1st generation Ford Focus became just a legendary car, it was released as much as 8 years around the world. In Russia alone, more than 400 million cars were produced.

Therefore, in the secondary market a lot of these cars and their prices are low. And now we will find out how good a purchase is.

The price for the Focus of the first generation starts from 260000 rubles for sedans aged 8-9 years, regardless of the country in which it was released. Sedans about 60% of the market focus, and about the third honor of the proposals - hatchbacks, they are about 10,000 rubles cheaper. There are station wagons, they cost 10,000 rubles more than sedans, but there are few of them on the market - about 10%. About 25% of the market is cars manufactured in the USA, new cars of this kind cost 12,000 dollars each. And a few years later, the price of these cars fell by about 2 times, and they were brought to Russia in large quantities.

The most powerful modification of this model is Focus RS with a turbocharged engine with a volume of 2 liters and a capacity of 215 horsepower. But this car is very rare, it is difficult to find it even in Europe. There are modifications of ST or SVT, which also has a 2-liter engine with a capacity of 170 liters. with. Such modifications can be found on the market, but it is better not to buy them, because they are considered problematic. Frequent there were cases when the motor broke the boltswith the help of which it is attached to the support. And when the engine falls, it damages the drive shaft and the timing case cover. To fix this problem will have to spend about 700 dollars.

Yes, and the suspension on these versions is low for our roads, and after a while it will have to go through. A spare part for these modifications is difficult to find, it is necessary to order in the US, and this process is quite long.

Most of the American versions that travel in Russia are Tricks in the sedan with automatic transmission. These cars can be distinguished by the orange turn signals, which are mounted on the grille, by the front bumper of a different shape. Most salons of American versions of light color, on European versions salons, in most cases, are black. In addition, cars in the basic configuration, which do not have an on-board computer, a CD player and electric mirrors are better not to buy, because they were often used in car rental companies in America.

As for the Ford Foci of the Russian assembly, their cabin uses cloth door upholstery, in the basic version there are no pockets for things. The fabric of the seats is not wiped much, but can become saline over time. Heated seats may also fail, and it’s not about the heating elements, but about the wiring.

The tricks brought from America have a small trunk opening, so for those who are going to carry any goods it is better to take a hatchback or a wagon.

In these cars, an inexpensive 2-liter Split Port engine with 8 valves is usually installed. This motor is hemispherical combustion chamber. The design of this engine is simple, its mechanics can easily repair. And before a run of 150,000 km. This engine does not create problems. But after 150,000 km. there are cases that valve seats are destroyed and get into the cylinders themselves. This situation can lead to a major overhaul of the engine, which will cost $ 3,500, and parts will have to wait a very long time.

Diesel engines are also risky engines. Duratorq TDCi. They are very sensitive to the quality of a diesel engine, although the engine itself is reliable, the turbocharger can safely leave 200,000 km. And if you pour in low-quality fuel, the fuel pumps will quickly fail, and the engine management system that is more than 1000 revolutions per minute will not spin the engine.

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That's as far as gasoline engines are concerned. ZetecWith 16 valves, they are unpretentious to the quality of gasoline. American versions with this engine are two-liter, and in Europe there are 1.4-liter ones. Until 2002, modifications with a 1.6-liter Zetec-SE engine came to Russia, which worked perfectly on 92-m gasoline. But cars with this motor drove weakly, they were badly started in the cold. There is also a Zetec-E with a volume of 1.8 liters, so it has the same problems as the 1.6-liter version.

But this problem was solved by changing the engine control programs. But for Vsevolozhsk Ford Focus began to put another engine with a volume of 1.6 liters of Brazilian production - Zetec-RoCam which has 8 cylinders. If in essence, this engine is simply cheaper, it has a chain in the timing drive, as well as a cast-iron cylinder block. In Russia, it was supplied from South Africa under the name Duratec 8V. This engine has excellent traction at low revs, and it is unpretentious to the quality of the fuel.

If we compare it with the American Zetec-E, then on the contrary, it requires better fuel. Therefore, many of these cars have become accustomed to drive with the Check Engine lamp on.

What is characteristic of Zetec motors is that they need to be periodically flush the idle valve with the throttle valve. And when it comes time to change the speed sensor, you will have to pay $ 40 for it, but before that the automatic transmission switches to emergency mode and will not switch above 2nd gear. And if there is a manual gearbox on the car, the motor can simply stall on the move.

What is good about these engines is that their control units adapt to the driving style of each driver. You can quickly clear the information about the former owner - you just need to remove the terminal from the battery. And after 10 kilometers the car will behave differently. There is also a motor overheat protection. If the road is very hot, then the controller will reduce power, especially it will be noticeable if the air conditioner is on. If you do not pay attention to the fact that the control lamp of the temperature of the cooling liquid is turned on, then the system will turn off 2 cylinders and allow the engine to spin up above 3000 revolutions per minute.

Such protection can come in handy because there is a possibility that the motor will overheat if the electric motor of the fan fails, because its connectors may rust with time. But the main problem that can happen with the cooling system is the cracks that can appear after 80,000 km. in the tee heater or thermostat housing. But even earlier it can jam the valve of the cover at the expansion tank.

They can crack on the ignition coils of the case, and can also cause interruptions in spark plugs or high-voltage wires. Even platinum candles, not to mention ordinary ones, need to be changed very often - after only 20,000 km. The manufacturer writes that the oil should be changed every 20,000 km. but it is not, it is better to change it after 10,000 km. so that the engine lasts a little longer.

