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Can anyone advise me regarding whether or not Ford have finally cured the leaking roof problems on the Focus CC with the new model. I am about to take receipt of a brand new CC3 next week and keep reading disturbing reports that Ford have still not found a solution. I desperately need some reassurance as I'm afraid all the excitement of an impending new car has been tinged with the apprehension of leaks. Help....
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The Ford dealer garage should know the status of all known issues so it's worth asking them for the latest status.
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My dealer advises no such problems now but have a look at this website...(best to scroll down to the bottom as earlier posts refer to the well known leak disasters of the original design. It does give cause for concern.....
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Ooops sorry....website
www.topgear.co.uk/news/2007/03/29/ford-focus-coupe.../
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 22/06/2008 at 01:11
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Sounds like they fixed the problem, see extract from the above link :
June 1st, 2008 at 6:03 am
Just received a brand new mk2 (new head lights, new dash etc) and guess what. IT DOES NOT LEAK!! I have a very powerful Karcher washer/steamer and even this could not blast the water into the vehicle. My wife is happy, she finally has her Christmas present!
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Thanks, yes I did spot that post but as you can see from later ones there does seem to still be a problem....ah well.time will tell.
Edited by Borodin on 22/06/2008 at 00:48
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One way is to test it before you buy and accept the car. Ask the dealer to target your chosen car with one of their power car wash jets aimed at all the gaps and seals, and ensure you witness the event and that no seal escapes. If it's dry inside after at least a 5 minute assault with a water cannon and it's dry inside afterwards and you find yourself with a smile on your face then it's mission accomplished and it's a happy drive home in your new motor. If it fails the test then be prepared to walk away as the car is unfit for purpose.
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The same thought had occurred to me Mike...we always 'don't like to make a fuss' but on this occasion I think that's exactly what I'll do. Thanks for the advice.
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The test is only good when it is carried out. The achilles for these roofs is opening and closing them. Best advice I heard is to only operate the roof when the car is on a flat surface and even if the manufacturer says it can be operated on the move don't do it.
Closing it on a slope can pull the roof out of alignment, move the seals and then the problems begin.
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A friend has had one for six months. Its spent most of that time in the dealers as it won't close properly. He is just about to reject it.
Doesn't know if it leaks as he hasn't had a chance to take it out in the rain yet!
Shame, beautiful car.
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I have just e-mailed a few Ford dealers with this message :
I am currently in the market for a new cabriolet and am very interested in your new design Ford Focus CC3.
I was extremely concerned however to read of various roof leak problems that you encountered with the original design and what reassurances you are now giving that the problem has been fully addressed and rectified.
I would also appreciate knowing what recourse I have should my car suffer from such a leak regarding obtaining either another vehicle or a full refund.
Looking forward to hearing from you and hopefully gaining the confidence to come in for a test drive.
Regards......etc
I would dearly love to hear from anyone who has a Mk2 Focus CC and is delighted with it and has suffered no problems at all. I am now seriously considering losing £250 and walking away from this deal. My dear wife tells me that the only people who post about cars on these forums are the ones who have problems and anyone who is perfectly happy is too busy out driving the thing....fair point. So come on...any really happy CC3 owners out there ??
Edited by Borodin on 23/06/2008 at 23:31
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Is it possible to hire one for a couple of days to give you time to assess the CC3 before making any decision to purchase ?
Or how about looking into the FordDirect 30-day no-quibble exchange plan ?
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Did think about that Mike but I could have one for a few days and no problem then get mine and after a couple of weeks and a few thundery days find out I've bought a lemon. Notice I am getting really pessimistic on this now...the trouble is I love the cars design and interior. With regard to the Ford Direct 30 day exchange I think you will find that only applies to second hand vehicles and not new purchases...strange but true.
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You would be more likely to get specific advice about the Focus CC on something like the Focus Owners Club page- www.ffoc.co.uk/
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My dream is now a nightmare. Took my car back less than a week after buying because it leaked. Just heard from my dealer that the car was repaired today and still leaks. It has been modified again and will be water tested in the morning. Should that fail then it will go to the ?special place?. That could take two to three weeks and if that fails I have told them I will reject the car and demand a full refund. As my car was taken as part exchange and is obviously losing value I have told them I do not want it back but will require a full cash refund for the value of the deal. (Some £19000.00). I have spoken to the customer service manager at my dealership and everyone please take note : There is a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) issued on the MK2 model. He admitted that to me this evening. I have told him I shall be taking legal advice on the matter. I have had my car less than 1 week and already I am talking solicitors.
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Sorry to hear about the trouble you have run into. Even though you knew it was a risky venture to purchase the CC with a known issue, at the end of the day it sounds like the CC may not be fit for purpose and shouldn't be sold until this defect is fixed good and proper. Have they given you a courtesy car in the meantime ?
I'm not 100% sure so it needs checking, but you still have your right to a refund under the Sale of Goods Act if a car goes wrong in the first three weeks.
