Hi all,

I am posting here to share my as yet unresolved Ford Focus issues and plan on updating over the next few days as the proposed solution goes ahead. Hopefully it will be of help to somebody in the future.

The car has run smoothly since I purchased a few years ago with around 55k miles on the clock. I am now up to 92k, mileage consisting of around 50/50 short trips/motorway runs, and for the last 9 months increased motorway driving with 2-3 North West-West Midlands round trips per month.

Around 6 months ago my dash lit up with the exclamation mark warning (MIL?) and codes showed a DPF unable to regenerate. After reading DPF horror stories and in an effort to save cash, I changed the eolys fluid myself and attempted a manual regeneration along the motorway to no avail. Fortunately the garage I took it to were successful and managed to perform a static regen on a rolling road and clear codes/dash lights for £50. Great.

3 weeks ago my car had new brake discs fitted following its MOT. Within 5 days of the MOT I experienced sudden loss of power but no dash lights. I believe this is limp mode but I have also heard limp mode described as not being able to get above 20mph whereas my problem is extremely slow acceleration but it would get to around 50-60mph and will not rev above 3k.

I returned the car to the MOT testing station (Halfords) who diagnosed DPF problem and informed me it was too far blocked and needed replacing. Quote from Halfords was £967. After phoning around, I settled on quote with a local garage for an aftermarket DPF for £420 (during which they called and explained they couldn't get into the bonnet due to a failed locking mechanism - common fault. +£120). When I came to collect the car I asked about the loss of power and was faced with confused expressions. A test drive with the mechanic confirmed still no power but they "just did as I asked and replaced the DPF".

At this point I decided to bite the bullet and head to a Ford main dealer. I was careful to explain myself fully and describe the loss of power, to which they came back with a diagnostic report and the suggestion that a major service would solve everything as it was most likely the fuel filter and it was due a service anyway. I was swayed by a flippant comment, "Ford do the diagnostics so they then own the problem", and opted for the service in the belief that if it turned out to be something a little extra, they would sort it. With hindsight comes wisdom and as you would expect that flippant comment quickly dissolved the following day when the service did nothing to resolve the power issue and further inspection indicated I had a 'seized turbo' which they would happily replace for an eye watering £1300. This is the first mention of a turbo issue, with no codes and no white smoke but is consistent with the lack of power I guess.

I am at the point now where my car is due to be taken tomorrow to a garage which my family has used for years to fit a remanufactured turbo for £550. I would have started here, but I live far from home currently so it was too inconvenient to get the car to him.

The guy at this garage has warned me that the turbo does not come with a guarantee as it is so common for 'the engine to blow it again'... I am at my wits end and am in two minds between cutting my losses or throwing a little more cash at it in the hope I am close to a fix.

Any advice or anecdotes are appreciated, however any scoldings for believing the various garages at each stage are not necessary... I can punish myself enough without the assistance of others!

I will update once I have the £550 turbo fitted with what I hope will be an end to my turbo/dpf saga.

Edited by J Heron on 24/03/2015 at 18:02