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.
