Ford Focus Common Faults in the UK
Mk4, 2018–2025 — compact family hatch. Updated 6 October 2026.
This guide covers the Mk4, 2018–2025 only. Older Focus generations have different engines and faults — for one of those, see how to check any car for known faults.
The Mk4 Ford Focus (2018–2025) drives brilliantly. The critical check is the 1.0 EcoBoost engine: early non-hybrid cars have a wet cam belt that owners report failing, while the 2020-on mild hybrid uses a chain-driven camshaft. Best-buy: 2021+ mild hybrid. Worst: early 2019.
Largest DVSA recall for the Focus: R/2022/171, 9,818 vehicles in the whole recall — The right-hand engine oil seperator may have been damaged prior to engine assembly.
87.0% of Ford Focus cars registered 2018–2022 pass the MOT on the day (cars fixed during the test included), level with all cars registered in those years (87.4%). These are the cars this guide covers that were 3 to 12 years old when DVSA tested them in 2025, counted from 17,999 DVSA tests; a pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
Counting every registration year DVSA holds for the Ford Focus (2001–2022), which includes generations this guide does not cover, 74.7% pass on the day (cars fixed during the test included), from 93,066 tests.
Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0), a sample of the 2025 file (about one test in ten, from nine months). Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a pass here (passed on the day); DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. Compared against cars of the same registration years, because pass rates otherwise mostly measure how old a model's surviving fleet is.
See it by registration year and by mileage ↓Which Ford Focus engine? What UK sources report
Pages read on 20 October 2026: What Car?, Parkers and Carbuyer, one Ford UK support page, and DVSA's recalls file. This guide covers the 2018 to 2025 Focus only. No page gives a failure rate, and we hold no count of how many cars have any of these faults.
Each label compares an engine with the others listed for the same generation, on what the pages named under it say. It is not a failure rate: none of those pages gives one.
Mk4 (2018 to 2025)
The pages agree on the question that matters most: does a 1.0 EcoBoost have a wet belt or a chain. What Car? and Parkers say the mild-hybrid (2020 on) has a chain; for earlier Mk4 cars they give different dates, so Ford says to ask a dealer with the VIN. None of the pages names a fault for the diesel.
1.0 EcoBoost petrol, early cars that may have the wet belt
Needs more checkingMk4 built before the change to a chain: Parkers says 2018, What Car? says mid-2019
Parkers says a wet belt wears faster than a dry one and that rubber in the oil can wreck the engine; it reports at least £800 to replace, with invoices up to £2,000. What Car? says it can fail early if maintenance lapses. Carbuyer reported a 2024 North American recall of more than 130,000 1.0 EcoBoost Focus and EcoSport cars over the oil-pump belt, and no UK recall; DVSA's file lists none for a UK Focus.
What to check: Ask Ford, with the VIN, which drive the car has; if a belt, ask for the invoice for the last change.
Sources: Parkers wet belt article, 9 Sep 2026; What Car? reliability page, 29 Jan 2026; Ford UK cambelt and timing chain page, read 20 Oct 2026; Carbuyer EcoBoost article, 5 Nov 2024; DVSA recalls file, read 20 Oct 2026
1.0 EcoBoost mild-hybrid petrol (125hp and 155hp)
Fewer engine problems reportedMk4 from 2020
What Car? says all mild-hybrid 1.0 engines have a chain. Parkers says the wet belt problem does not apply to them and finds no consistent pattern of problems on the Focus. DVSA lists an engine oil separator recall (R/2022/171) for Focus cars built 4 February 2020 to 18 March 2021, engine not named.
What to check: If the car was built in that window, ask for the dealer record showing R/2022/171 was done.
Sources: What Car? reliability page, 29 Jan 2026; Parkers Focus review, 8 Oct 2026; DVSA recalls file, read 20 Oct 2026
Diesel (the last one sold was a 120hp 1.5)
No engine fault named in these sourcesMk4 diesels, sold until the range was cut back (Parkers)
The pages read name no engine fault specific to the diesel on the 2018-on car. Parkers calls the last 120hp 1.5 not as sweet as the petrols, and What Car?'s list of Focus recalls includes a software recall for cracked diesel particulate filters.
