I’ve got a 2014 Ford Focus with 114,000 miles on it. The transmission has been acting up for a couple of months now, and this isn’t the first time it’s given me trouble. I bought it for $8,000, but honestly, I’m done with this car. I’d like to sell it for whatever I can get, but I’m wondering if it’s worth trying to sell it as-is or just scrapping it. Does anyone have experience selling a car with these issues? Could a Ford dealership even offer me cash?
I bought a 2012 for $4,500 about six years back. Needed a clutch replacement a couple of years ago, which ran me $3,200. Tried to sell it as a ‘mechanic’s special’ for $2,000 before I repaired it, but I didn’t feel right selling it to the one person who showed up—a young mom. Ended up keeping it, fixed it, and now it’s at 360,000 miles. I use it for Uber and DoorDash just to keep miles off my new car. There’s not much resale value in these. If you’re set on selling, try Carvana or CarMax. Avoid private sales—you don’t want the buyer coming back at you for issues.
@Teal
Wow, 360,000 miles? That’s impressive!
Sadly, resale on these cars isn’t much. You either take the loss or fix it and keep driving.
The Focus from that year is known for transmission issues. I’ve got a 2015, and I’d say don’t expect too much. Maybe $2,000 if you’re in a good market.
I have a 2015 with 95,000 miles and sometimes it shudders too. Carvana offered me $4,000 for it, but I’m torn between selling it now or driving it till it dies.
Kade said:
I have a 2015 with 95,000 miles and sometimes it shudders too. Carvana offered me $4,000 for it, but I’m torn between selling it now or driving it till it dies.
Just ride it until it dies and then scrap it, man.
I usually buy them with that mileage for about $1,500, but only if it’s in decent shape—no major body damage and the interior still intact.
Dealerships will give you a check if they buy it, but it’ll likely be less than you expect. They need to make a profit and usually refurbish the car before selling. How bad is the transmission? Can it still shift gears?
Have you checked if the TCM can still be replaced under warranty? For 2014 models, the 10-year warranty might still cover a one-time replacement until next summer.
Ford replaced my TCM at 311,000 miles, and I’m still enjoying the 38 MPG city and 45 highway. Not perfect, but for that many miles, I can’t complain.
Torin said:
Ford replaced my TCM at 311,000 miles, and I’m still enjoying the 38 MPG city and 45 highway. Not perfect, but for that many miles, I can’t complain.
You definitely got your money’s worth!
@Finn
True, can’t deny that!
I buy these for about $1,500 here in Ohio if they’re in good shape. Fix them up myself and sell for around $4,500.
Ozzie said:
I buy these for about $1,500 here in Ohio if they’re in good shape. Fix them up myself and sell for around $4,500.
I’m in Ohio too. The car’s in decent shape (except I have to reset the Bluetooth fuse every few months for some reason). I’d be open to selling it for $1,500. DM me if you’re interested.
Edit: The battery also died recently, so it might need a new one. I could go down to $1,200.
I have a 2016 with 72,000 miles. No major transmission issues yet. Ford keeps asking if I want to sell, but I’d rather keep it than deal with payments on a new one. The resale value isn’t much, so I just stick with it.
Tree fiddy.
Try Carvana or CarMax, or if you’re okay with it, you could sell it privately without mentioning the transmission issues (not exactly ethical, though).
If the transmission isn’t too far gone, take it to CarMax.
Mine’s had a few issues, but I keep fixing it up. Resale isn’t great, but if you like the car, it’s worth the repairs. I have a soft spot for it, so I’d rather keep it than sell it for cheap.