2015 Focus

[Toms306]

Think I've had orange peel somewhere on every car I've owned tbh!! The Focus definitely has it, it can't always be helped with the way cars are painted these days and they can't afford to repaint every shell that comes out like that. If there's none on yours you're just lucky imo JJ! Also what have you done to make it look that good? My paint work is nowhere near as good with half the mileage and been garaged until I got it lol.

[1616six]

I'm yet to really see anything on it Tom, certainly nowhere near what is visible on Bailes Focus.

I know you have to expect a slight amount but in virtually all of those photos there is quite heavy orange peel. If he's complaining about the paint imperfections then I would certainly be complaining about the finish. That needs wet sanding really.

My paint? Nothing! I've had the car a couple of months, stuck a few thousand miles on it.. I've not spent any time on it as it's just an A to B reliable shitter in all honesty. It gets washed and dried correctly and I use some decent QD on it, and I've gone over it with a clay mitt (best invention ever - buy one!) but it's not got any protection/polish/wax on it at all. Was just a reps car before me.

[Bailes1992]

I'm sure there was more to this thread when I went to sleep last night?

The orange peel isn't bad at all. The fact the camera isn't focused on the reflections is making it look far worse than it is.
About 5 years ago I was working for a detailing firm doing lots of new car preps, swirl removal etc etc. Other than the dirt in the paint the general finish is actually very good.

Got the car back today. The dealer are convinced the brunt of my problem is due to calibration and have opened a case with Ford technical to get a PCM update sorted and I will be contacted when it's available.
There was a fault logged relating to the EGR and the EGR circuit. The EGR was removed and cleaned and all the wiring has been tested. They've cleared the fault and if it returns the EGR will be replaced when it goes in for a PCM update.

There has also been a case opened about the bodywork and the dealer will phone me to let me know when a repair has been approved.

Really happy with the service from Newport Ford. Absolute night and day compared to Bridgend Ford.
Need to get a complaint drawn up now to post to Ford.

[Toms306]

Finally, good result at last!

/deja vu

[Bailes1992]

Good news!
For the first time since I took delivery of my brand new Focus 12 weeks ago it is actually presentable and I'm chuffed to bits with the way it looks. The paint was always dull, hazy, full of imperfections and there was dirt in the paint all over the car.
I was told by Bridgend Ford that there was nothing wrong with it, it would be unreasonable for me to expect the paintwork to be perfect and that I was just being picky.
In the end Newport Ford flatted the paint back and polished it up and it came up an absolute treat. Couldn't believe the difference. It had a few buffer trails and swirls so I run over it today with a finishing polish with a DA and tidied up the tarnished chrome.



Tarnished Grill...

After...


Tarnished chrome around the fog lights...

After...




And my cat...

[Toms306]

Didn't realise the Focus was such a pussy magnet.

Think I'd have kept the EcoBoost Fiesta you had the other day though.

[7057sam]

Great to see they put they finger out

Car looks stunning just the way you would expect it to.

[Bailes1992]

Still having running issues.
Unfortunately I've had loads of issues with it, one issue is the engine intermittently bogs down and/or cuts out for a split second when you go to accelerate Ford admit they currently have no way of repairing but won't offer me a replacement car or a refund. :cry:

It always happens when you've used little to no throttle for a bit and then start to feed in some more throttle.
Sometimes the engine bogs down and feels like someone is applying the   brakes before it picks up, sometimes nothing happens for a few seconds   before it shoots off (almost feels like turbo lag) and sometimes the   engine cuts out quite harshly for a split second before it starts to go.   The latter almost feels like you hit something in the road.
The fault is intermittent, most of the time the car drives fine but I   hate having anything wrong with my car and this really frustrates me.

The car has been returned to Ford 13 times, the last time it was   returned I was advised by the tech at the dealer that there was a few   others complaining of the same thing and it is a programming glitch with   the EGR valve. As so few people were complaining of it there was   nothing they could do and no repair available.

I have recorded live data of the fault happening.



The graph shows in order of top to bottom...
Throttle Position (%) in RED
Engine Speed (RPM) in GREEN
Road Speed (KPH) in LIGHT BLUE
Fuel Delivery/Flow (L/H) in PINK
Fuel Desired (MM³) in YELLOW
Fuel Rail Pressure (Volts) in BLUE
Inlet Manifold Pressure (kpa) in PINK
Mass Airflow (g/sec) in ORANGE
EGR Position (Volts) in RED
ECU Volts in GREEN.


