The Focus ST once held its own against the Golf GTI, but does it have the edge on your second-hand shortlist?

Find Used Ford Focus ST 2012-2018 review deals
Used car deals
From £850
Other Services
Sell your car
84% get more money with

Is the Ford Focus ST reliable?

Generally, yes. But there are a number of things you should look out for before you buy, given that it is a fast Ford and has likely had a punchy life. Stolen, crashed and badly repaired cars with false identities, cars passed off as being a higher trim level, cars tuned to within an inch of their life: all these are traps awaiting the unwary buyer of a Focus ST.

But if these and the following common problems check out, and it has a decent service history (ideally a full one) then you should have a trusty steed.

Engine: Services are every 12,500 miles, and the engine has a timing chain rather than a belt. Check for exhaust smoke, coolant loss and low boost pressure. Fluctuating revs or stalling on pre-facelift cars may be a wiring loom fault. That triggered a recall in the US; here, some cars got new looms under warranty, while others were repaired.

Transmission: The six-speed manual gearbox is tough, so pay closer attention to the clutch and for it slipping in higher gears under hard acceleration from low engine revs. 

Tyres, Steering and suspension: Bushes, dampers and springs take a pounding, so drive a handful of cars to compare their ride and handling. Irregular tyre wear patterns may indicate steering and suspension geometry problems. 

Wheels and brakes: Check alloys for kerbing, brake discs for warping and pads for remaining life. Brake lines corrode badly. Optional 19in wheels look great. Some Rado Grey 18in alloys are losing their lacquer coat. 

Advertisement

Interior: The ST is no Golf GTI, so check for loose and broken trim and listen for sundry rattles. Visit Ford’s online owner resources pages to check the Sync 3 sat-nav mapping is up to date. Make sure all the features work. 

Body: Pay particular attention to panel gaps, paint, overspray, inconsistencies in shade and the condition of the lacquer. Rust is only likely to be present as a result of poor accident repairs, although it can occur on the rear wheel arch where the bumper rubs. On post-2015 facelift cars, the bonnet may need adjusting to sit properly. Check the boot for damp caused by water ingress via weak seals or tail-lights.

Matt Prior

Matt Prior
Title: Editor-at-large

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013.

Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car. 

Into all things engineering and automotive from any era, Matt is as comfortable regularly contributing to sibling titles Move Electric and Classic & Sports Car as he is writing for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes.