing chain instead.

Chin said:
Check if the timing belt has been replaced. If not, get an estimate from a shop and factor that into your budget.

Sounds like a great first car. Good luck!

Yeah, the 2.0L Duratecs have timing chains, not belts. Please double-check before posting.

@Oakes
You’re right, my bad. I was thinking of my first-gen Focus. Do timing chains ever need replacing at this mileage?

Chin said:
@Oakes
You’re right, my bad. I was thinking of my first-gen Focus. Do timing chains ever need replacing at this mileage?

Nope, timing chains are lifetime parts. The tensioner might go bad eventually, but that’s rare, and it’s an easy fix.

@Oakes
Good to know. Thanks! Seems like this would be a solid first car.

The clutch could be an expensive fix if it hasn’t been done yet. These cars use a dual-mass flywheel, which can’t always be resurfaced. A new one costs $1,200–$2,000. Some mechanics will resurface it with success, but it’s not guaranteed.

You can also swap to a single-mass flywheel using an Exedy kit, which costs about $600. Including labor, you’re looking at anywhere from $900 to over $2,000 for a clutch replacement. Just keep that in mind.

The 2008 Focus is super reliable. I’ve got one and it’s a fantastic daily driver. Great gas mileage, too.

The manual transmission is solid. My clutch is original at over 100k miles and still going strong. My old 2004 Focus had the same transmission, and its clutch lasted past 160k. As long as the fluids are in good shape, this should be an awesome first car.