2009 Ford Focus, Keep or Replace?

[Huckster79]

Most don’t understand that the dealership service department is in a conflict of interest with the dealership itself.

after 3-5 years they are not incented to keep your car running affordably. So they shotgun you with super-expensive yet simple things. This makes the new car look more interesting.

Once you end up in this category, you’re well-advised to get away from the dealers and find an independent mechanic whose livelihood revolves around keeping your vehicle in proper sort, with no hidden agenda.

OP- this is spot on!

 

[a572mike]

That's exactly what out problem was. Ford did a couple of software upgrades and finally installed a new computer for the trans and it was "tolerable." Gave the car to one of the children and surprisingly it is working pretty good these days. Another annoyance was the electric motor for the power steering. Ford knows about the problem but didn't address it.

I'm with you as I almost quit with Ford ... but my Ranger has convinced me that sometimes they make a vehicle that will last a long time and be reliable too.

My sister has a '12 Focus that she recently had to put a new electric rack and pinion in, that wasn't cheap. Fortunately, the transmission in hers has been behaving itself.

yup - the dual clutch I had on my 2014 Fiesta was ka-rap. I got used to it and learned how to avoid the stuttering, but wasn't going to get another car with that pos transmission (regardless of how inexpensive).

That auto clutch system was terrible. We received a Focus for a rental car that had it. I didn't know anything about it, just assumed it was a typical auto transmission. I stopped at an intersection on a pretty decent incline. When I let off the brake to go, I expected the car to hold itself on the hill decently as most automatics do. Instead it immediately rolled backwards about 5 feet, nearly hitting the car behind me, before the clutch engaged and we took off chirping the tires. You would have thought I was driving a manual transmission, badly. I googled the car to discover the new type of transmission in it. Once I knew what I was dealing with, I was better prepared to drive it accordingly.

It also did not do well in parking garages. The low speeds and changing inclines caused it to bog down and hunt gears a lot.

IIRC, we took the thing in for 3 or 4 software updates, and quite frankly, I think it worked better before they started messing with it. They also replaced the input shaft seal, as leaking transmission fluid was getting on the clutch discs and causing the stuttering.

The final straw was when it started getting caught in between gears randomly, which was caused by sticking clutch actuators. That happened right after it ran out of warranty... $1800 later it was back in the driveway and then off to be traded in on a metallic green Chevy Sonic hatchback that my wife fell in love with. That car is another story...

 

[Salty]

Most don’t understand that the dealership service department is in a conflict of interest with the dealership itself.

after 3-5 years they are not incented to keep your car running affordably. So they shotgun you with super-expensive yet simple things. This makes the new car look more interesting.

Once you end up in this category, you’re well-advised to get away from the dealers and find an independent mechanic whose livelihood revolves around keeping your vehicle in proper sort, with no hidden agenda.

What? You mean the fact that I get inundated by sales people when my car is in for service isn't because the sales team is bored and has nothing better to do? *gasp*

 

[Ventucky Red]

After 350K miles, the BIL just put a new engine and gearbox in his 1985 Toyota Forerunner... All in $5K, as he says, I'm good for another 10 years.