What to check: Check the registration on GOV.UK's recall check, ask for the service history, and check the dipstick.
Sources: Parkers Focus review, 8 Oct 2026; What Car? reliability page, 29 Jan 2026
The pages this section rests on (6)
- What Car?, "Used Ford Focus 2018-2026 reliability review", Mark Pearson, updated 29 January 2026
- Parkers, "Ford Focus (2018-2026) review: Still much to recommend", Luke Wilkinson, updated 8 October 2026
- Parkers, "Ford wet belts: common issues, lifespan and repair options", Ryan Gilmore, updated 9 September 2026
- Carbuyer, "Ford EcoBoost engines: reliability, problems and should you buy one?", James Disdale and Tom Gumbrell, 5 November 2024
- Ford UK, "What should I know about my Ford's cambelt, timing belt, or timing chain?" (ford.co.uk support page, undated, read 20 October 2026)
- DVSA's recalls file (check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk), read 20 October 2026
What we looked for and did not find
- No page read gives a failure rate for any Focus engine.
- Autoza found no UK source for the 1.0 EcoBoost "oil dilution" some searches ask about, so none is claimed, and the pages read say little about the Focus ST's engine.
- The third-generation Focus (2011 to 2018), which includes the 2016 cars many searches ask about, is a different generation and is not covered by this guide.
The asking-price figures above are the middle 80% and the median of what sellers were asking on Autoza on 29 October 2026 — not what buyers pay — for Ford Focus cars registered 2019–2025. They are worked out from the cars on sale when this page is generated, and none is shown when fewer than 10 cars qualify. The road tax line comes from GOV.UK's vehicle tax rate tables (2026/27 rates). The other quick-stats values are indicative editorial estimates aggregated from owner-forum sentiment, recall data and reliability surveys. We do not publish a UK price index, and no figure here should be quoted as one.
Best and worst years to buy
We name a year as a best or worst buy only where the DVSA MOT table further down does not rate it the other way.
The 1.0 EcoBoost mild hybrid (2020 on) uses Ford's revised chain-driven camshaft, with only a smaller wet belt left driving the oil pump. Later cars also have the matured 8-speed auto on petrol and SYNC 4 infotainment.
2023 cars are too new for the DVSA table below, so there is no MOT record behind that year yet.
Early Mk4 1.0 EcoBoost wet-belt failures were catastrophic when they occurred — £4,000+ engine rebuild on a £15k car. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2018 registrations above all cars registered that year, so it is not named as a year to avoid.
Known faults — Ford Focus Mk4, 2018–2025
How to read this list. Items marked Safety recall are DVSA safety recalls, shown with DVSA’s own reference. Whether a particular car is affected depends on when it was built: check it by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check. Everything else in this list is owner-reported: patterns that come up repeatedly with workshops, owner forums and reliability surveys. Those are worth checking on a viewing, but we hold no count of how many cars have each one, other than any survey share a card itself quotes. Treat an owner-reported item as a question to ask, not a fault this car has.
Engine oil separator (safety recall)
- Symptoms
- DVSA recall wording: certain vehicles could have an engine oil separator that may have been damaged before the engine was assembled. Ford's remedy is to inspect the separator and fit a new one if it is damaged or leaking. DVSA does not name the engine.
- Years affected
- Focus built 4 February 2020 to 18 March 2021 (9,818 vehicles across the Focus, Kuga, Puma and Fiesta in the whole recall)
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Free under the recall at a Ford dealer
- What to check before buying
- Check the registration on GOV.UK’s recall check. If the car was built in that window, ask for the Ford dealer record showing R/2022/171 was done.
1.0 EcoBoost wet-belt failure
- Symptoms
- Loss of compression; check engine; belt debris in oil; in worst case complete engine destruction
- Years affected
- Non-hybrid Mk4 1.0 EcoBoost with the original wet cam belt (2018 into 2019/2020). The mild hybrid (2020 on) uses a chain-driven camshaft; a smaller wet belt still drives the oil pump. The cut-over was not a clean model-year change, so confirm by engine code — On cars with the original wet cam belt, independent specialists advise changing it nearer 60,000 miles or 7 years than Ford's original interval
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Belt + tensioner + labour: £700–£1,100 preventatively. Engine rebuild after failure: £4,500–£7,000.
