Living with the Focus RS - 1 year later.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- Hi guys - not the most exciting video, all filmed in the cabin in one take, but join me for a chat on how my Focus RS has treated me over the past year! Warts and all.
CheeRS,
Gary
I just want to say what a great review this was, I've owned my 16 focus RS for 8 months now and I will continue to own the car for the next 4 years easily.
Everyone who thinks these "big issues" are such a problem then dont worry about buying it.
Honestly when I had my head gasket changed it was no big deal and they fixed it and I havent had any other problems than that apart from tyre usage (like all cars do)
The only other things you noted was the upholstery which hasnt happened on mine but I have the race bucket seats and that is it, everything else was extra modification issues :)
I'm glad you'll be keeping your car as it is a beautiful spec 👌
you still have it ?
Great update. I’m coming up on 2 years in July with mine and just over 38,000 miles. I love this car! Makes me smile every time I drive it as well.
Any issues with your RS?
people dont know what you are talking about if they dont have one, what they know is the 3% RS that got effected by the head gasket and keeps talking about it;)
I owned the 17 and sold it to get the 18 limited edition, the 17 got recalled because of the head gasket, nothing happened to both cars and they are soild
I have the same reaction every time I get into mine. Always a smile and always enjoy the ride.
thats the best thing of the RS and ford really made it happen, its all about the joy
2 years ago I bought a 2017 Blue Ford Focus RS in Ponce, PR with 24 miles; now it has 31 thousand miles and I love it. Still after wathing your video, I'm taking it to the Dealer to change the head gasket, just to be on the safe side; thanks for sharing this video, GRACIAS.
Type R does it for me. RS was my second choice, but after a year of research, test drives, and arguing with the wife, I got the Type R lol
Great update! Glad you are happy with this vehicle. I am also very happy and recently had the gasket replaced without any issues. They only put 3 miles on the car but I've driven it for almost a week now (about 60 miles per day) and there are no issues with coolant loss. Brake fluid on the other hand, I feel is something I will have to deal with. It seems to be a bit low. It was worse before I tightened the reservoir cap where there was fluid visibly streaking along the reservoir and up against the firewall. Curious if anyone else has had this issue. Other than that, no complaints other than everyone wanting to race! I can't seem to keep it in normal mode and get some more MPG...LOL!
I think you told the story well. I wasn’t bored listening. I like the color of your RS.
I’ll be honest, I gave up on the RS last year after all the issues. I decided to keep my Fiesta ST and take it up to stage 3, it’ll keep up with an RS now and it’s only been in the garage for new tyres, breaks, servicing and modifications (oh and a smashed fog light!), literally rock solid engine. Never want to see it leave but it’s not the most family friendly car and with baby number 2 on the way I’m thinking of packing in performance cars for the foreseeable future! Get myself a wagon haha
@rvidal0001 probably for practicallity? Makes more sense, the man would probably struggle to get 2 young kids aswell as everything for them in a fiesta st.... common sense really.
You're never dull Gary. It was great to see that you are still enjoying the car and interesting to hear your future plans. At one point recently I thought we were going to lose you to BMW 😉
Good man!
What’s the point? they both unreliable , might as well look at Audi rs3 or cla45 AMG at least its reliability better then bmw and ford
Very interesting journey, love the look of the RS!
Car Focused yeah fingers crossed haha!
Very enjoyable watch. I am thinking of getting one for my wife, I mean me, no wait, I mean my wife or could it be for me...nope it's for my wife...honest. The Focus RS looks amazing, I don't see it ever ageing. Thank you. Gee.
Thanks for sharing. I’m looking for the exact same RS in Stealth Gray. I’Il be checking the maintenance history to ensure the head gasket was replaced.
I can dig what you said about it putting a smile on your when you drive it. I still hope to get one, I'm not afraid of used. Thanks
I can’t wait to get an RS in stealth grey. I want the RS3 package w the sunroof an all. It is my absolute dream car and I can not wait to own one. Thank you for this video!
I bought one just little over a month ago. Absolutely loving it! I find it quite comfortable as a cruiser and a bit naughty when you put your foot down. Really wish I bit the bullet years ago as the valuation is so strong with little depreciation from new.
Damn, i did 15’000 Miles in 2 1/2 months in my ST. Lol these cars are just to damn fun to drive!!
At 7:06 it is not smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes, but water vapour (condensation). When a head gasket blows, the pressurised water system
forces water into the affected cylinder while the engine is off and cooling down. When you come to start it up again, the water in the cylinder has condensed onto the spark plug, shorting it out and causing the misfire. Rapidly moving air blows the plug dry so that it can fire again and all the water that leaked into the cylinder (and subsequently into the exhaust pipe) now heats up and vapourises, exits the pipes and condenses as the water vapour seen in your video. Smoke, on the other hand, is caused by burning oil which you did not have. To say "These cars smoke a lot on start-up" is misleading. My car always has plumes of water vapour or condensation on a cold and damp morning start-up but it never smokes at all.
Mine has over 21k miles on it and I have had no problems with it. I also do not have any mods and I have not taken it to the track. Ford is going to replace the head gasket and head for free but I have not had issues with it. The only problem I have is people at work dinging up the paint or having idiots swipe my fenders. I love the car but might have to sell it as I am getting ready to have a baby. My tires still look good even though I do like to drive around the windy roads in the Bay area. My only gripe on the vehicle is the steering wheel controls should be reversed so I can keep one hand on the wheel and still adjust volume of the radio.
Good to know. I have super long legs so I put the seat all the way to the back. I take my friends kid around for a drive every now and then and he loves the car. Maybe my kids will too :)
I actually like the steering controls the way they are, I can change the cruise controls with just one hand lol
find your workmates or so called..and stick the nut on them....soon stop
Can't put a price on a smile ☺️ I have a ST the same year and love it.. great video.s you do!
Jesus Christ!!! ALL THAT IN THE FIRST YEAR?!!!!! Damn, thanks for the heads up. I'm gonna stick with my Subie.
I'm bursting at the seams with desire to buy me one of those. I don't know how expensive they are over there, but here in America, that car has actually gained value from msrp. Thanks for the video!
The prices aren't coming down...... Did you ever buy one? I bought a 2018 & it puts the 'fun' back into driving. The AWD system makes it 100x better vs. a Focus ST.
@@poker_18rs92 oh man I wish 😂 I ain't got the money for it though
Thanks for posting. I'm going to test drive. It looks great.
Every time i see one of these theres always some 16 year old kid driving it, especially the ST’s. One of the main factors that kept me from getting one, still an awesome car regardless
Me: "Holy shit what a horror story!!!"
Video: "So there has been no horror story during the first year"
I have had mine for a year 75k shes doing great 👍 😊
As a future possible owner thankyou for the information.What a beautiful looking car
Thanks for sharing. The moral of this story if you want a hot hatch make sure it comes with a warranty.
Had an Fiesta ST, loved it. Would surely love this one.
So you sold it? Regret it? Happy you sold it? What did you not like about it?
I completely agree took a mustang gt for a test drive and it did not make me smile like the rs dose I do plan on buying a mustang gt with the roush super charger
Thanks mate. Own one and must say you’d love the racing seats
@@CarFocused ill 2nd that, the recaro racing shell seats look awesome, but they aren't as comfortable and less adjustable. Height adjust with the basic seats makes them a winner if youre tall as you can seat yourself lower down in the car.
Hello Gary, great video, I too have an RS now and you have helped me again as I have had issues with the driver mode unavailable error. Only had the car for Two weeks so I’ll be getting in touch with my ford dealer tomorrow. 👍
Thanks Gary, I’ll mention it later on this morning and see what they say. I look forward to your next video. 🙂
I'd dump that thing before the warranty ends. That's a scary amount of issues, I'd be worried what else will break in the future.
He only had one real issue at the time he made this video, and that's the head gasket (the RECARO seat problem wasn't a big deal, but since the car was still under warranty why not address it for free). All his other mechanical problems stemmed from that gasket issue, and Ford has since corrected it on future RSs.
Other than the Gasket issue, these cars are stellar. The 2018's have zero issues.
I've had mine for 2 years and 8 months. Over 50k miles on it, and it's given me *no* issues. I was in the head gasket recall because it was one of the first ones built (delivered in the US June 4th, 2016), but I never saw any problems from it.
Thanks for the video! I've recently come in to a new job with more money and have been seriously considering picking an RS up! Thanks for the insight on ownership.
I wasn’t aware of the different versions of head gaskets, and am surprised to hear the Mustang gasket is worse? I’m a Ford dealer tech, haven’t seen a single 2.3 Mustang with the head gasket failure yet
Does every single 2016-2017 Focus RS eventually need a head gasket replacement? The used ones online aren't showing active recalls on their CARFAX reports, so I'm confused on this?
Interesting experience with your seat. My car wore through its very thin leather seat covering in 900 miles on the shell seats. Replaced under warranty. Then, the reupholstered seat wore through in another 3000 miles or do. After battles and battles with Ford customer services they pretty quickly denied a second warranty claim, and then tried to claim the first claim was never authorised. My first Ford RS and my last. Sold after 13 months as the build quality, reliability and customer service with Ford in my experience falls significantly below expectations.
yes, i agree. to be fair, my local dealer that did the servicing was first class and i couldn't fault them. the supplying dealer (a ford store) where quite dreadful in all respects. the car was fine apart from the unacceptable build quality, but just didn't drive as well as i'd hope for my style of driving. it's a shame as my local dealer was battling on my behalf also but were very much letdown by ford CS having no interest at all in customer retention. like i say, just didn't work for me, but the experience tainted me so much that i wouldn't ever consider an RS again.
good luck on your car, enjoy it.
Just to set the record straight for other potential buyers - my RS has done over 40,000km and you really need to look very hard to see where the blue piping has lost a tiny amount of colour on the bolster. It must be the difference between my body size and yours , or the way that you get in and out of the car.
Glad you got it all sorted in the end - a blown head gasket (albeit due to the wrong head gasket fitted by some muppets) would bum me out on 1st year of ownership, just from the idea of the engine bay having to be ripped apart to replace it. But if you have no problems now and all is working and driving well - then its no biggie in the long run.
Thanks for posting the video. I have a 2009 mk2 (North America) focus ses. 120k with no engine issues at all. After the gaskets have been replaced I would not worry about a thing on the Ford... Btw the duratech blocks are Mazda tech (bought during the separation). Though you said you keep car's only 3 years tops so... Enjoy whatever you pay for next, and 3 years later next...... You get the point $$$$$$
Thank you for sharing your journey up until now. Looks good in grey, although the nitrous blue has to be its best colour if you don't mind drawing attention.
Test drove one and the cornering feel is something special. Enjoy.
Pity Ford is killing this, the Focus ST and the Fiesta ST in the states. Considering we don't have access to the Renault Megane, Seat Leon Cupra, Peugot, or I30N (only the Veloster N) etc. we really needed this amazing hot hatch.
Would you consider this as an good dailydriver? And how does it handle in cold climate (I live in Finland)?
I would say for the majority of people commuting to work, it wouldn't be a good daily driver. Keep in mind it's a manual, a turbo, 19" wheels and poor fuel economy... and the heavily bolstered seats in the US. For those of us who know what it is, it's a great daily driver & the AWD system allows you to put the power down w/o any surprises.
Great video. Mine currently in for the recall. Hopefully every RS will be sorted soon and we can all forget about the whole thing.
khf jvc Ford seems determined to make things right on this car. More than I can say for another American manufacturer who's having their pants sued off of them for covering up the fact they've been building death traps for the last 15 years.
Miatacrosser... it took a couple weeks for ford to get the parts in but once the parts arrived they set me up with an appointment and my car was back to me within the same week. No problems with the car before or since. I don’t have anything bad to say about my experience with my RS. Ford did right by me. So I’m good. Happy motoring.
Good video. Thank you for posting. Very informative
This is the first video I’ve watched from you but a good update. Wish you’d have accelerated out the junctions mind! You’ve got an RS not a Titanium. Had mine 3 months now and 3k miles. Trying to be extra careful of the seat bolsters. 22mpg average fuel and fast increasing fuel bills is definitely becoming a consideration. Might have to give the ST a run for a little while until it drops back down.
Great vid pal . Got the head gasket and the fpm 375 package. Put on at the same time. Car is absolutely flying now
Car Focused not half pal . Like you said feels a lot stronger too .
Good review mate.The ford dealership sounds amazing compared to ours in Australia although ford Australia just increased there warranty from 3yr 100000kms to 5yr unlimited because of all the problems.But eveytime i have a problem with my or my wifes Ford they dont want to know a thing about it as there is always problems with the plastics fading due to our strong uv.
Nice looking car and nice to see Ford make good on warranty repairs. Most people don't realize that Ford has nearly pushed this motor to the limit...nice car mate.
Love this car & colour!
There is always something to a review done by a UK TH-camr. Great run down on the car, I was quite surprised that you remember the sequence of it.
Awesome review.
Glad you are enjoying it! I love my Mk2 RS - might go Mk3 one day 😍
Mk2 beast....
Nice vid again mate. Had my RS done last week thank god just wanted it over and done with! Nice to see u got a focus RS edititon and I got a Ford KA lol. I was talking to the technician at the garage and he said that Evans Halshaw Ford will guarantee your warranty with any dream science instalments. Better off double checking but that’s what I got told as I’m looking to install the imap myself.
