Sport 1.6 TDCI 115 5dr Hatchback

Nice car overall but unacceptable clutch issues.

I have the Sport version (slightly different seats and firmer suspension).
Plus points:
Handling and steering, comfortable driving position, adequate space for driver and front passenger.
Negative points:
Rear seat leg space cramped unless front seats are moved at least some way forward.
Poor boot space - partly my fault for specifying a full size spare but Ford have clearly designed around the concept of not having a full size spare.
Rattles - always a problem with Fords and I have lost count of the hours spent tracking and resolving rattles. I think they assume that everyone always has music playing.
Driveability - disappointing, driving smoothly in first or second gear in traffic is not as easy as it should be. Probably due to the need to meet emission regulations but I think the calibration engineers could have done a better job.
Brakes - too much servo assistance for my liking.
Reliability - no problems until approx. 16,000 miles when, following a 250 mile motorway drive, the clutch pedal failed to return fully (stuck half way but could be flicked up with my foot) when leaving the motorway to refuel. Leaving the fuel station the problem continued and when again leaving the motorway the clutch pedal would not return from the floor.
To cut a long story short the car was repaired at a Ford dealer (clutch master cylinder replaced) and for the next two weeks and approx. 1000 miles the clutch operated normally but on the journey home (again after a longish motorway drive) exactly the same problem occurred. Again the car was repaired at a Ford dealer and this time the slave cylinder and clutch were replaced. I made a specific point of asking the dealer to tell me exactly what had failed but they were unable to do so (clutch, I was told, appeared okay). Note that at no time was clutch slip experienced nor was there any obvious sign of brake fluid leakage (reservoir level appeared unchanged).
Total cost of fixing the problem (so far) is over £800. The second dealer, having not found an obvious cause for the problem, put a report into Ford requesting that the issue be covered under ‘goodwill’ (car was over 2 yrs. old with no extra guarantee and therefore out of warranty). Ford refused to cover the cost stating that it was a “wear and tear” issue and would not be covered even under warranty.
How Ford can possibly expect anyone to believe that sudden failure of the clutch operating system at 16,000 mls and then again at 17,000 mls (without obvious evidence of abuse) is normal wear and tear? It is ridiculous but it doesn’t stop Ford trying.
It is clear from comments here and elsewhere on the web that Ford has an issue with the Focus clutch system but they appear to be playing deaf, blind and dumb to it from the customer’s viewpoint.

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