I'm a bit neurotic when it comes to buying a car as I have no idea what to look for.

I found a Focus Zetec 1.6 I like at ford garage and they said they are doing me a deal as it's £5k but they would normally sell it for more (i've been looking for a car for ages and annoyed they let one go which I was meant to have and also the manager didnt think i'd had the best service. He wants me to have a car as i've been looking there for months!). It's 2010 plate and done nearly 64000 miles. Full Ford service history at the place i'm getting it from. Very nice condition. The person bought it from them as a demo car, and has used it for motorway driving and basically part exchanged it for a new one.

So my concerns are about it's use as a demo car as it looks like it did a lot of milage there. It this a concern?? I thought they should be low milage as demos??

Also she has a receipt for a new battery in Febuary. I thought batteries should last for 10 years?? Should I be concerned at why this was needed?

The boot unlocks on one press of the key fob. Ford said it's no problem for them to reset this back to normal. Again worried why this happened in the first place. Electrical problems??

I also felt the engine sounded a bit whirry. I mean I have no idea if this is normal and I had the air con on. Still sounded similar with air con off but only turned it off briefly (hot day!). I think I was jsut looking too closely at everything!

ANy advice for a total worrier would be appreciated! I don't want to shell out for RAC check for such a nice car really and thinking maybe i'm paranoid! They just did an MOT and it has no advisories.

Cheers!

First off is it a 1.6 petrol?

As to the mileage, well, if the owner did motorway miles they could have easily taken the mileage up there from low mileage. The dealer can confirm the mileage that it was bought with and returned with!

To be honest, they are good little engines, the battery could be partly due to the fact it was a demo car, sat there for a period of not being run, then a brief run to show it off then off it goes again, to be honest though, its not that uncommon to have to replace the battery, but as long as you look after it, it will do nicely!

Paranoid when buying cars is a good thing, you need to make sure you arent buying a lemon, and to be fair an RAC check is not a bad idea, if nothing else, anything it identifies, you can request ford to resolve prior to buying the car! that will save you a few quid and at the end of the day, if you waste the money on the check because the motor is truly spotless - even better assurances!

Thanks for reply

Yeah 1.6 petrol. I need to double check but I think it did 14,000 miles over a few months with Ford as a demo before it was sold to owner. I guess with that much milage the salemen used it for commutes etc. I think the owner actually had it paid through motability - so she got it free but had the servicing free too so it has been looked after in that respect and I doubt anyone needing a motability car would be thrashing it about! I worry about it being ex-demo tho and how it was treated.

It's already £500 over my budget so I decided not to have an RAC check as I thought surely anything would come up on the brand new MOT. Plus they do their own checks. (I was planning on RAC checks on other garages tho). I do like the idea of having a car slightly newer than what £4500 could get me - esp as most that price were that extra year nearer to needing a cambelt.

I need to check the details of age tho. It's a 60 plate and DVLA say it was registered Jan 2011 and manufactured 2011. The latest v5 issued in Nov 2011 so I think they actually got it wrong when they said it was 2010 model. No idea!

I also just realise I forgot to check the MPG clock so might be worth me taking it out for another spin.

I think most people buying from them jsut take it on first brief look - i'm the first one to be asking them so many questions LOL

I'm a bit neurotic when it comes to buying a car as I have no idea what to look for.

I found a Focus Zetec 1.6 I like at ford garage and they said they are doing me a deal as it's £5k but they would normally sell it for more (i've been looking for a car for ages and annoyed they let one go which I was meant to have and also the manager didnt think i'd had the best service. He wants me to have a car as i've been looking there for months!). It's 2010 plate and done nearly 64000 miles. Full Ford service history at the place i'm getting it from. Very nice condition. The person bought it from them as a demo car, and has used it for motorway driving and basically part exchanged it for a new one.

So my concerns are about it's use as a demo car as it looks like it did a lot of milage there. It this a concern?? I thought they should be low milage as demos??

Also she has a receipt for a new battery in Febuary. I thought batteries should last for 10 years?? Should I be concerned at why this was needed?

The boot unlocks on one press of the key fob. Ford said it's no problem for them to reset this back to normal. Again worried why this happened in the first place. Electrical problems??

