Focus on corrosion

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Fri 20 Apr 2007 19:51
Focus on corrosion - John F
I am constrained by the 'no naming and shaming' directive but.......here goes.

I have just discovered corrosion bubbling up all along the inside seam at the bottom of three of four doors of our seven year old Focus Estate - usually well cleaned and kept in a garage.
There is no such corrosion on either of the brace of Peugeot 309s belonging to my sons, both of which live outside, are more than twice as old, hardly ever cleaned and have done more than twice the mileage.

Is this a known problem just affecting Focuses [Foci?] of this age or is it just par for the course for Ford?
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Fri 20 Apr 2007 20:21
Focus on corrosion - Martin Devon
Do you have a Stutter perchance??

MD
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Fri 20 Apr 2007 20:32
Focus on corrosion - Sprice
So what MD, he posted 3 times by mistake {which have now been deleted - DD}, big deal. Why can't some people help but pounce on this site?

To answer your question JF, I believe some people on this site have mentioned a similar thing on Mondeos, try forum search on the right.

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Fri 20 Apr 2007 20:36
Focus on corrosion - Martin Devon
It was lighthearted. Most of us mess up from time to time. It's Friday.

Best regards.....MD
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Fri 20 Apr 2007 20:43
Focus on corrosion - Quinny100
It is a known problem and affects some Mk3 Mondeo's. Mercedes have had the same problem on some of their models. The sealant used in the flanges on the doors goes hard and allows water to get underneath.

I'm not sure you'll get much joy with a warranty repair from Ford after 7 years, but it could be worth a try.
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Fri 20 Apr 2007 22:24
Focus on corrosion - 659FBE
PSA cars have had the outer panels galvanised for some time now - even old ones are still looking good, if not a little battered by now. There has to be some recompense for the "adventurous" electrical/electronic systems PSA currently inflict upon us.

I'm really surprised Ford don't galvanise their cars as most other truly European makers now do. Old Ka and Mondeo models are not a good running advert for the Company.

659.
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Sat 21 Apr 2007 09:48
Focus on corrosion - cheddar
I'm really surprised Ford don't galvanise their cars as most other
truly European makers now do. Old Ka and Mondeo models are
not a good running advert for the Company.
659.


Other than the Ka, Fords have been galvanised for many years, the OPs Focus woukld be galvanised, the problem is as per Quinny's post.
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Sat 21 Apr 2007 16:42
Focus on corrosion - 659FBE
Hmm. Looks as though Ford have applied their bean counters to the galvanising process too. Looking at the Mondeo door rust problem, I find this degree of rusting on a supposedly galvanised panel to be surprising, to put it politely. The zinc is supposed to operate as a sacrificial anode - it does on PSA cars anyway.

659.
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Sat 21 Apr 2007 00:07
Focus on corrosion - John F
Humble apologies - don't often initiate stuff on this site, just occasionally respond. Nothing seemed to happen when I hit the button so I tried ag-g-g-g-ain. Clearly computer turbo-lag.
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Sat 21 Apr 2007 09:41
Focus on corrosion - jc2
Please don't make fun of people's disabilities;it's not amusing for them however much it may seem to you!
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Sat 21 Apr 2007 00:37
Focus on corrosion - CGNorwich
"usually well cleaned and kept in a garage".

Personally have never been a fan of garaging cars. if put away when wet the moist atmosphere will certainly hasten corrosion. Last car i has was a focus estate which had fo 6 years . 80,000 miles and only washed a few time a year . Never garaged but no sign of corrosion. Usually buy Fords and don't think they are any more prone to rust than than other mass market cars
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Sat 21 Apr 2007 01:34
Focus on corrosion - rtj70
My Mondeo (new Oct 2003) has rust on rear doors. Tried emailing lease company and calling but no response.... not my car at the end of the day so upto them. But it is rusting like the Focus.
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Sat 21 Apr 2007 09:00
Focus on corrosion - L'escargot
John F,

I'm on my second Focus and I've had no problems with rust. Admittedly I only had the first one for 5 years. Garaging a car when damp can be worse than leaving it outside. I get round this by having a dehumidifier in my garage. Because the initial cost and the running cost (mine uses 200W when it's on, and also it's controlled by a variable "humidistat") is small in proportion to that of repairing rust problems I think it's well worth it.
--
L\'escargot.
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Sat 21 Apr 2007 09:50
Focus on corrosion - cheddar
John F,

Look at this thread:

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=38759&...f

The address for Ford now is:

The Customer Services Director
Ford Customer Relationship Centre
PO Box 4430
Coventry
CV3 9BH

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Sat 21 Apr 2007 13:17
Focus on corrosion - y2k+4
The mkI hatch I just traded in was beginning to get rusty, and was 51 plate. Stonechips, rears doors, the rear window V area, the strip above the number plate and the lower area inside the wheelarches were all beginning to show signs of corrosion. I know that doesn't sound like a good write-up but the Focus is known to have something of a rust problem in certain areas. But I've still placed faith in the mk 2...
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