Thinking about buying this 2014 Ford Focus SE Hatchback… Worth it?

Saw this listing and wanted to get some opinions. Is this a good buy or a headache waiting to happen?

I’ve seen these transmissions fail as early as 7k miles. The mileage really doesn’t matter—it’ll go whenever it feels like it. Honestly, I wouldn’t even bother. Parts are on backorder, and people have been waiting months for replacements.

Also… $13k for a 2014?? That’s insane. I bought my 2018 brand new for $17k. Someone else mentioned $8k would be more reasonable, but even then, the hassle isn’t worth it.

@Finlo
I picked up a 2012 manual for $5k with 57k miles. Way better deal.

Ira said:
@Finlo
I picked up a 2012 manual for $5k with 57k miles. Way better deal.

Exactly. The manuals last forever. Most of the ones I see still running have over 200k miles on them.

@Finlo
Well, until I kill it with my driving style lol.

@Finlo
I went with a Scion tC instead—paid $10k for it. Still a hatchback, just not a four-door, and I’d argue it has a better powertrain. But yeah, I’m biased lol.

@Finlo
The price is the biggest red flag here. I bought my 2012 for $13k in 2013… when it was basically brand new. This car is 8 years old now—no way it should still be going for that much.

Nope, wouldn’t touch it. The automatic transmissions in these are nightmares. If you’re set on a Focus, go for a pre-2012 model (if you’re in the US) or find one with a manual. Otherwise, look for something else.

And if you’re considering a Fiesta with an automatic, don’t. They have the same exact transmission issues.

Try to talk them down to $8k and bring up the fact that the transmission is known to fail. If you can get it for that, maybe it’s worth it.

Keaton said:
Try to talk them down to $8k and bring up the fact that the transmission is known to fail. If you can get it for that, maybe it’s worth it.

Agreed. I picked up a 2013 Focus for $8k, and it’s been great. The transmission is smooth, but I’d definitely recommend getting the ground mod done.

We bought a 2012 just like this one… and had transmission issues within a month. Paid $6k, so at least it wasn’t a huge loss. It’s basically a disposable car at this point—just hoping it lasts until my son finishes college. If we get four years out of it, I’ll be shocked.

Also, be aware of the swollen lug nuts on these things. Not a great first car for my kid, that’s for sure.

Run. Now.

Edit: Also, whoever is trying to sell this car for that price should be called out. That’s just robbery.

$14,000?! LMAO. I got my 2018 SEL hatch for $13.5k with 46k miles. Total ripoff.

I just bought the same exact car with 40k miles for $7,500. They’re ripping you off.

Beck said:
I just bought the same exact car with 40k miles for $7,500. They’re ripping you off.

I talked them down to $12,580 with a 5-year warranty. What do you think? The mileage is really low.

@Nile
Warranties are usually pointless unless you follow their rules to the letter—like only getting oil changes at their dealership. Price isn’t terrible considering the used car market right now.

Beck said:
@Nile
Warranties are usually pointless unless you follow their rules to the letter—like only getting oil changes at their dealership. Price isn’t terrible considering the used car market right now.

Yeah, but at least I’d be covered if the transmission fails… and everyone here is acting like it 100% will.

@Nile
Because it will.

@Nile
It’s not a matter of if, it’s when. And even with a warranty, you’ll be waiting months for the replacement. Do yourself a favor and walk away.

@Nile
It WILL happen. Ford lost multiple class-action lawsuits over this transmission. I owned one, went through six clutches, a TCM replacement, countless re-flashes, and still had the same issues. Ford Australia paid me $20k just to get rid of it. They don’t do that out of generosity—these cars are just that bad.