Ford Focus Problems

Ford has a responsibility to fix the problem, and they seem to have tried, but failed on five separate occasions. The next step is to contact Ford directly (13 3673) and lodge a complaint about the problem and your concerns with the dealership. If that doesn’t elicit a satisfactory response contact the ACCC and ask for their advice on further action you could take.

Most small hatchbacks have similar width footwells, so I would suggest you try the most popular ones, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai i30, Kia Rio etc. to find the one that’s best for you.

The claimed average for your car is 6.7 L/100 km. It would be higher if it were driven around town – 9.4 L/100 km – but a less – 5.2 L/100 km – if only driven in the country. But remember that these so-called claimed figures are a guide only and not necessarily what you might get from your car.

Without knowing more it's hard to tell what the cost will be, but you can read more about how to replace your car keys here.

The 1.6-litre engine has a timing belt, the larger 2.0-litre engines also offered in the Focus have timing chains.

Have the dealer give you the part number and name of the part required and see if you get it Ford in England or Germany, or even an independent parts supplier.

Don’t buy a Focus, they are plagued with automatic transmission troubles, don’t buy a Holden Cruze either, as they also have problems with their automatic transmission. The Lancer is fine; you could also look at a Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla.

Six weeks is too long, press the dealer for an outlook on when they will have it fixed and returned to you. You could also ask them to loan you a car while they have yours.

The most likely cause is a faulty neutral/park start switch that prevents the car from starting unless it’s either in Park or Reverse.