Bought the Dreamscience Imap basically on your recommendation in your last video. Loving it. Running the Ultima 2 map on a stock car. The lower maps were good but a bit underwhelming. Not game to go to the 2+ map without any mods. Car goes in for HG on May 7. No issues with the car so far 9000km.
Have you had any issues with the steering snatching in your hand and a feeling the nsf wheel has movement? I have replaced every bush and joint on the whole of the front upgraded to polly including both lower wishbones and still have the same problem my only next step is change steering rack but for want £1700 to do it and worried the problem may still be there do you have any thoughts?
I'm here because I saw a blue focus RS at my local tescos today
Good video,you explain things properly and honestly 👍
Car Focused no mate i own a mp215,i still enjoyed this video because you told a honest good review
Interesting video buddy and it's good to hear your ups and downs you've had with the car so far.
Interested in your story on the RS. Im curious why the dealership didnt deny you warranty due to modifications...did you remove them before going to the dealership?
Im torn between the rs and the cupra 290. What are your thoughts on the better car. I know the focus will hold its value better .
Do you feel any change in engine and power if you put fuel from a different petrol station and which is the best in your opinion?
Hi Gary, received this response from Jared at Dreamscience re the 0-62mph figure for the Ultima map - “We have not done timing but some on the forum have got down to flat 4 second or very close”. Keen too hear your results when you get a chance to test...:)
Hahahahaha...thanks for your quick response. I’m looking forward to seeing the video!
Good to see you back 👍a remap vid update would be good, my Scorpion valved cat back arrives tomorrow 👍 did buy the axle back exhaust but parcel forced lost it:-( cheers steve
Would love one but is it worth the extra cash compared to the ST as a daily driver?
amazes me how many people bitched about the head gasket when ford resolved this issue so quickly
9:24 Fiiiiinally. He was doing my head in!
Same here.... I can't stand it when people follow that closely. I would've just pulled over & let the idiot pass me.
FYI, if you're consuming engine coolant, then the visible change in your exhaust gases is most likely due to condensing water vapour, and not 'smoke'. When making a claim to a garage (maybe not the garage you mentioned in the vid), best not to appear uninformed or you might get palmed off with some botch-it job.
Not boring at all, welcome back. Cool video
I feel like your lucky from some of the stories out there about cracked blocks. I was RIIIIIIIIIIGHT on the edge of buying one, but it was right around when the internet blew up about the engine problems. So I kept my '11 WRX which has been totally bulletproof except for the blown engine. lol
so they fixed your head gasket and then it still burned coolant x amount miles later?
Nice review.Clear and simple “Tesco,no frills” edition 👍
Keep them coming,subscribed & liked.
Hi. What's your average consumption? Considering all factors: fun, city, outside city, etc, summer with AC, winter, etc.
Best color choice.
this is fantastic car , I wish I had this car.
I was so keen on the RS until this head gasket issue just killed my enthusiasm for it. Such a shame. I still might get a runout model one day...
Totally killed my enthusiasm also.
Hi Gary, thanks for another great vid. Really enjoy all your videos as I am close to buying an RS and find your videos very informative. I wondered if you had tested the 0-62mph figure after the map?
Hey Mate, you still have the car? How has it held up? I'm looking at a 2017 with 29k miles and the only thing holding me back is concerns about reliability.
ford honor warranty after mods and mapping how . correct me if i am wrong i thought that voided warranty
Great video, you know our situation in North America, finally get real STs and RSs a few years ago and now we're losing them all, totally sad and disgusted with Ford here. Of course much of it had to do with the public here overwhelming buying SUVs, Pickups and Crossovers but I think what the bean counters are doing here is way too drastic and a big mistake. I am going to have to take even better care of my 2014 FiST!
Gary, so after a year under your belt, how does it compare to the fiesta st you had? Better in all areas (running costs aside), or a handful of stand-out ones?
I have the st with the same recaros it’s under warrantee but it’s a 3 year old car I had the same problem with my seats I wonder if ford will look at them
Wow,,,,,,one year, over 15k miles and only ONE oil change? Yikes,,,,,didn’t you dump the factory break in oil after the first few thousand miles?
Hi I'm thinking of getting a mk3 focus RS and keep hearing about this block mod. Did you ever have to have that done because they say standard or modifying RS this needs to be done. How long did you have your RS for and what do you think pro's and cons are and if you would actually buy another. Thank you very much video 10/10
Good of Ford to sort it out. Would love an RS.
Now that they stopped making these cars in the US, they'll be worth a lot if you can find one.
Red King not quite, 39k is about what a very low mileage red edition is going for.. I just bought a 2017 with 18k miles for about 29.5 after all said and done a few days ago but on average I’ve been seeing them more in the 31-34k range
As far as I know all of these cars are made in Germany and are imports in the US.
Hi great video re : rs I've put a deposit on one like yours a stealth grey purchasing private its had head gasket done .
The cars look great but so many dont rate them cos of issues. Am I doing the right thing in buying one it's a 2016 with 14k .
Many thx in advance
Here's an oddball question: what do you think of your RS's turning radius? I've heard rumors that thanks to its AWD drivetrain the radius is more like a minivan than the typical FWD Focus. What say you?
Should’ve put Ppf on the front. I didn’t on my s3 and regretted it. Did put ppf on my RS3 saloon and would defo do it again
Even though you have mods does the ford warranty still apply?
Did changing the air intake and flashing your ECU not invalidate your warranty? I would like to to both but dont want to lose my warranty
Good to know, thank you for the reply.
I also have the dream science map on my car. When you flashed it back to stock was their any issues from ford. Could they tell?
between what rpm is it best to keep you RS between?
200£ just for an oil change? Holy crap. My dealer charges me $50 USD for oil change, oil filter, and tire rotation for my ST.
kelwhitepaw £200 for an oil change isn’t too bad with decent oil. If you dealer charges 50 dollars I’d question what garbage oil throw are using. Decent oil alone costs £30 in the uk for 4 litres. Audi RS3 oil change and inspection is £389
sp royals 5 quarts of mobile one 5w-30 full synthetic and an oil filter comes out to just $35 USD if I were to purchase it myself. My hunch is that UK drivers are getting slapped with much higher taxes and disposal fees, that we in the USofA don't have to deal with.
£200+ is astronomical to a USA driver lol
Yeah the UK is a ripoff for most stuff tbh.
RS uses 5W-50, I know it uses less oil than the st too. I bought AMS oil to see how I like it and it was about $75 and it is supposed to last a year or 20K miles. The previous time I bought it, it was on sale so I got a really good deal.
When I take my ST in for service (full synthetic oil/filters I pay about $70.00 usd 200£ for an oil change is harder to believe than $50.00 in the US
Hey, just curious as to the average MPG your getting running a map over a year picking my rs up in October 😇
Great video mate. Wish your would up load more
You**
Definitely get it lowered will make it look even more aggressive and handle even better!
Mine already scrapes on many speed bumps and ramps in and out of driveways, so there is no way I would ever make it any lower. It already looks aggressive enough for me and I doubt that it would handle any better unless you also stiffened the suspension, which is already more than stiff enough for me.
Great video. I feel other then the headgasket issue their pretty solid cars. I'd like to know more about life with the focus such as how is it for passengers how is it on fuel/ mpg could you lay the seats down and take it for groceries around town. It's a great rally looking car but how does it daily.
How far can you modify this car without it affecting your warranty from Ford?
Hi. I have one question . Is the suspension that bad for normal street driving ? I mean does it bounce alot like reviewers say ..
It's a performance car so obviously it's going to be stiffer than a normal suburban shopping hatch. In normal mode it is firm but not at all uncomfortable. In Sport mode it becomes more firm and a bit choppy on a bumpy or patchy road surface. I see a lot of negative criticism from Americans driving these cars on concrete roads - what they call the 'pogo' effect. That's caused by the crappy road surface, not the car. On normal (read tar/asphalt) roads the car is a pleasure to drive. I would know if the ride stiffness was a problem because my girlfriend would be sure to tell me. I am in my 60s and even after a long drive the problem is not discomfort caused by the ride stiffness, but finding a fresh lemon to suck to get the smile off my face.
It's not too hard to fit the RallyArmour / Mountune mud flaps yourself (search for the CJ Pony Parts video on TH-cam). The front's are easy - just turn the wheels in the opposite direction (using the steering wheel). The backs are more of a pain because you have to take the wheels off... but all possible in an afternoon. I personally prefer the RallyArmour branded flaps for the more subtle look
Buy the rokbloks they are way stiffer
Best color ;)
I was close to buying a blue one...but with the issues plastered all over social media re engine/cooling probs, I stuck with my Mk2. It is a shame, but hopefully these cars will slowly get sorted..
Although I’ve had zero problems with my focus ford still replaced the gasket with the proper one and addressed the potential issue and had my car back to me in three business days. Still loving my car and having fun with it. Things happen and ford really did correct any concerns of mine before things went south. I’m keeps my my RS and I will buy ford again.
Car Focused Definitely is a great car.. I hope you have no further issues and can just enjoy it stress free
Does the re-map not affect your warranty?