Ford Focus Problems

With the broad spread of capped-price servicing, lots of dealerships are padding service bills with unnecessary stuff to shore up their income. I've never head of aircon sanitising but a Google search found a spray can of the stuff for $20. Draw your own conclusion there.

I can understand your frustration and I think you have a good case for getting a refund, but it's very hard to do that in this country where the manufacturer holds all the cards. The only thing you can do if you want to pursue it is to get legal advice. We understand there is a class-action suit happening in the USA on this same subject, you might be able to hook up with that.

Of those you have been looking at I would rule out the Cruze on the basis of its transmission troubles. The Focus and the Hyundai are good cars and would do what you want nicely. Others to consider would be the Mazda3 and the Kia Rio.

Stephen Kruk of Ford replies: "We've recently experienced some customer concerns regarding Focus and Fiesta transmissions. We have been working with those customers to address each of their issues on a case-by-case basis. Ford would encourage customers who are experiencing any issues to speak to their local dealer so we can resolve the issue."

I couldn't recommend either one, both have issues with their transmissions as your homework suggests. I would urge you to look at similar models from brands such as Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Kia.

If Ford has told you that your car cannot be fixed and you have it in writing I would be going to them and asking for a full refund of your money on the basis that they sold you a car that was 'unfit for purpose'. If you don't get a satisfactory resolution with Ford got to your consumer affairs people and take action they way. In the meantime we will contact Ford about the issue.

UPDATE 3/7/15: We approached Ford for a response to Charlie's complaints and the comment we got from a company spokesman was: "Officially, we're currently working closely with this customer to ensure a good outcome for them. Our Customer Relationship Team is in contact with the customer. In such circumstances our policy is to always provide customer support and work through any vehicle issues on a case-by-case basis."

Like Charlie, we think the offer of a trade-in price for his daughter's car is grossly inadequate. By any measure Ford has sold her a car that is unfit for the purpose for which it was sold to her, and we think she should receive a full refund of the original purchase price. Anything less would see her out of pocket for something she was not in any way responsible for.

UPDATE 7/7/15: Ford last week informed us that they have now reached a satisfactory resolution with Charlie Allia’s daughter over the automatic transmission in her 2013 Focus.

Although details are sketchy because of confidentiality agreements between the parties it is believed the problem relates to the way the dual-clutch transmission operates rather than a mechanical malfunction of the gearbox.

The Cerato is a great package. If she is a keen driver who wants the sporty feel of the Focus, go with the Ford.

Your first port of call is to the dealer to explain your concerns and ask them to rectify the problem. The car is quite new and would still be covered by the Ford warranty, so get Ford involved, either through the dealer or directly through Ford's Customer Relationship Centre (Phone: 13 3673).