It is better to pour oil brand 5W-30 or 5W-40 from Castrol, but you can also pour oil from any other manufacturer with the same viscosity, but with tolerances WSS-M2C913-A or WSS-M2C913-B. And you should not save on the quality of the oil, because if you pour low-quality oil, it can lead to breakage and costly repairs.

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If you ride in the normal boy style, at higher revs, the Zetec engine will consume 1 liter of oil per 10,000 kilometers with good engine. But sometimes the engine still needs to be given in the ass.

Transmission

A 5-speed manual gearbox may eventually leak glands. As well, the box may require the drive to be adjusted, and it may also be necessary to replace the spring on the gear lever.

But basically, the manual is very reliable, while working, it creates a bit of noise, but it can work no less than the engine. Easy to survive 2 clutch replacement, each of which will cost $ 250. As for the automatic box, it is also quite reliable, in the American versions you just have to change the oil every 50,000 km. And on European machines, as in the mechanics of the oil can not be changed.

Suspension

But the suspension will require investment after 120,000 km. run Particularly unreliable springs and wheel bearings. On dorestaylingovyh versions of Ford Focus on the McPherson front suspension have to change the stabilizer after 40,000 km. After the restyling, there was an upgrade, after which these racks began to serve about 80,000 km., About the same as the rear.

Also after the modernization, the silent blocks of the levers have become more durable, now they can easily hold out over 150,000 km. run

If the car has original ball bearings, then they will be enough for about 100,000 km., And they come complete with levers. This kit will cost $ 150. These levers are fastened on rivets. By the way, you can buy non-original hinges for only $ 40 separately from the entire site. Usually shock absorbers already require replacement after 100,000 km. mileage, the front are 240, and the rear - $ 180 per pair.

If you go through the suspension - all 8 levers on the rear suspension pull on $ 800, also includes elastic silent blocks. And for those who will do the repair of the suspension, will get a lot of problems with well-soured fasteners. You will also need to adjust the angle of convergence of the rear wheels.

And to 120,000 km. run will need to pay attention to the steering, there it happens that pump seals in the power steering pump, and it will be necessary to change the tie rods with tips. Very often the steering mechanisms began to rumble after driving on Russian roads, and they were immediately changed under warranty. But even if the rake knocks on a rough road, this does not mean that it should be changed. It happens that it is enough just to change the thrust bearings on the front struts for $ 50 and for one pull up the mount at the steering pencil.

Other Ford Focus Supplies

In addition to the suspension often requires replacing the electric fuel pump, which is located in the tank. It is very bad for dirt or water. And when the filters are clogged, it will quickly overheat, so it’s best to keep 20-30 liters of gas in the tank all the time.

When Ford Focus appeared in Russia, very often these fuel pumps began to fail on them. This led to a large number of failures, to correct the situation, dealers reduced by 2 times the price of fuel pumps. The price was 200 dollars, and this is a considerable amount, if you need to give it once a year. But now you can even save if put the fuel pump from the VAZ 2110, for this you just need to redo the connector. Such work will cost a little, because it will be necessary to remove the gas tank, but you can also make a window under the rear seat and get to the tank through it.

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This procedure will not cause harm to the body, because it is galvanized and will not rot. But over time, the gloss is lost, because the paintwork can be easily scratched, and from the sinks the paint becomes slightly cloudy.

If the car is already over the years, then at first rust will form on the trunk lid, under the metal lining. And on the elements of chrome stains appear that the car is not particularly decorated, moldings can also come unstuck from the doors.

The first Vsevolozhsk Ford Foci were cooked, assembled and painted by hand, so many of them have gaps between body panels, and also rear windows are crookedly glued in on hatchbacks.

The windshield is quite delicate, cracks may appear on it, even after medium blows. A heated glass is about 2 times more expensive than usual - $ 300, but it really helps in wet weather, when the windshield and side windows mist over. Largely blame cabin filter, quickly clogged and swelling from moisture. Such a situation may also arise from the ventilation system - sticky rubber between the glass and the filter cover can let water inside the cabin.

In general, Ford Focus does not differ in special reliability, and no one expects super reliability from it, because for the money it costs, this is a normal car. It is worth the money spent on it, the price of the Focus is lower than the Japanese and European cars of this class. Therefore, even in the secondary market, this car is in demand.

The cost of maintaining this car is also not great, the main costs will appear after 120,000 km., When you have to touch the chassis. When buying the Ford Focus of the first generation, it is better to look for afterrestaking versions, many of them were corrected in them. Before buying, be sure to check the condition of the car with scrupulousness, especially the American versions. With you in the trunk is better to keep in reserve the candles and the new fuel pump, since these parts can be called consumables.

Behind the wheel of the first generation Ford Focus

A small steering wheel with a thick rim and a seat that fits tightly adjusts to a sporty ride. Transmissions are included clearly that it seems that this is a sports box.

Salon turned out quite ergonomic, except for some small things, for example, the driver's seat has a small range of adjustment. A lower chair cushion is regulated by a long rotation of the handle. The use of washers for the front glass is not convenient enough. And to turn on the high beam, you need to juggle the stalk lever, and in the glove compartment there is no light, and the glove compartment itself is made of cheap plastic. But all this stuff, because the rear passengers will be quite comfortable in the cabin. If the front seat is pushed as far as possible towards the trunk, there is still enough space for a tall passenger from the back seat.

At Ford Focus, you can podriftit, the car is well included in the drifts, but holds the road with confidence. Accelerates pretty quickly for a car of its class. Compact size and good handling for affordable money.

By the way, we can assume that today we have 2 reviews instead of one, because after watching the following video, you will also learn all the details about buying a second-hand Ford Focus: