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Comments
-SHOV6
In any event, it does seem unlikely that putting in a more common grade for a lower charge would have any perceivable effect on the engine.
BTW, before having my car serviced at my dealership, i asked and was assured that the oil is 5/20 and is new and not mixed w/ something else. Added ammunition.
Manchester, Connecticut
Anyway, I wanted to know what mechanical problems anyone has experienced with their ZX3.
Consumer Reports has the ZX3 2000 listed at below average when it comes to reliability so I
wanted to seek out other owners and find out what you've experienced.
In the Helpful links on the left side of the page, you'll find a direct link to our ZX3 problems & solutions discussion. Also, you may want to check out Edmunds' Long Term Road Test of their 2000 ZX3. Btw, if you have a chance, please take a moment to say hello in our Ford Focus Owner's Club. We look forward to hearing about your ownership experience. Happy Motoring.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
Second Question: Out of all the comparable vehicles in this price range, why did you pick the Focus? I mean, after all, there are some exceptional vehicles out there and i ceratinly do not include the Focus in this category.
Don't worry, you will know all too soon and too well what kind of mechanical problems the Focus has. My condolences.
-SHOV6
Have Focus owners actually convinced themselves that they have a well made vehicle? You know, the kind of mentality that says, "ah, well this and that may have defects, but i'm sure the rest of the car is put together perfect! I love my car and would recommend it to everyone...."
Please, the focus is another example of Ford's long history of introducing problem plagued vehicles. There are a lot of redeeming features about the Focus, but quality, reliability, build integrity and Ford SERVICE are not some of them...
Seriously, I have an early production (1999) Focus ZTS and it's been fine. I have my car serviced at the dealership so the recalls were nothing to have done. Although of course I'd like them to get everything right, right out of the box, but I'm practical and understand that a first year car is going to have its problems.
Gandalf - could you please inform me of what car I should buy? I could really use the advice of a well informed, knowledgeable car enthusiast. Better yet, what is the vehicle that you drive now since I haven't been paying attention to notice?
Why are your feeling so hurt, Gandalf? Is it that you're named after a gnome (or a hobbit, or whatever it is that Gandalf was)? A size issue, perhaps? Why are you coming in here and telling the happy owner of a new car that he/she has made a stupid choice? What's your problem?
Take it somewhere else.
-SHOV6
I own a 2001 ZX3 with 10,000 miles and have had absolutely no problems. The car is a blast to drive, can carry all your stuff and is 5 star safey rated! Most of the minor recalls for the Focus were for the 2000 model year. Enjoy.
My 2000 zx3 with 18000 miles is doing wonderfully. The engine is smooth, the interior design is still fresh and the radio still impresses me with its quality. I'm still hard pressed to find any other make of car that for $14k gave me all the features I have on my zx3. Yes, I had the recalls done. My particular service department continues to be very professional and prompt. Perhaps it's a rarity who knows. Heck, if I'd say the recalls took a maximum of 2 days, taking all the travel to the dealership, the actual work, the waiting around, etc. That's 2 days in around 2 years of ownership. Let's get the big picture here.
Anyway, my opinion of course. And yes, I've continued to be checking out what new cars are on the market; seeing if an 'upgrade' is worth it, but in price range upto around $16000, what do we have ? Here's the simple base price listing from Cars Direct.
Sedans :
Chevrolet Cavalier MSRP $13,910 - $16,580
Chevrolet Prizm MSRP $14,330 - $16,395
Daewoo Leganza MSRP $14,399 - $19,199
Dodge Neon MSRP $12,315 - $16,265
Ford Focus MSRP $12,470 - $17,820
Honda Accord MSRP $15,500 - $25,300
Honda Civic MSRP $12,810 - $17,010
Hyundai Sonata MSRP $15,499 - $18,324
Kia Optima MSRP $14,899 - $18,849
Mazda Protege MSRP $13,005 - $15,630
Mitsubishi Lancer MSRP $13,947 - $15,947
Nissan Sentra MSRP $11,799 - $16,999
Pontiac Sunfire MSRP $14,565 - $17,030
Saturn S-Series MSRP $10,570 - $16,170
Suzuki Esteem MSRP $13,299 - $16,599
Toyota Corolla MSRP $13,370 - $14,720
Hatchbacks:
Ford Focus MSRP $12,470 - $17,820
Hyundai Elantra MSRP $12,499 - $13,999
Kia Spectra MSRP $10,995 - $13,595
Toyota Matrix MSRP $14,670 - $18,790
Volkswagen Golf MSRP $15,050 - $17,650
Volkswagen New Beetle MSRP $15,900 - $23,400
I'll leave it up to you folks to decide what matters in a choice of car, but my personal criteria still end up with the Focus. Perhaps the newly designed Toyota Corolla or Toyota Matrix may change things. The Honda Civic design bores the life out of me, and the others on my list such as the Mazda Protege5 or the VW are still priced too high, when the add-ons are included that match those on my Focus.
So, enjoy your new car. May it continue to bring a smile to your face when you drive it, as mine continues to do.
treva
Oh well....gandalf17, we're all entitled to our opinions....even if we can't always express them!
It drives great and is quick! I am a forty-something and this is a great looking and economical vehicle (not to say I'm in mid-life crisis or anything :-)
Consider me a regular now, and I will keep you updated on my new addition! Thank you all for sharing your experiences (both +/-) as they helped in my decision.
sorry about the long post...just a little geeked-up!
To eram310- You may also want to copy/paste your question into our ZX3 problems discussion. Look for a direct link to this discussion in the Helpful Links on the left side of the page.
Also, if either of you have chance, be sure to check out our Ford Focus Owner's Club. And while you're there, please take a moment to say hello in our Meet the Members discussion. Thanks for your participation.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards
I recommend you read reviews of this car before you buy, and not reviews by CR or some similar publication... Car and Driver's test of small cars absolutely slammed the Echo, and with good reason. If you like cars and think of them as something more than just transportation, you won't like the Echo. If, however, all you want is good mileage and a car that will last a million miles, by all means, get the Echo.
I think that the Corolla might be a better idea if you want a Toyota.
-SHOV6
Can anyone give me input on what they have paid for a ZX3 premium w/automatic tranny?
-SHOV6
The changes are subtle, but the world's favourite car has
been given a facelift – and this is the first official picture.
Ford has moved to propel its multi-million-selling Focus way
beyond the reach of rivals such as the Vauxhall Astra and
recently launched Peugeot 307 in the ultra-competitive
family hatchback market.
The facelift will also be applied to estate and saloon editions
of the car, while hot Ford fans are in for a treat, too.
As well as heralding the introduction of the 115bhp 1.8-litre
TDCi diesel engine, the update will see two
high-performance models join the range when it hits British
showrooms early next year. The driver-oriented machines
will include the eagerly awaited 220bhp RS edition and an
exciting 170bhp ST170, the latter being the expected
big-seller. These cars will be fitted with new low-ratio
gearboxes, plus alloy wheels and low-profile tyres. New
brakes and performance-driven suspension will also be
standard. The RS is designed to appeal to the hot hatch
purist, while the ST170 will be comparatively refined. Both
promise to build on the current Focus's class-leading
chassis and will also feature the raft of modifications being
made across the range.
With a host of new challengers vying for customers' money,
the revisions are aimed at keeping Ford's critically
acclaimed hatchback ahead of the pack. Cars such as the
Peugeot and spacious Honda Civic convinced blue oval
bosses the Focus needed to up its game.
Most obvious of the changes is the new face, which
includes revised headlamps equipped with xenon lights, as
well as modified bumpers and grille. The bumpers now have
plastic rubbing strips to better protect against scratches,
while the indicators have been moved into the headlamp
units. Foglights are also integrated into the lower grille.
While no interior pictures have yet been released by Ford,
the firm has based its alterations on the belief that
customers want even more stowage space. Titled the
Focus Interior Versatility Package, the series of changes
includes a fold-flat front passenger seat which doubles as a
worktop, thanks to the specially shaped, hard-wearing
seatback. The rear seats have also been modified to offer a
pioneering 40/20/40 split which maximises the space
available, with the centre section of the rear seatback
folding down to create a useful table. In the boot, a revised
parcel shelf incorporates a new cargo net that can be
broken into sections to keep loose items secured. Extra
nets are also fixed to the sidewalls and floor of the boot,
while hooks have been added to keep baggage in place.
The carpet in the load area is also reversible, which means
muddy footwear can be carried on a wipe-clean rubberised
surface.
On top of this, the Ford's standard specification is also set
to be improved, with significant upgrades promised on Ghia,
Ambiente and Trend models. The Focus Ghia will now be
equipped with body-coloured door handles, bigger side
skirts and a new leather steering wheel. Footwell lighting
has also been added.
Options include a new Blaupunkt navigation system, which
provides verbal route directions and an icon-based display.