At  1549.06s (about a third of the way across from the left) you can see   on  the top red line I have increased my throttle position. At which   point  the fuel delivery (PINK) and the Fuel Desired (YELLOW) have both    nosedived to nearly zero before they start to increase. You can also   see  where my RPM (GREEN) dropped slightly as a result.
This is the cutting out/bogging down/hesitation I'm feeling.
I'm now 100% sure this is a calibration issue as all the sensors are still reporting perfectly acceptable readings.

And again at 1850.58 and at 1858.88 (half way)...


But yet where I accelerate just before 1880.39 the car pulls absolutely fine with no hesitation what so ever.

I've finally decided to stop getting stressed about it and to just live with it. Constantly chasing it up with Ford Customer Relations (who are a complete waste of time should I add) to be let down or fobbed off was making me more and more angry.

So I've given up caring about the hesitation issue now. It's obvious Ford aren't in any rush to fix it. I can hope it gets fixed within the next 2.5 years but I'm not convinced. My main issue now is getting a goodwill gesture out of them for the lost earnings, courtesy car costs and stress the car has caused me the past 6 months during the 14 times it's had to be returned. This means lots of slagging them off on their Facebook page and a few bad reviews here and there.
As soon as the car is out of warranty it will be having DPF & EGR removal with a Stage 1 remap. It should be around 150bhp with 380nm, enough to keep me amused for a few years. To be fair, it goes well now!

Ford have agreed a repair for my broken heated windscreen and some loose trim in the boot so I need to get the car booked in soon to sort that.
Handy that I'm getting a new windscreen, saves my excess getting it replaced since I already have 6 chips in it!  :roll:

So now I'm pretty convinced I'm going to be keeping it I thought I'd start doing a few things.

I stuck my Missus personal plate on the car because, why not? It can't go on her lease car and it was a waste just having it on retention.



And I bought some silver lamps to tidy things up.







Unfortunately while I was changing the lamp in the O/S mirror unit I was a bit too rough on the mirror housing, the back popped off and landed on the floor. There is very little damage but I can see it from the drivers seat which is bloody annoying. I'll have to paint it soon.  upafrisk:

It had an oil change a month or two ago at 6500miles. It'll be having it's first service soon at 12,500miles. Currently showing just shy of 10k.

I bought a roof rack and two bike racks at a cost of... £272 for genuine Ford items.  hock:  To be fair even the Halfords aero units were coming in at £257. I decided to pay the little bit extra.


And que a ride up the Afan forest on the weekend.


I need to get a list together of what I want to do to the car in order of priority and what is warranty friendly and what isn't.
Warranty Friendly
- Towbar with car specific module which talks to the ESP to stabilise the trailer during snaking. £470inc VAT.
- Zetec S front bumper £318 + Painting & Fitting
- Zetec S Side Skirts £306 + Painting & Fitting
- Zetec S Rear Bumper £293 + Painting & Fitting
- Zetec S Rear Spoiler £282.99 + Painting & Fitting
- Zetec S Fog Lights £102
- Ford Accessories Illuminated Gear Knob £121.38
- Ford Illuminated Scuff Plates £228.99
- Eibach Lowering Kit 35mm £170.38
- Ford Umbrella Holder £24
- Climair Load Protection Pack (a bit of plastic to cover the bumper just before the boot) £97.71
- Climair Wind Deflectors £77.62
- Wheels. I want 18" alloys of some sort. It will be a case of whatever I can find for a good price.

Those prices are Ford RRP. I'm hoping some parts can be purchased much cheaper second hand or even with big discounts through Ford. I certainly won't pay RRP for any of them.
The towbar is from Bank Farm Trailers. I won't be able to get that any cheaper.

Out of warranty it'll be the usual intake, intercooler, DPF & EGR removal, custom exhaust and a stage one remap. Just like I did with my Mondeo.

I fancy a decent sound system again, haven't had anything other than standard systems since my last Focus. I will keep the standard Ford SYNC head unit but fit a 5/6 channel amplifier with high level inputs powering a set of door components front & rear and one 10" or two 8" subwoofers. I think I will have to strip the interior and sound deaden everything. The amount of rattles for a 6 month old car is unreal! I've had the passengers door card off twice already.