- What to check before buying
- Confirm the engine version by engine code. On an original wet-cam-belt car, ask for a dated invoice for the belt change; no record means budgeting for it now. On a mild hybrid, ask about the oil-pump belt. An oil-pan inspection at an independent garage is the best confirmation.
1.5 EcoBlue diesel oil dilution
- Symptoms
- Engine oil level rising between services; oil smells of diesel
- Years affected
- 1.5 EcoBlue diesel, all years
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Service interval reduction; in worst cases injector replacement £600–£1,200
- What to check before buying
- Dipstick check pre-purchase: if oil level above max line, oil dilution is occurring.
Rear suspension bushing wear
- Symptoms
- Knocking over rough surfaces; vague handling
- Years affected
- All Mk4 — 75,000+ miles
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £250–£450
- What to check before buying
- Rough-road portion of test drive.
SYNC 3 / SYNC 4 infotainment glitches
- Symptoms
- Screen freezes; CarPlay disconnects; reboot needed
- Years affected
- 2018–2021
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Free at Ford dealer software update
- What to check before buying
- Test infotainment fully during inspection.
8-speed automatic harshness
- Symptoms
- Notchy 2-3 shifts; flare on downshifts
- Years affected
- 2019–2020 1.0 EcoBoost auto
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Software update; £300+ if mechatronic adjustment needed
- What to check before buying
- Test drive with manual gear holds.
Tailgate strut weakness
- Symptoms
- Tailgate doesn't hold open
- Years affected
- All Mk4 — 55,000+ miles
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £80–£120 pair
- What to check before buying
- Open boot, leave for 30 seconds — should not creep down.
Ford Focus MOT results by year and mileage
Measured from DVSA’s own MOT test records for tests carried out in 2025, not from owner reports.
By registration year
Against all cars registered in the same year, the MOT pass rate for the Focus was higher in 4, lower in 3 and level in 3 of the 10 registration years from 2013 to 2022 with enough tests to measure. The widest gap below is 2014 registrations: 71.5% against 74.3% for all cars registered that year. The widest gap above is 2017 registrations: 85.6% against 82.2%.
Pass rate here: passed on the day, cars fixed during the test included. Rows: every Ford Focus DVSA tested in 2025, by registration year (2013–2022), all engines and fuels together. 2013–2017 registrations are older generations of the Focus than this guide covers, shown for comparison; the guide’s own cars start in 2018. A registration year cannot separate two generations exactly when one replaced the other part-way through a year.
| Registered | Focus | All cars that year | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20221,567 tests | 92.3% | 91.2% | +1.1 level |
| 20212,035 tests | 90.9% | 90.1% | +0.8 level |
| 20203,864 tests | 87.7% | 88.7% | −1.0 level |
| 20195,587 tests | 84.9% | 86.9% | −2.0 lower |
| 20184,946 tests | 85.5% | 84.5% | +1.0 higher |
| 20176,622 tests | 85.6% | 82.2% | +3.4 higher |
| 20166,681 tests | 81.7% | 79.4% | +2.3 higher |
| 20157,905 tests | 78.6% | 76.7% | +1.9 higher |
| 20147,673 tests | 71.5% | 74.3% | −2.8 lower |
| 20137,548 tests | 70.2% | 71.9% | −1.7 lower |
By mileage at the test
Against cars of the same age on the same mileage, the pass rate for the Focus was higher in 2, lower in 3 and level in 4 of the 9 mileage bands with enough tests. How other models compare at the same mileage.
Show the table by mileage (9 bands)
| Mileage | Focus | Same age and mileage | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0k–20k2,675 tests | 94.0% | 93.3% | +0.7 level |
| 20k–40k9,441 tests | 88.8% | 88.0% | +0.8 level |
| 40k–60k15,610 tests | 83.1% | 81.5% | +1.6 higher |
| 60k–80k19,356 tests | 76.7% | 75.0% | +1.6 higher |
| 80k–100k18,142 tests | 70.4% | 69.9% | +0.5 level |
| 100k–120k12,516 tests | 66.6% | 66.7% | −0.1 level |
| 120k–140k7,842 tests | 64.3% | 65.6% | −1.2 lower |
| 140k–160k3,822 tests | 62.6% | 65.1% | −2.6 lower |
| 160k+3,041 tests | 60.9% | 66.1% | −5.2 lower |
Only a major or dangerous defect fails an MOT. A minor defect is recorded on the certificate and the car still passes, and an advisory is not a failure at all.