An automatic climate control system has also been
developed, and this will be available on all models.
And now for the really good news – prices across the
line-up are unlikely to change significantly, meaning buyers
will still be able to get behind the wheel of an entry-level
Focus for around £10,000. At the very top of the range the
sporty RS will cost about £20,000, while the ST170 should
carry a price tag of around £17,000. The drive for value for
money will be backed up by Ford's comprehensive
three-year/60,000-mile warranty.
I don't know when these companies will smarten up. They say small cars don't sell well in N. America but maybe if they provided us w/ a quality car and with some choice small cars would sell better and make it worth their while.
However, a nice Carbon Tax will take care of any aspirations Detroit has of selling bloated, big vehicles. Let's see..... any vehicle w/ a CITY mileage of less than 25mpg (as calculated by the EPA) will have a graduated, but substantial, carbon tax applied to it. Vehicles getting over 25mpg city won't have any additional taxes.
Big oil and Detroit would be in an uproar but the consumer will benefit in the long run. The public will still clamor for a well made, well equipped vehicle only now they will want a smaller, more efficient package and Detroit will have an incentive to make the vehicle lighter and more fuel efficent and so it will handle better -- one hopes.
With the oil interests in dubwa's pocket we will not have a productive nor effective long range energy policy coming from this administration.
We americans are spoiled w/ cheap energy prices and as w/ most things americans only respond when they are hit in the wallet. Only high gasoline costs will bring down the size/increase the efficiency of vehicles in this country. I don't want to pay 2/3 bucks a gallon for gas but if it'll wean us off of near east oil I'm all for it.
Thanks in advance.
I then visit the showroom, sit down with a sales rep who grabbed me as I came in the door, and I explain that I want a quote on a Focus ZX3 premium with ABS, side airbags, in either red or green. And I specify that I prefer to be contacted by email. The sales rep said he'd contact me by email. One week later, I get a thank you form letter that mispells my name, has lots of typos, doesn't even mention Focus, let alone what type, and closes with a call-if-I need-anthing.
I'm in Manhattan, NY, and while I realize that dealers don't get rich from selling Foci, I thought I'd get some kind of response, especially since I plan to pay cash for the car.
What do I do? Go back and beg at the dealer or move on to another dealer or car? And if I go back to the same dealer, does this indicate how they will treat me for service calls?
Suggestions?
Thanks.
I dunno, it's up to you, but don't give that dealer the satisfaction of you chasing them down anymore.
-SHOV6
http://www.thehollywoodextra.com
Go to the car page, to the Nissan March
I had that same experience when my car was new back in May... every now and then, the brakes on my 2001 ZX3 ( no AdvT system, though ) really didn't seem to catch right away, and I had to really press hard on them to have what I view as a normal engagement... I've been very careful the past few days since having my rear brakes fixed for the squeek problem ( which, by the way, the dealership did no questions asked )...
I am thus far very happy with my purchase. I sat in my garage for hours last night getting to know it (owners manual, checking features and just plain gazing at it!). IT LOOKS GOOOD! (the boy and his new toy)
I noticed an earlier post about the tilt and slide feature for the passenger seat. Mine does not have this. It must have been a later upgrade. Making adjustments to the stereo and clock were easy.
It is dead last in small cars predicted reliability. Where the Echo is +80% more reliable than 'average' the Focus is minus 80%. Yikes! Thats even worse than the Elantra for crying out loud.
Read it and weep.
Another tale of a supposedly unreliable car from my past includes my family's long-since departed 1980 Chevrolet Citation. Aside from a couple of interesting blown fuses, the car needed three clutches and two exhaust systems in 110k miles, the last 35 thousand of which were essentially my first 35 thousand miles of driving. If the mindless overexuberance of my youth behind the wheel couldn't kill that car, I don't know what could... That thing just ran like a train. Not bad performance, either, with the 2.8L V6 and a stick. 112hp, as I recall, but it had decent torque. Hey, think back to what was available in the 80's, it's all relative.
-SHOV6
Aside from an AWD Talon TSi my dad had in the early 90's, that Citation was the best "snow" car I have ever driven. If there was a way to get that thing stuck in a NY winter, I sure didn't find out how.
Moral of the story, not every "unreliable car" is unreliable... My Focus being a perfect example.
-SHOV6
Plus, I have not had the greatest luck with this car. A crack in the windshield, a dead transmission and all the recalls leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Understand, I love the car but don't believe it is reliable. It IS fun to drive but I will never purchase another.