I do fancy a Focus ST interior too. It would have to be a full leather one though.

[Toms306]

Just blank the EGR and see if the problems improve, I can't believe Ford still can't get their EGR mapping right though!

[Niall]

You need to really give Ford shit. Of course they are saying they won't replace or refund the car. They don't want a 10k old car sitting around that they can't do anything with. The sales of goods and services act is on your side. Use it!

[Toms306]

Lol, not dealt with Ford have you Niall? Some of the ongoing complaints on the Ford forum are laughable tbh... People never get anywhere with Ford CS, I'd never buy a new one! One of the main ones has traded his new car in for a different model because Ford say it's normal to have a rattly turbo on a brand new car... Another one is clunky gearboxes on some of the newer models, Ford say their gearboxes are clunky and that it's normal... Seriously!?

[Seb_Ryan]

Where was that towbar price to? Was it bankfarm? If you wanna come to newport ill do it cheaper than they quoted

[Niall]

Lol, not dealt with Ford have you Niall?  Some of the ongoing complaints on the Ford forum are laughable tbh...  People never get anywhere with Ford CS, I'd never buy a new one!  One of the main ones has traded his new car in for a different model because Ford say it's normal to have a rattly turbo on a brand new car...  Another one is clunky gearboxes on some of the newer models, Ford say their gearboxes are clunky and that it's normal...  Seriously!?

And you've clearly never dealt with the sales of goods and services act? Just because they are a big company does not make them any more exempt than a man working out of a quarter of a shop selling dodgy phone cases than will fall apart in 30 seconds.
People need to be less scared to take these things to the right people. The argument doesn't just stop at Ford customer services. It can carry on all the way to the high court if they want to be that stubborn and no amount of money thrown at the situation will stop the case going in your direction unless they throw that money at you or you are being unreasonable.

[Toms306]

There are huge threads on some of these things, problem is Ford always says it's 'part of the design' that all of them have and not a 'fault' as such. This means they don't have to fix anything, seems to be quite a good loophole!!

It really does amaze me some of the things Ford expect people to put up with on new cars, things I wouldn't put up with on an 8 year old one!!

[Niall]

There are huge threads on some of these things, problem is Ford always says it's 'part of the design' that all of them have and not a 'fault' as such.  This means they don't have to fix anything, seems to be quite a good loophole!!

It really does amaze me some of the things Ford expect people to put up with on new cars, things I wouldn't put up with on an 8 year old one!!

No it doesn't mean they have to fix it but if its not fit for purpose then they have to offer you a refund or alternative.

[Bailes1992]

The car is under a hire puchase agreement so it's the Supply Of Goods Act that comes into force.
I'm actually in a position where I can now increase my complaint with the financial ombudsman and they will come to a conclusion to whether Ford Credit would have to give me a refund or not.
Chasing it up all the time is causing me major head stress, even causing arguments with my partner.
I have decided to just leave it be and live with the car as it is for the time being. However I'm still nagging Ford to sort a repair.

Ford customer relations are a complete waste of time. All they tell you is the can't get involved with things. I sent a complaint to them about Bridgend Ford and their downright rude, ignorant and prickish sales manager to be told "we are sorry this isn't something we can get involved with".

I will NEVER buy another Ford. And a certainly wouldn't let my cats shit in Bridgend Ford.

I have to make a decision to keep the car forever and modify it or chop it in after 3 years for something else.

It also started making an awesome noise this morning!

[Jonny81191]

Park it blocking the front door/main entrance of Bridgend Ford (ensuring that it's legally parked, and as it's on private land, it most likely will be). Attach notices to the inside of the windows explaining in why it's there and your issues with them. Lock it, with it in gear and handbrake on, then leave for the day. Return the following morning and I bet they'll listen. If that fails, go to the media.

[Toms306]

That sounds f*cking awful tbh... Even without the squeal!

[Niall]

Tbh I'm really unimpressed with Modern Fords. Unfortunately that is what they are replacing the fleet with at work and they are just crap. Bits literally fall off of them and the amount of breakdowns we have had for brand new cars is unbelievable! One guy had his new one delivered the other day.....battery was flat when they tried driving it off the transporter