I’m looking to buy my first car and found a 2016 Ford Focus from a private seller. It has 62k miles on it, and the price is £5,800. The car looks to be in good condition overall.
Is this a fair price? And what should I be checking before buying a car from a private seller?
It depends on a few things. Is it petrol or diesel? What’s the engine size? How are the tires? Has it been regularly serviced?
Ari said:
It depends on a few things. Is it petrol or diesel? What’s the engine size? How are the tires? Has it been regularly serviced?
It’s a petrol 1.0 EcoBoost. Recently passed MOT, but one of the tires might need replacing soon.
@Tatum
Be careful with the 1.0 EcoBoost. That’s a lot of car for a small engine, and it has a wet timing belt, which tends to wear faster than usual. Check the service history to see if the belt’s been changed.
@Zhen
Thanks. Should I ask the owner directly if the belt has been replaced?
Tatum said:
@Zhen
Thanks. Should I ask the owner directly if the belt has been replaced?
Yes, and also read this: Avoid This Ford Ecoboost Engine at All Cost
Tatum said:
@Zhen
Thanks. Should I ask the owner directly if the belt has been replaced?
Yes, and also read this: Avoid This Ford Ecoboost Engine at All Cost
Wow, that’s alarming. Should I avoid this car entirely? The article mentions the issue was fixed after 2012.
@Tatum
Not entirely. The article also says, “While Ford alleges that engines after 2014 no longer suffer from the faulty coolant pipe, there are still numerous cases of these engines blowing head gaskets in newer model years.” So proceed with caution.
The 1.0 EcoBoost isn’t the best choice unless you know it’s been serviced above and beyond Ford’s recommendations. The wet belt wears down and can send debris into the oil, which clogs the oil pick-up pipe.
If you decide to get it, I’d recommend dropping the sump, cleaning the oil pick-up pipe, and changing the oil every 6k miles or 6 months. It’s extra work, but cheaper than replacing the engine.
If you want a petrol engine, the 2.0 EcoBoost (like in the ST) is much more reliable and can handle more wear and tear. It might even be cheaper in the long run than the 1.0 EcoBoost due to fewer maintenance issues.
@Jean
Does this issue affect both manual and automatic versions?
Tatum said:
@Jean
Does this issue affect both manual and automatic versions?
Yes, the engine itself is the same. But if it’s an automatic, it likely has the dry clutch PowerShift transmission, which has a horrible reputation. Ford even faced lawsuits in the U.S. over it. Honestly, this combination is probably one of the least reliable setups for that model year.
The 1.0 EcoBoost engine in this era of Focus has a wet timing belt, so you’ll want to see a solid service history, ideally from Ford. Changing the belt is a big job and can cost between £1,100 and £2,000.
If you drive a lot, consider looking at a diesel version or maybe even a different brand. If you can stretch your budget, post-2018 Focus models (Mk4) don’t use the wet belt system anymore.