Why is the Ford Focus so cheap? Should I avoid it?

I’m looking for a used car with these criteria:

  • 10 years old or newer
  • Under 100k miles
  • Under $10k

Ideally, I want a Corolla, Impreza, or Civic since I trust those brands. However, I’ve noticed a lot of 2012-2014 Ford Focus models listed for $6,500 or less. That’s at least $2k cheaper than most other cars I’ve found, and they’re usually newer too.

Why are they so cheap? I’m not a big Ford fan, but the price is tempting. Any advice would be appreciated, especially since I don’t know much about cars. Thanks!

The transmission is garbage. It’s almost guaranteed to fail, which is why they’re so cheap.

I worked in Ford’s service department for five years. Avoid automatic Focus or Fiesta models at all costs. They’re cheap because you’ll spend triple that amount on constant transmission repairs. Plus, dealerships don’t have enough transmission techs, so you’ll wait forever for service.

I have a 2016 Focus. Am I screwed, or is there something I can do?

It’s a ticking time bomb. Sorry, but yeah, you’re screwed.

Rip.

Is it a manual or automatic?

Automatic.

Big oof.

Should I start looking for another car? Will a dealership even take it as a trade?

They might, but don’t expect much for it. Everyone knows the transmissions are bad. I just saw a guy come in needing $3,000 worth of transmission and engine work on his.

Yikes, thanks for the info!

Yeah, best to sell it while it still has some value.

Sell it now and put that money toward a more reliable car. Pass the risk to someone else.

Do not buy one. You’re lucky you asked. A lot of people don’t, and they end up regretting it.

The only decent ones are the manual transmission models. The automatics are basically junk and priced low to dump them on someone else before they break.

Avoid them unless it’s a manual or a 2018 with the 1.0 Ecoboost. I’ve been selling Fords for five years, and the automatics in these are just terrible. Ford didn’t fix the problem for years and lost a lot of loyal customers because of it.

I sell Hondas, and the Focus disaster has pushed a lot of people toward Civics and Fits. They’re more reliable and often built in America, which appeals to people who want ‘Murican-made’ cars.

If we called Mexico ‘Diet America’ and Canada ‘America Lite,’ maybe more people would be okay with buying cars made there.

Haha, maybe. But most Civics and Accords are built in the U.S. anyway. Even if they’re made elsewhere, they usually have a lot of U.S. parts content.