We don’t give a recall count for the Ford Focus: whether a recall applies depends on the individual car. Check the one you are looking at by entering its registration on GOV.UK’s vehicle recall checker, and see how to check a car for known faults for the other free checks.
Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0), a sample of the 2025 file (about one test in ten, from nine months) (3,459,000 tests). Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a pass here (passed on the day); DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Odometer readings below 100 or above 400,000 miles are discarded as misreadings, and cars under three years old are excluded because no MOT is yet due. Sampled from nine months of 2025 (January, February, April, May, July, August, September, October and November). Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. Registration years shown are cars 3 to 12 years old when tested; the smallest rests on 1,567 tests. A gap is called level when it is under one percentage point or inside the 95% sampling margin for that number of tests. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Who this car suits — and who should look elsewhere
Driver-focused family buyers; commuters wanting small petrol; buyers who can verify wet-belt change documentation.
Anyone considering an early non-hybrid 1.0 EcoBoost without belt-change evidence.
Alternatives to consider
If the Ford Focus doesn't suit, these comparable models are worth a look in the UK market:
Ford Focus: questions buyers ask
What are the most common faults on a used Ford Focus in the UK?
The Mk4 Ford Focus (2018–2025) drives brilliantly. The critical check is the 1.0 EcoBoost engine: early non-hybrid cars have a wet cam belt that owners report failing, while the 2020-on mild hybrid uses a chain-driven camshaft. Best-buy: 2021+ mild hybrid. Worst: early 2019.
What is the best year to buy a used Ford Focus in the UK?
Best-buy years: 2021, 2022, 2023. The 1.0 EcoBoost mild hybrid (2020 on) uses Ford's revised chain-driven camshaft, with only a smaller wet belt left driving the oil pump. Later cars also have the matured 8-speed auto on petrol and SYNC 4 infotainment.
What years of Ford Focus should I avoid in the UK?
Worst years: early 2019. Early Mk4 1.0 EcoBoost wet-belt failures were catastrophic when they occurred — £4,000+ engine rebuild on a £15k car. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2018 registrations above all cars registered that year, so it is not named as a year to avoid.
How much does a used Ford Focus cost in the UK in 2026?
What sellers were asking on Autoza on 29 October 2026, for Ford Focus cars registered 2019–2025: £6,457–£15,495, median £9,490 — the range is the middle 80% of asking prices. Those are asking prices, not what buyers paid, and not a UK price index. Prices vary by mileage, region and trim, so compare several adverts of the same year and mileage band before negotiating.
What is the road tax (VED) on a Ford Focus in the UK?
Annual road tax (VED): £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025 (2026/27 rates). A car registered from April 2017 that listed at over £40,000 new (options included) also pays the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 — it is the price when new that counts, not what you pay for it used.
What real-world fuel economy does a Ford Focus achieve on UK roads?
Typical real-world consumption: 44–51 mpg real-world for 1.0 EcoBoost 125PS.
How does a Ford Focus compare to its rivals?
Strong alternatives in the UK: VW Golf, Hyundai i30, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic. Choose based on dealer network in your area, parts availability, and your priorities (running cost vs. cabin quality vs. badge).
Who is the Ford Focus most suitable for?
Driver-focused family buyers; commuters wanting small petrol; buyers who can verify wet-belt change documentation.
Who should NOT buy a Ford Focus?
Anyone considering an early non-hybrid 1.0 EcoBoost without belt-change evidence.
Are there safety recalls on the Ford Focus?
DVSA lists 1 safety recall for the Ford Focus that this guide shows or names, the largest first: R/2022/171 (9,818 vehicles in the whole recall, built between 4 February 2020 and 18 March 2021): The right-hand engine oil seperator may have been damaged prior to engine assembly. Whether a particular car is affected depends on its build date and VIN, so check its registration on GOV.UK (gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall) before you buy.
Is the 1.0 EcoBoost wet-belt failure on the Ford Focus a serious problem?
Owner-reported, frequency unknown: 1.0 EcoBoost wet-belt failure comes up in owner forums and workshop reports for the Ford Focus, but how often it happens is not known, so treat it as a question to ask rather than a fault every car has. Symptoms: Loss of compression; check engine; belt debris in oil; in worst case complete engine destruction. Years affected: Non-hybrid Mk4 1.0 EcoBoost with the original wet cam belt (2018 into 2019/2020). The mild hybrid (2020 on) uses a chain-driven camshaft; a smaller wet belt still drives the oil pump. The cut-over was not a clean model-year change, so confirm by engine code. On cars with the original wet cam belt, independent specialists advise changing it nearer 60,000 miles or 7 years than Ford's original interval. Indicative repair cost in the UK: Belt + tensioner + labour: £700–£1,100 preventatively. Engine rebuild after failure: £4,500–£7,000. What to check before buying: Confirm the engine version by engine code. On an original wet-cam-belt car, ask for a dated invoice for the belt change; no record means budgeting for it now. On a mild hybrid, ask about the oil-pump belt. An oil-pan inspection at an independent garage is the best confirmation.
Is the 1.5 EcoBlue diesel oil dilution on the Ford Focus a serious problem?
Owner-reported, frequency unknown: 1.5 EcoBlue diesel oil dilution comes up in owner forums and workshop reports for the Ford Focus, but how often it happens is not known, so treat it as a question to ask rather than a fault every car has. Symptoms: Engine oil level rising between services; oil smells of diesel. Years affected: 1.5 EcoBlue diesel, all years. Indicative repair cost in the UK: Service interval reduction; in worst cases injector replacement £600–£1,200. What to check before buying: Dipstick check pre-purchase: if oil level above max line, oil dilution is occurring.
Is the Ford 1.0 EcoBoost reliable?
Parkers and What Car? both say the mild-hybrid 1.0 EcoBoost in the 2018 to 2025 Focus, sold from 2020, has a timing chain, and Parkers' review finds no really consistent pattern of problems for the Focus. For the earlier cars with a wet belt, both warn that the belt can fail if maintenance lapses, which Parkers says can mean an engine rebuild. Neither gives a failure rate, so ask Ford, with the VIN, which drive the car has.
Does the Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost have a wet belt or a timing chain?
Ford UK says a Ford can have a cambelt, a timing chain or a wet belt that runs in oil, depending on model, engine and year, and tells owners to give a dealer the VIN. What Car? says Focus cars built from mid-2019 have a chain and so do all mild-hybrid 1.0-litre engines; Parkers says Ford switched to a chain in 2018. The dates differ, so a VIN check with a Ford dealer is the safe answer.
Was the Ford 1.0 EcoBoost oil pump belt recalled in the UK?
Carbuyer reported on 5 November 2024 that Ford had recalled more than 130,000 Focus and EcoSport cars with the 1.0 EcoBoost and automatic gearbox in North America over the belt that drives the oil pump, and had announced no UK recall. DVSA's recalls file, read on 20 October 2026, lists no recall for an oil-pump belt on a UK Focus. Parkers says Ford treats a timing belt as routine maintenance at the owner's expense.
Check these next
The guide above is about the Ford Focus as a model. These are about the car in front of you.
- Browse Ford Focus listings on AutozaEvery one listed now.
- Check any car by its registrationFree: its MOT history, tax status and any open recall, from a number plate.
- Work out the road tax for the FocusVehicle tax (VED) by registration date, CO2 and list price.
- Work out the monthly payment on a £9,490 FocusThe median asking price on Autoza on 29 October 2026, not what buyers pay: change it to the car you are looking at.
- What is your Focus worth?A price range from dealers' asking prices for comparable cars.
Looking to buy a Ford Focus in the UK?
Search Autoza listings filtered by year, mileage, and region. Every dealer page shows the business name, address and contact details, so you can check the business before you enquire.