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Gulp.........i am due to collect my new CC 3 tomorrow and i am confident with the engine and all the bits & bobs inside,but the leaking roof does worry me,my car came off the production line 3 weeks ago,i really hope all is sorted with the leaking roof situation,i'll be having words with my dealer as to what he knows and what rights i have and for how long,its my guess the roof should be covered for the full 3 years under warranty.
Steve
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Even thought the warantee will cover the roof you shouldn't have to put up with a product whuch may need to be off the road numerous times whilst someone figures out how to stop it leaking.
Ensure your car has a power jet washer aimed at all the roof seals and other seals and then check for leaks. Then operate the roof down and then up a couple of times and repeat the jet wash exercise, if you find any leaks reject the car and consider another model.
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Am I the only one who thinks a bit too much is being expected of this roof?
All this stuff about pressure washers and water cannons is ridiculous - if you want something that waterproof, by a submarine.
It's a £25k Ford, for goodness sake, now if my:) new £250,000 Bentley convertible let in even a drop of water....
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The worrying thing is that a car may still leak even if it passes the pressure washer test. Years ago I had a car with a Webasto fold-back sunroof which never leaked when the car was stationary, whatever was poured over it, but invariably let in rain when on the move. That may also happen with the Focus.
Having the design tested in rain before the CC was released would have been a good idea, you'd have thought. Or is this once again a case of prototypes being put together with more care than production versions?
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It's a £25k Ford, for goodness sake, now if my:) new £250,000 Bentley convertible let in even a drop of water....
Money has nothing to do with it, it's a design problem. If a Bentley convertible can have a waterproof seal then so can a Ford Focus CC, and a client should expect a waterproof seal to be just that, waterproof. Someone handing over £25k has had to work for that money and to them it has the same value (if not more) as a rich person who hands over 10 times the amount.
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Mike,
I must be too easily pleased, I just think a few drips here and there is to be expected/is acceptable.
If I ever change the Focus for a CC, I'll ask you to collect it for me.:)
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Ok thanks, whilst I'm supervising the washer treatment my wife will sort out a complementary bouquet of flowers for you, wrapped in a waterproof container of course, all part of Ford's excellent customer service of course.
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If you want to hear disturbing reports about the focus cc leaking and what Ford will do to "help" you, read this.
My girlfriend saw press releases of the new focus cc last year and wanted to get one so in Febuary 07 we went along to our local Ford dealer and decided to order a cc3 2ltr diesal in black with the offer of a free luxury pack of leather and climate control. It was a good offer so we jumped at it and went for safeguard paint protection making our total price up to £20500. March the first arrived and only because I read in a magazine about delays on delivery we went to the dealership and our fears were comfirmed. The car was delayed week after week and we eventually took delivery on August 14th.
At first the car was great my girlfriend loved it, she has a long commute to work and the engine performed well on the motorway. However this was all good until a couple of months later when it rained and the seal on the drivers side started to leak. Not only did the driver get a wet leg but as the rain fell in the winter nights (as it tends to a lot) the leaking would cause the cars alarm to go off at all hours. So back to the dealer we go and they took the car in for a week to test the problem. The tests confirmed that the car leaked and the next step was to send the car to the specialist repair centre in Newport, Wales. Our car went off to Newport for two weeks and on return the roof still leaked! In addition the cars interior was filthly with black hand and finger prints all over the ceiling. Also a gooey black substance (which we were told was a sort of sealant used by Ford) stuck to each part of the roof when operated and strung out and fell on passengers and interior. So back again to the dealership where they apologised for the state we received the car back in and valeted it and got rid of the black gooey stuff. Now the car did not only leak drivers side in the front but also passenger side too!!! Another visit to the dealership to see the service manager but he wasn't in so they said they would call us the next day. We waited 18 days for that phone call! So back again and nobody knew why we weren't contacted so we sat down with the service manager to discuss what to do. He made aware of something called a "comittment change" this was put to us a either a refund for our vehicle or a replacement new car. There are some major catches with this process, firstly a penalty for mileage on our car comes off the value which seemed fair enough. Secondly if we wanted a new replacement car the mileage penalty comes back into play and we have to fund the difference in prices. Also the dealer could not guarentee a new car not to leak and we were told that once the exchange was done there was no going back. After hearing all this we were unsure what to do but the service manager informed us that repairs were being carried out at another Ford location in Redditch so we didn't have anything to lose letting them try to fix the problem. Three weeks later we got the car back, clean looking great. However a few miles down the road driving in the rain the dripping started again.
This was the last straw for us and with repair after repair the problem was getting worse, now leaking into the back seats of the car aswell. So naturally we didn't want to go through all this with another new car so we asked for a refund. We accepted the mileage penalty and told the dealer to put the wheels in motion for our money back. Week after week went by and no word from Ford. The dealership told us it takes time to go through the process and we got the same dead end answers from Ford customer services. After seven weeks waiting for a settlement figure from Ford we had had enough, how long can it take for somebody at Ford HQ to work out what the mileage penalty was for our car and get back to the dealership. After more calls and visits the dealer told us to give it another week. To our horror this week surpassed to the reply from Ford of "We have changed our policy and you will not be receiving any refund only the option of a replacement vehicle."!!!!
