New 1.5 Ecoboost Has An Issue But Ford Are Fobbing Us Off

[alexp999]

I thought it was about time I started a new thread to discuss this, as it is part of my plan to make this topic noticed across various social media.

There is a known vibration/rattle/resonating fault with the design of the turbo and exhaust system of the new 1.5 Ecoboost Focus, however Ford are standing by it being design "intent" and trying to Fob us off that it is as designed.

I'm driving around this time of year with my window open and all I'm hearing on lift off and when changing down gears is an awful noise that sounds like my car is going to fall apart.

It is not a background noise, like tapety injectors, but a loud pronounced rattle that sounds like the exhaust system is being held together with safety pins.

If you have this issue, please reply so we can build up the number of people experiencing it. If you have this engine, but don't think you are experiencing the issue, try listening to the car on cold start up with the window or door open, or trying revving the engine over 3k revs and letting it drop back.

Anyone else reading this with experience of getting this sort of thing sorted with Ford, I would really appreciate your feedback. I have been given the number for customer relations by the service department at my garage and have asked the salesman at my dealer to pressure Ford. I see no reason why I cannot pursue this under the Sale Of Goods Act, this car is not of satisfactory quality.

UPDATE:

Here is a video of it:

Initially I just start the engine and let it idle for the first 30s or so, but the clearest recording of it is around 1:10.

UPDATE 2:

Another video, this time with the engine fully warmed up after a run out on some national speed limit roads, see below:

[Shennas]

All i can say is that most focus's have rattly exhaust vibration noise. If the car is able to pass an MOT and the only issue is the noise then i see no chance of a case under the sales of goods act or with ford

[alexp999]

I have had 2 Foci neither of those, nor my Mum's Focus has an issue like this.

Ford know it is an issue as they sent a broadcast message out about it.

They could fix it, but are so far choosing not to.

It isn't just a rattle, something sounds broken.

[smneal]

I'm with you there Alex. Got a Titanium X with the 1.5 engine (180ps). Definite rattle. We've had plenty of Focus' and had a few Mk3 with the 1.6 engine and it never made a noise anything like this at all.

[alexp999]

My complaint has been logged with Ford, they are going to call later to discuss further.

@smneal, have you been in touch with your dealer to complain or have it looked at? Might be worth registering a complaint if you haven't already, to help build our case.

[InKontrol]

Any chance of posting a video of this rattle sound that you have please? :)

[alexp999]

I'll have a go, it is most pronounced when driving. But it does it stationary too, just depends if the mic on my phone picks it up...

[alexp999]

I'm with you there Alex. Got a Titanium X with the 1.5 engine (180ps). Definite rattle. We've had plenty of Focus' and had a few Mk3 with the 1.6 engine and it never made a noise anything like this at all.

Was that the 1.6 Ecoboost?

[smneal]

Was that the 1.6 Ecoboost?

Yea that's the one. Prior to the current car we had a Mk3 Titanium with the 1.6 Ecboot 150PS.

[alexp999]

Here is a video of it:

Initially I just start the engine and let it idle for the first 30s or so, but the clearest recording of it is around 1:10.

[TomsFocus]

That doesn't sound good at all tbh...and I'm used to diesels!

What have they actually said the fault is or will they not tell you?

[alexp999]

I think it is something to do with the wastegate or actuator chattering and resonating down the exhaust pipe.

But the dealer has had a few theories.

It is definitely something to do with the turbo and exhaust though.

[smneal]

That sounds familiar, almost like someone's dropped a few screws in somewhere

[iantt]

that dont sound good, has it done it from new or recently, how many miles you on now?

[InKontrol]

Might be worth dropping this dude a message and a link to the video:- https://www.youtube.com/user/FordTechMakuloco

He certainly knows his !Removed! so might be able to tell you what it is. He used to work for a Ford dealer but then went his own way. Not even sure the 1.5 is available in America considering they're always running big engines over there.

[alexp999]

that dont sound good, has it done it from new or recently, how many miles you on now?

Done it since new.

Only 1600 miles and if anything it has gotten louder.

[iantt]

be interesting to know what the outcome is , you cant be the only one out there.

[alexp999]

smneal on here has the same issue, and my dealer has said I'm not the only one with the issue.

Seems Ford are trying to bury their head in the sand hoping it will go away.

I'M NOT GOING AWAY!

Hopefully customer relations will get somewhere and push Ford engineering to come up with something.

[iantt]

im wondering if its the design of the turbo /actuator, or exhaust resonating making noise audible.or the airflow pulsing through turbo.

[artscot79]

Yeah its a hard one definitely not heard noises like that from any mk of focus or the older fords the difficulty is proving its not by design since almost every fault with every ford seems to be by design of course .......

I think it needs to go further but like many of fords faults they never really do hopefully you get a good outcome

[MattDRX]

Watchdog it, Ford have been there in the past with Mondeos falling apart and rusting in the early days, they recently got Citroen to recall some DS3's that had faults, wouldn't want the image on their new Ecoboost range tarnished. also stick on Fords twitter and Facebooks and cane them over it, complaining won't get anywhere unless you promote bad press, repairing the car costs far less than even one lost sale.

[alexp999]

I'm already dealing with the twitter team, of customer relations.

I tweeted this thread at most of Ford's twitter accounts and got a DM back pretty quick yesterday :)

I also have this thread going on two other forums.

Watchdog would be next step if I'm not getting anywhere, but I could do with more people with the same issue for that.

[MattDRX]

You don't need more than one person via watchdog, the one I saw was just one girl who kept getting a fault light on but there was no fault, Citroen couldn't remove it as there was no software and they ended up taking the car back and cancelling the agreement.

The definition of fit for purpose isn't just if it's road worthy, if it isn't doing how it's sold to be, such as refined, comfortable and quiet etc then indeed it's not doing what they say it is.

I'd also challenge ford to put it in writing that this noise will not generate any problems in years to come.

[alexp999]

That is also a concern I was going to raise when I next speak to customer relations.

It is such a pronounced noise, it worries me that something is wearing at an abnormally high rate. Something that sounds like shaking metal, can surely only survive for so long...

[Sobel]

New to the site, waiting on my new Fiesta Zetec, but I read this thread a few days ago.

I was walking the dog this morning and a brand new 2015 Focus was driving off and I thought, that sounds a bit rattly and my mind wandered back to this thread. I appreciate it isn't the most helpful post but I could definitely hear a sort of rattle as it set off from low RPM/gear, it sounds almost like a resonance and definitely was coming from the exhaust rather than say the engine in my opinion.

Like I say, it sounded fairly obvious to me from outside the car as it set off. I apologise though I am not sure on spec etc. but I assume being a new Focus it would either be Diesel (which it wasn't) or some Ecoboost derivative.