Ford Focus: Water in the boot / trunk, quick and dirty fix
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- Water ingress into the boot (trunk) is a major problem with 3rd generation Ford Focus (mark 3, and other models too). My earlier video, linked below, showed the problem in detail, and how to solve it. This video shows the "quick and dirty" hack which doesn't involve removing the bumper, and can be completed in 5 minutes provided the damp hasn't got too far into the car.
Earlier video:
• Ford Focus: water in t...
I recently noticed the same exact issue in my 2012 Ford Focus, and with all of the comments I’ve seen from people whose vehicles also suffered the same fate… I really have to wonder if this a sneaky money-making “planned obsolescence” scheme on Ford’s behalf.
It’s almost as though Ford deliberately planned a flaw that would strike consumers as a complete mystery but also a HUGE problem… Yet would be a super quick & easy repair for them. So they could make bank on repairing peoples’ vehicles or flipping the used cars that were traded in.
Reminds me of when Apple slowed down their old iPhones. It’s a disturbing world we’re living in. Glad there are people like you keeping us informed!
Hello , i am a retired motor engineer and mot tester. I have owned Fords on and off all my carrear .I now have a Focus 1.6 that leaks like a collander. I will never buy another Ford. ! Thanks Andrew for the video in highlighting the problem.
I’ve spent the whole day trying to figure out why my 15 plate Ford Focus passenger side footwell was soaked throughout. I honestly couldn’t believe how much water came out of them plugs when I tried this. Now I’ve the task of drying out the car before it gets rusty and mouldy!! By the look of the comments, you’ve helped numerous people with this. Thank you!!
May I ask, did you put the bungs back in? Has the problem been solved? How did you dry the car after? And did you put the insulation back? Hope to hear back from you. Thanks
@@joebiggleywopper6110 I warmed up a screwdriver and pierced a hole in both before plugging back in. I also removed some, not all of the cotton noise reducing stuff. I yanked that stuff out, rinsed it, let it dry for a bit and then put some back, again, not all. This helps the water flow through that hole much easier as I never actually found where the leak was coming from. Instead this just helps the water pass through that box and no excessive build up of water which had previously built up and spilled out mostly from the boot into passenger side. I’ve checked the spare wheel since and it’s remained bone dry since following these steps.
In-terms of drying, I won’t lie, it was a pain in the rear. I didn’t have time to be removing chairs etc so I painstakingly used microfibre towels to soak up the water, apply pressure, rinse and repeat over and over. It took me a few hours but I removed about 90% of the water this way. The remaining water I bought cheap dehumidifiers, left the engine running and the footwell heaters on full blast for about 1 hour. I’d say I’ve likely removed 99% of the water with these steps. Not the quickest but it saved me ripping seats out as I’m no expert with cars.
Hope this helps!! Screw Fords!!
I bought a 2014 mk3 focus last week, noticed the rear passenger footwells were waterlogged yesterday. I seen you video and took the bungs out this morning, the amount of water that came flooding out was unreal! I may take the bumper off to seal the vents at some point but for now, this will do. I also removed the spare wheel and put towels in there to soak up the swimming pool that had built up. Thank you so much for this quick and easy fix!!
After last nights horrific rainfall, I checked under the spare wheel in the boot this morning to find that it was full of water again. This is after I removed the rubber bungs and insulation yesterday to let the water drain. Looks like I'm going to have to take the bumper off and seal. fuming with Ford.
Oh joy !!🙂 Having seen the dismantling fixes for this with my heart sinking it was going through my mind 'why not just remove the plugs' and you've confirmed it,thank you.Job done in 10 minutes the hardest part is removing the insulation but do-able.👍 What is the point of having drain holes that are plugged.....unbelievable!
Hi Andrew I fully agree with you Ford need to hold their hand up and sort out our car's for us, they at the very least is post the simple cure for this problem for all us Fiesta, Focus, B Max, C Max owners and save us a fortune in repeated Garage visits.
Thank you for sharing your video solution & all the best.
Just to anyone before they throw the plugs away as in the video, dont throw them away, just heat uo a philip screwdriver and put a hole in the middle and put the caps back in. Push through from the back of the cap which creates a lip that allows drainage but doesn’t allow anything back in, that way you haven’t got 2 20mm holes behind the back wheels to let moisture in. Just every now and then take them out and clean away any grit. Will help with the fact that youve taken acoustic lining out also by reducing road noise allowed in from the holes 👌👍🏼
My Focus has this problem & have just been quoted £800 by Ford dealership to fix. Will definitely try this. Many thanks.
some time from roof rails its dripping...did u notice it.