This is amazing and we cannot believe how we have been treated by Ford UK and our dealership. Why would we want another car which does not come with the guarantee of the problem being fixed and end up having to pay more money out when it is not our fault. Can anybody help us with any advice on what to do and is anybody in the same situation as us. HELP!!!!!!!!
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Is it on finance? If so inform the finance company and get them involved.
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The OP doesn't mention the cost to him&her of Ford's offer of a replacement vehicle.
If nil or negligible, that sounds quite attractive - not all these CCs leak, surely?
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I work for a large ford dealer in birmingham and Ford have brought back all our CC's. Nobody wants to sell them. i had a phone enquiry the other day and my manager advised the customer not to buy one as they leak and it would be too much hasle for us to sell one etc.
We brought an 07 plate CC3 in the other day 2.0 petrol with a few options on and the guy accepted a trade in figure of £9800! only had 4000 miles on the clock. I think he paid over £20k for it new.
The only folding hardtops that dont seem to leak are mercedes & bmw. If you search on google for renault, peugeot etc there are many articles of these cars leaking. I guess the roof system is manufactured by one company.
Also the mew design does leak, we have had 08's back in with leaking roofs. its on the back seal and drips onto the rear seats and into the speakers.
Edited by audiA6tdi on 31/08/2008 at 13:36
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Oh dear, seems they do all leak, then.
Plastic seat covers? Sou'wester? Free dehumidifier with every one sold?
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going off subject a bit - my girlfriend went to look at a VW Eos the other month and the salesman informed her that the car came with a 3 year warranty but the roof only had a 1 year warranty. He also advised the the roof will need to be 'resealed' after a year and that VW were looking into giving a 3 year warranty on the roof system. She has now ordered a TT Tdi hardtop instead.
Sounds like too much hasle and VW having no confidence in this product.
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The EOS roof does not need to be re-sealed, you just have to lubricate the seals every so often as detailed in the manual.
Ours were done every three months and it did not leak.
The only problem - lubricant is very expensive. Around £40 for a very small bottle.
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My CC3 has been leaking since October 07, I bought it in September 07. today is the 4th time it has been back. I told Fords I no longer wanted it repaired, that I wanted a replacement or a refund, but they were adament it was to repaired again.
I called trading standards who advised me as it is on finance(HP) it is the bank who has the responsibilty to get it sorted. On reading the small print of my agreement it appears this is true and I can possibly sue Fords through them.
Trading standards were really helpful and even mailed me a template of the letter I needed to send. They gave me a case number and said if they didn't respond within 14 days I should re contact them.
As for the leaking problem, I don't think they can sort it, mine leaks intermittently, but always from the same place.
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I?ve had mine since March 08 the roof leaks from both doors but only a few drops now and then, have driven through some pretty torrential rain without a drop coming in, it seems to be worse when cornering but as I said just a few drops, obviously it shouldn?t, it is a little bit annoying but in my opinion not worth getting too worked up about.
I do however have some other concerns, and I?m sorry for going off topic or covering something that may already have been discussed but I would appreciate feedback/opinions from other users about this. -
The moulded black under- body protection (sorry don't know the proper name for it) that fits inside the wheel arches and continues along the inside of the rear bumper I find this to be of poor quality compared to other cars I have had, it?s very thin and flimsy and is only loosely fitted to the body, so does nor really stop water from the road getting to the getting to the underside of the car which I?m guessing is what it is supposed to do. I also think the rear bumper is too flimsy and it seems to bang against this moulding when driving. Anyone else noticed this?
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I purchased a cc3 K2 2 months ago & was also worried by bad press. So far after 2 months of rain there are no leaks - I think it is a brilliant car with more gagets than most. It drives well & gives 45mpg on my daily 70m round trip of mixed motorway & city driving. The only niggle is a few creaks going over bumps as the roof/body flexes a little (it only does this top up). Having down sized from mondeo size cars i wondered how i would go on with the reduced space. Its not been a problem -admittedly with 2 adults in the back i have to have my seat a little more forward than normal but it is OK. As previously stated the boot is huge with the top up.
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I had a Mark I vehicle and managed to obtain a refund after 6 months due to it leaking (not just a few drips but full blown water ingress soaking my clothes) but I was one of the lucky ones. If you buy this vehicle now, Ford are no longer offering refunds but just exchanges.
Lots of people in a similar position are now stuck with leaky vehicles. Please see www.topgear.co.uk for lots of stories and the resoultions as they have happened.
Also for the record, you are recommended when buying a convertible, not to use jet washers on your car as it can damage the seals and therefore you would be liable for it leaking rather than the manufacturer. It is much better to use the good old fashioned sponge and bucket.
I am now a very happy Eos owner - it is a much better car, will hold it's resale value a lot better than a Focus and it is as rare a species as the CC3. Highly recommend people to buy the Eos over the Focus.
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Don't believe it - the EOS does not hold its value - there are too many around. Golf cabrios were rare the EOS is not.
I have the scars, we sold one!
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