Hi Eddie,

As with any car, the Ford’s service history and its general condition will be crucial in determining whether it’s a safe purchase or not – if it has a comprehensive maintenance record through the years and it looks tidy inside and out, driving well too, then it should be fine. Specific problems for the third-generation Focus include an issue with coolant hoses on 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol models from 2012-2013, while some owners reported clutch faults on vehicles with manual gearboxes. So check, if the car you’re looking at is a manual, that it shifts gears cleanly, and also get the seller to tell you whether the coolant hose was replaced under warranty; Ford offered a recall on this matter. In general, owners report that the petrol versions of this Focus are more reliable than the diesels.