Last post today I promise! I have a Ford Focus 2007 MK2, which has the arm rest in the middle of the centre console that lifts up and which and reveals a little storage area for coins and such if you lift the lid by holding in the button underneath whilst lifting. One of the hinges (actually, more like a plastic disc with a stick that connects to the lid) has snapped off today, much to my annoyance.

I've found a whole replacement arm rest on eBay but a decent third party replacement is looking like it will cost me over £50 which is disappointing given the only thing wrong with mine is small plastic hinge thingy. The replacement looks slightly different - I can't even find a genuine Ford one and I guess it would cost an arm and a leg even if I could.

Any thoughts on what the minimum part I need to replace is and where I might get one?

From the Ford parts diagrams it looks like you can only get the main parts as spares, i.e. the lid, and the bracket it mounts to.

That's assuming I'm looking at the right diagram http://eucatparts.com/?action=cat_ford_part&s_id_part=1325940&s_id_model=12

If not you can go back up a level in the diagrams and select the right console for your car.

Got me wondering now if the lid of the stowage bin in my facelift has a compartment built into the lid - does look possible but I've never worked out how it opens. Or tried reading the handbook!

Thanks Troy - that's really useful. I need to have a really good look at my armrest to work out which part I need but it's good to know I don't have to buy the whole assembly!

The one on mine was already broken when I bought it. Didn't replace the part. Provided that all the plastic pieces that broke are still with you, you could rebuild it with some steel-filled epoxy and some superglue. Cheaper that way. :)

Troy, the lid is just that. The only compartment is the one you reveal when you lift the armrest.

Troy, the lid is just that. The only compartment is the one you reveal when you lift the armrest.

Funnily enough I had another look at mine this evening and realised the only extra feature in the lid is the ability to slide backwards and forwards, which I'd totally forgotten about

The one on mine was already broken when I bought it. Didn't replace the part. Provided that all the plastic pieces that broke are still with you, you could rebuild it with some steel-filled epoxy and some superglue. Cheaper that way. :)

That sounded like a good idea - I tend to shy away from gluing things as I find they're rarely as strong as they were before, but I figured I had nothing to lose by trying so I bought some epoxy glue and gave it a try - it was a fairly clean break in the plastic hinge and the hinge itself was still attached, so there were no loose parts - but it had to be glued in place because I couldn't work out how to get the armrest assembly apart.

Unfortunately I succeeded in gluing my !Removed! to my car seat and my fingers to each other, but the arm rest lid, not so much. Sets in 5 minutes apparently this epoxy glue - like hell it does. I held it as tightly and steadily as I could for 10 minutes until my arms felt like they would fall off, and it was still tacky when I let go. I tried again, applying loads more glue and just got myself into a big old mess. I think I'm just going to suck it up and go into the Ford service centre for this one.