Mate just came out of a long drought down under and we got buckets of rain this year. First time round I thought it was just bad luck but second time round saw your video. It was bloody exactly the same as you video. I just did not have much in the wheel well it was mostly in the front and rear wheel wells. I think mine channeled along the interior lining because it fits pretty tight to the boot floor. Thanks a tonne from Australia you saved me from going troppo. By the way I’m not another ford, I’m done. Thanks for confirming it’s an issue all over mate.
Well done fixing it, amazing to hear my videos are helping people on the other side of the globe! Watch you don't fall off now 😄
@@adpsimpson I’ll make sure my “magnetic boots” are not manufactured by ford!
Thanks again it really dud help say significantly.
You Sir ! Are a hero! Thank you so much for this video. After 1 month of taking it to 5 different garages and 3 tubes of silicon. It was a 3 min job by myself. Thank you once again!
You absolute legend! Thank you so much for the follow-up video. I watched the previous one, but it was too much effort/ beyond my skillset... came back months later to find this one. There was water on both sides when I removed the plugs. Hoping this resolves the boot flooding issue
Removed the spare wheel this morning only to find that I could go for a swim in the wheel well!!
I had no idea water was getting in till today. The carpets inside the car are bone dry so I think I happened across the problem in the nick of time. Watched your video here and went straight out to the car and crawled under the back end. Surely enough there were the rubber bungs. I levered them out with a flat head screw driver and was astonished how much water came out. I was bloody soaked. getting the white wadding out was a bit of a bugger and it was absolutely saturated!
mate, I can't thank you enough for posting this quick cure. I really didn't want to go through the process of removing the rear bumper!
I'll wait and see how successful this fix is but it looks as if it will be fine. Any water that enters from underneath will simply drain out now. Shame on Ford for making such a poor fault. They should know better.
mine leaking from roof... dont knw how to seal it. garage guy said £120 for behind bumber work but prblm is from roof.. one steel railing there..
I can't thank you enough for taking the time and effort to post your two videos on this topic. I too had a wet boot carpet and a 'swimming pool' in the spare wheel well of my 2012 Focus. I've just done your quick and dirty fix by removing the caps and insulation (and around 1 litre of water from each cavity!). My problem was exactly as described in your video. Unfortunately, I didn't catch the problem in time and every foot well, except the front passenger, has a pool of water under the carpet. As soon as I've dried the car out I'll be trading it in. After owning Fords continuously for over 25 years this will likely be the last one after my experience with this and all four door seals coming loose, which I've already Tiger Sealed back on (Ford dealer quoted £998 inc. VAT to supply and fit a new set of door seals!!!). The leaking vents and loose door seals, being known common faults, should both have had recalls for Ford to rectify. Thanks Ford for ruining my car.
Very well put, couldn't agree more. All the best with your next (Japanese!) car.
Absolutely brilliant video, solved a long ongoing problem in ten minutes, thanks very much and absolutely agree 100% about the engineering, disgustingly shocking.
Just opened the bungs on my 2014 Focus to get about half a litre out each side. I’ll be leaving them out. No more mouldy boot. Thanks for the video.
Ill be taking my bungs out tomorrow and leaving them out. My car recently been having this problem, since the snow a couple months back. Everytome it rains, I'm get water in the boot.
Thank you Andrew. This 'quick and dirty' fix has stopped my boot filling with water and the car smelling damp. I didn't really fancy the hassle of the long winded route. Water still gets into the side panel but now flows straight out the bottom rather than fill up and overflow into the car. Great work sir.
Yup, it's worked for me since I put up the video. Still dry in there.
Thank you so much for this video, other half has just removed the bungs and got soaked from both sides, Ford should be embarrassed and recall these cars to sort.
I had the same problem 4 years ago and it’s back leaking again after fixing the problem. Terrible engineering. Thanks for the tip.
Thanks so much for putting the time and effort into this video and the previous one showing the issues of the vents. I couldn't work out where the ingress was happening and wouldn't have known to check those bungs without your help. Hopefully going to take the rear bumper off this weekend to have a crack at your silicone fix! Keep up the good work, mate.
Yet another Focus owner with this problem. Took out bungs & got soaked ! Thanks for your video !
Thanks for a very helpful video. I have just found this problem on my Focus and had no idea where the water was coming from or how to fix it. Other than this, I have enjoyed the focus and had no trouble.
Thank you Andrew for both your videos. Popped the bungs today and let all the water drain from both sides. The car steaming up and wet dog smell was driving me mad. Cheers again!
Just done this. The voids were full of water. Removed the white foam, put a hole in the pug and refitted. Fingers crossed it works. Great video
Might be better to leave the bung out completely - reinstalling it with a hole will still leave a lip internally, so the water will need to pool to at least that depth to escape. It'll never get back in the boot, but I'd be worried about rust developing.
