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Hi all,
One of my boys is looking at buying a 2005 Ford Focus 1.6 with a little shy of 70k miles. The seller is asking £1,800, he has only just shown me some pictures and expects me to do the look over and haggling! I'm pretty ok on the spanners but questions I have are..
Anything specific I should be looking at for this model?
What would the high and low end price?
Many thanks
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Not much to go wrong on these . Hope it’s a petrol engine . Avoid if it’s a diesel . That’s strong money from a private seller . I would think £1500 ish is more the ticket , and it wants to have at least 2 keys .
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What to watch for: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/ford/focus-2004/good/
Price guide: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/used-prices/Ford/Focus/2006/
At 14 years old, ANYTHING could be wrong, so I would approach with caution. Look for as many receipts for services / work done as you can.
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On Autotrader the price span for 2005 Focus 1.6 (petrol, >80k miles) goes from £990 (excluding one for £500 needing a new heater matrix) up to £2995 for an example with 30k miles from a dealer. So £1800 is not unreasonable if the car is in exceptional condition, but i'd guess the asking price takes into account some haggle.
Is this a MK1 or a MK2 Focus?, as 2005 could be either. If a MK1, then rust is probably going to be a bigger concern, not that a Mk2 is going to be immune. As well as having a good look for rust and accident damage, check the MOT history, www.gov.uk/check-mot-history, as this will give an indication of how well the car has been looked after. Mechanically they are pretty hardy with that Yamaha designed engine*, though obviously they still need regular servicing.
*Assuming it is petrol, if not i'd probably avoid as the diesel can be troublesome.
Edited by badbusdriver on 09/12/2019 at 20:15
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Many thanks for the replies, really appreciated, it is a petrol but the doofus did not see the fact it is an automatic! I am happy that he was looking for a Focus, but I am not sure about an automatic..
Many thanks
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Many thanks for the replies, really appreciated, it is a petrol but the doofus did not see the fact it is an automatic! I am happy that he was looking for a Focus, but I am not sure about an automatic..
Many thanks
The auto Focus is not really a problem from a reliability point of view, but it will be less efficient. I am a big fan of auto cars, but whether or not it is a good idea for your son will depend on what type of a driver he is and how many miles he covers. The Focus 1.6 isn't that fast to start with, and adding a (4 speed i think) t/c auto into the mix only makes that worse. So if he is a 'press on' driver, it maybe isn't a great idea. But on the other hand, if your son is a laid back driver and more particularly, has a daily commute which is not that far, but a lot of it is spent in heavy stop start driving, an auto could well be a godsend!.
Edited by badbusdriver on 09/12/2019 at 21:28
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Thanks Mr Bus, I've had a word and he is definitely not wanting an auto, he's not a kid (21) but they are so much younger in these ways these days, no confidence so has asked me to look around. I am a Focus fan, I've had 2 and done all the small repairs and servicing myself.
he has £2k tops, what do you reckon is my best method of search for a decent Focus, I live in north bucks but can travel of course. Cheers Charlie
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Although the Focus is a good option here (if you stick to petrol) I wouldn’t restrict my search to just one model. Open things up if you want to find a genuinely good cheap car. I certainly wouldn’t walk past a nice Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla or Vauxhall Astra to get to a tatty Focus.
Here’s a few I spotted that should be near(ish) if I have your correct location.
Just a Golf underneath. Mechanically simple but no doubt well overdue a timing belt and water pump which is due every 5yrs regardless of that low mileage so factor it in to any offer. Looks very fresh though but look out for the ABS warning light being on or not appearing when you first turn the ignition, the control module is a common failure. Otherwise very robust.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20191121461...0
Brilliant little cars these. Hugely reliable and loads of room inside, they are one of the best sub £2k cars you could buy. Steering racks can fail so listen and feel for clunks through the steering. The seller will no doubt say it’s just a bush or something simple but if it’s knocking or sticky on the straight ahead it’s likely the rack. It can go on like that for ages but it’s expensive to fix. Clutches are a bit weak too but otherwise they’re tough old things. Timing belt is 8yrs or 120k from memory but they’re not hard on them.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20191128482...8
Tough and well made, little to fault them and it’s a chain driven engine too so no belt to worry about.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20191206510...5
If the insurance is ok this would be a joy. Utterly reliable but great fun to drive and quite rare too. Shares its suspension and floorpan with the Mk II Focus but has a tough chain driven motor. Rust is the only real major worry plus sticky brake calippers. Dent in the n/s rear door means it won’t have many fans and the dealer will likely be keen to get shot of it. Don’t pay full money for it.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190920244...8
As above but cheaper to insure and slower.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20191110422...6
Great to drive and reliable with that excellent Yamaha designed motor. Rust is the worry and check for a leaky water pump plus watch the dash display for signs of failure as you’re driving.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20191204503...3
As above
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20191203499...6
Private sale and a nice model. A cheeky offer might get it. Again uses that tough wee Yamaha motor.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20191203499...6
An absolute hoot to drive, reliable, modern and cheap to run. This is a great wee car at under £2K if it checks out ok and isn’t crusty underneath.
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20191130491...3
Edited by SLO76 on 10/12/2019 at 11:05
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he's not a kid (21) but they are so much younger in these ways these days,
Funds CC, we didn't have any worth mentioning so soon learned to not only to repair our own cars, but not to wreck them by crashing or thrashing cos both scenarios cost money we simply didn't have.
Very interesting and truthful comment though, they are more immature in so many ways, but then they'll more than likely outlive us by a considerable margin (unless the country suffers possible major civil strife in the next 3 decades) so have lots more time to be grown up.:-)
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The cambelt should have been already changed, based upon age (10 Years) rather than mileage. If there isn't definite proof this work has been carried out then that would be a negotiating point on price. If it hasn't been done then it needs doing and is likely to cost £250 to £300 for fitting a full cambelt and pulley kit.
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Check that the spark plugs are dry and not sitting in water from a rain water leak through the washer jets. Very common problem leading to expensive repair. Also check boot for rain water leaks and corrosion around the rear wheel arches.
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I had forgotten what a great forum this is!
SLO, really appreciate the effort, that has widened up my opinion a lot, especially that Mazda 2. And just down the road.
Bazza, Galaxy, many thanks also for those useful tips and bargaining points.
Fingers crossed the boy will have his own transport soon, after writing off my XC60 - did I mention that...
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@Craig, those links are very useful, I will be bearing those checks in mind if we go for a focus
@Gorden, this one has been working in a machine shop for the last 2 years, he has not a scoopby what AF means, and if it's not CNC he can't operate it! I was working on and riding MZ's at 14 :-)
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