Hi all please advise!

In May 2012 I purchased a 2011 Ford Focus 1.6 Diesel. It is the older shape Focus.

Anyway I usually check the brake fluid levels when I purchase a car but I don't think I did on this occasion, after all I was buying from a well known Ford dealer.

Anyway about 3 weeks ago I noticed that the brake fluid was very low (Just under the min line). So I took it into the dealership and I agreed for them to check for leaks and change the fluid.

This cost me over £50.00 and after having the car for less than 8 months I am not very impressed.

I am now having a debate with them that the brake fluid should not go down that much if A. There wasn't enough brake fluid in there in the first place or B. It had leaked somewhere.

They told me they found no leaks but it is perfectly normal for brake fluid to go down that much with wear. I am not happy with their statement as the brake pads have plenty of life left on them.

The car has done about 12,000 miles since I purchased it.

Please advise!

Many thanks.

Fakesy.

Hey and welcome to FOC.

It is odd, but I suppose not impossible. The problem is, if they can find no leaks then there is technically no fault and it will not fall under the warranty. Topping up fluids is considered maintenance.

Cute dog by the way :)

Hi Alex

Thanks for the reply. That is exactly my problem though. It is not "topping up" is it.

Hah the dog... this forum pulls it from your Twitter profile.

Anyway it wasn't what I was expecting from a very new motor.

Ford will consider what they did maintenance for you as all they did was change/top-up (even by a large amount) the fluid.

That said, keep an eye on the level and if it still seems to be dropping at an abnormal rate, take it in and get them to look at it under warranty.

The brake fluid is also for your clutch have you noticed any difficulty with gears but a reasonable fall can be expected with break wear i take it you have discs all round

My car is now on 12,500 miles and there has been no noticeable drop in brake fluid since new and it has not been topped up since new.

The brake fluid is also for your clutch have you noticed any difficulty with gears but a reasonable fall can be expected with break wear i take it you have discs all round

That is interesting that you say that because I do find it hard to pull away sometimes and have smelt a bad burning smell coming from the engine area on occasion. I did mention this once but the guy on the phone did not seem concerned.

I would argue that the car is still in manufacturers warranty and therefore it should be investigated further and free of charge!

It does not sound right, it sounds like its possibly getting lost in the gearbox, as I am sure that the fluid is shared between the two....

Yes the brake and clutch share the same resevoir (but seperated so a leaking clutch cylinder can't empty the brake section) but if the fluid level hasn't dropped any more I doubt that's the problem. Fluid level can drop significantly with normal pad wear, I think their answer seems reasonable.