I have owned a Fiesta hybrid, bought as a pre-reg, since November 2021. It went back to the main dealers in January because the touch sensitive locking stopped working. I was told this was due to the 12V battery being only 50 per cent charged. They recharged the battery and it was OK for a few more months, then I had another issue which was again blamed on low battery. On a third occasion it came back from its first annual service (July) and the stop-start system wasn't working. Again they diagnosed low battery on 12v battery, which was charged and after a return visit they got the stop-start working again.

The mechanic at the dealership tells me that the 12V battery is not getting enough charge because the system prioritises putting power into the hybrid system and as a low mileage user I am always going to have this problem.

Typical weekly use is a daily trip of four to five miles out and return later, a couple of eight to nine mile journeys at the weekend. Most journeys are in town and the stop-start will probably kick in once or twice. Since November I have clocked up 5,500 miles.

Is it really the case that hybrid Fiestas are unsuitable for lower mileage drivers? I have never had battery issues with previous cars (the previous three were all Fords, kept between seven and 10 years) and my driving usage was the same.