I also felt the engine sounded a bit whirry. I mean I have no idea if this is normal and I had the air con on. Still sounded similar with air con off but only turned it off briefly (hot day!). I think I was jsut looking too closely at everything!

ANy advice for a total worrier would be appreciated! I don't want to shell out for RAC check for such a nice car really and thinking maybe i'm paranoid! They just did an MOT and it has no advisories.

Cheers!

Hi,

I've got a 2010 and changed my battery last March that's nothing to worry about,

Also being a demo car isint a bad thing as its probably got a few optional extras,

My focus was a demo had 10,000km on clock when i bought it from dealership,

Nobody would trash it when test driving as sales man sits in passenger seat.

Perhaps test drive a 1.6 from a private seller to compare with no obligations

The single press boot open is an optional setting on the system can be changed same as single door unlock.

A common problem with the 1.6 petrol is:

Rain water gets on the injector rail and seeps in to the rocker cover,

Check rocker cover cavity for signs of water inside the ignition leads,

The root cause is:

The windscreen washer seals on the bonnet start to leak allowing rain water to get inside the bonnet,

This happens on all focus, but only the 1.6 suffers as result because of the engine positioning.

Easy way to prevent issue ever occurring is to seal the underside of the washer jets under the bonnet with some clear bathroom silicone very simple.

Another common problem is boot leaking,

Caused by the foam seals around the boot spoiler bolts deteriorating allowing rain water to pass through in to the boot,

Check spare tyre well for signs of water.

Easy fix and preventative maintenance is to remove the spoiler and again bathroom silicone around the bolt holes between boot and spoiler prior to refitting.

Third common problem is a spot of rust forming on the outer boot roof area where the rear washer jet pipe rubs off the body when the boot is closed.

See thread: http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/18826-2010-focus-16tdci-rusting/

I can guide on preventing all of the above very simple.

If modification or more power is desired,

Don't buy a 1.6 petrol because nothing can be done to increase engine response except for NGK iridium spark plugs and performance induction filter,

You may also like to view my guides can be viewed on my profile page:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/user/14733-lenny/

Or

If your using the forum App follow this link:

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/68214-full-list-lennys-guides/

In regards to a battery , ford only give a 3yr warranty. When i bought my Titanium 10 plate , after a month battery played up so took it dealers & surprised to hear its not covered under warranty. But luckilly i had the same battery on my old mk1.5 .(which was a heavy duty one ) i swapped it over into my Titanium. The problem was once you start its ok but wont crank up. As i live on a steep hill basically 300 yds from dealer i bump my old car with duff battery & parked up in dealers yard for trade in. Funny thing was

A. Giving them trade car with duff battery

B. It was Vauxhall dealer Loll!

C. Mentioned to vauxhall sales rep that i wouldnt be seen dead in vauxhall (whizzpopper) Lol!

They are an Evans Halshaw group .

Yunii

Thanks for reply

Yeah 1.6 petrol. I need to double check but I think it did 14,000 miles over a few months with Ford as a demo before it was sold to owner. I guess with that much milage the salemen used it for commutes etc. I think the owner actually had it paid through motability - so she got it free but had the servicing free too so it has been looked after in that respect and I doubt anyone needing a motability car would be thrashing it about! I worry about it being ex-demo tho and how it was treated.

It's already £500 over my budget so I decided not to have an RAC check as I thought surely anything would come up on the brand new MOT. Plus they do their own checks. (I was planning on RAC checks on other garages tho). I do like the idea of having a car slightly newer than what £4500 could get me - esp as most that price were that extra year nearer to needing a cambelt.

I need to check the details of age tho. It's a 60 plate and DVLA say it was registered Jan 2011 and manufactured 2011. The latest v5 issued in Nov 2011 so I think they actually got it wrong when they said it was 2010 model. No idea!

I also just realise I forgot to check the MPG clock so might be worth me taking it out for another spin.

I think most people buying from them jsut take it on first brief look - i'm the first one to be asking them so many questions LOL

Its a 2010 model in the sence that its shape is a mk2.5 focus

The mk3 new shape was released in 2011

So your focus is a 2011 registerd mk2.5 build

Thanks all for the advice. I've got the car and happy with it. Strange waking up and knowing you have a car outside at last! :D