Thank you the Water in my Ford Focus has been driving me nuts trying to solve where the water was getting in,
at least now I have a chance of resolving it
Top man. Thank you. Had this car in with two garages. Neither could tell me where water was coming from. Pulled that bung out this morning and got soaked!!!! Hopefully it will dry out now and I will get rid. Last Ford for us.
Weird how garages can't use Google, isn't it?
Thank you very much for taking your time out to help other people.
Water ingress into a car boot could literally take months to solve.
I have a B Max with the same problem but I'm pretty after watching your vlog that the solution will be the same.
Thanks again for your help.
@@baldvale5418 hey. I have same problem with my b max. Did you find out what the cause was ?? I'm gonna give mine a bash soon...
did you keep having the problem after pulling the bungs out?
thank you for this. i handed my car in for service at my local ford dealership. They just commented that there was a lot of water around the spare wheel and recommended i leave the doors open on sunny days to let it dry. i asked if it might be leftovers from this winter as snow from our shoes drags a lot of water in to the car and i got a suprisingly confident "no, thats not it". i have been wondering how he might be so confident even tho he couldt tell me what could be the root problem til i saw this video. Even tho the car is 9 years old he rather let me live with a problem than admitting that my car has a fault that need tending.
Seems to be standard for Ford dealerships!
Thanks so much for this video, I literally had mushrooms growing in my boot and didn't know why, my daughter used to complain about the foisty smell, I'm going to get on my back and do this now!
With recent heavy rains the boot was full of water, and more frustrating so was front and rear passenger foot wells. Seats removed, carpet lifted, foam removed and all drying. This weekend will try root cause fixes as suggested in this and other videos. Thank you Andrew for sharing. @Ford... really?
Brilliant. Thank you for posting this. Just done this on my focus as I had a pool of water in the boot. The amount of water that came out was unbelievable.
Great video. My ford focus has about an inch of water in the front and back foot well on the passengers side. Been driving me mad trying to find out where it's coming from. Well done ford 👍
Pulled it all out took like 2 hrs and it was wet thank you so much for the video !!
Thanks just fixed mine as per video though I couldn't pull the cottony stuff out,i was amazed by the amount of water that gushed out, have dried the floors and put in dehumidifiers hopefully they will suck the dampness out,
After discovering what I thought was a water spillage in the rear passenger foot well of our 2014 Ford Focus Titanium, I found the front foot well was also saturated!! Took to a garage who were also stumped but then discovered a large pool of water in the boot! They've removed the bung without really knowing where the water was getting in. Finding your video has been like a huge weight off our shoulders but am so very angry at Ford over this now I've discovered what a common problem it is! We're hiring a rug doctor tomorrow in an attempt to rid the front & rear foot wells of as much of the water as possible. What a situation!! Definitely will not be buying Ford again and will actively discourage others too. Thank you for taking to time to help so many people 👍🏻😊
I followed your first video and it did the trick however 4 years later started to leak again. Removed the bungs and water poured out. Kept the bungs out but water is still getting in!! I’ve just sat in my boot with it shut whilst my other half poured 6 bottles of water over it and can’t find the leak yet it was full of water yesterday. My mind is boggled!! Damn you Ford!
If you haven't managed to work it out yet put silicone sealant round every seam and weld round the rear hatch. You also need to pop out the rear lights and silicone round the holes where they attach to the bodywork. Other than that theres the vent holes under the rear bumper which might need sealing round the edges.
Thanks! This video is a lifesaver. I encountered the same problem this weekend.
I plan to do the proper fix and reinstall the air filters as im afraid that some unwanted smell may enter the cabin.
You Sir, are brilliant. For 2 years I've been regularly soaking up the water in the car. It got to the point where I was just going to get shot of it altogether. You 10 minute fix has sorted it. So grateful.
Glad to hear it. You don't happen to be the Andrew Cowan whose dog went for a run a couple of days ago, do you?
@@adpsimpson 😂🤣, no Andrew, I don't have a dog!
Not my colleague then! That would have been a small world.
Thanks for this. Exactly the same problem. Sealed the vents about a year ago and now, wet through again. Cheers for video
Bungs are still out here, no more problems.
@@adpsimpson doesn't any running water rust the holes?
Can't see why it should. The metalwork is painted on the inside too. This way at least it can drain - no different from any other parts of the car which are regularly wet.
@@adpsimpson thanks, and this effectively stops all water from pooling in the car?
It'll stop leaks in that area from pooling and overflowing into the boot. There may be leaks elsewhere too of course but that was the only one I've had so far.
Thanks for this video. I have been wondering why my car keeps misting up every cold and wet day. I’ve dried my boot out and around the spare wheel I had a puddle of water. All dried and when I removed the installed I got soaked so I’m hoping this will sort my problem out now. Thank you again for this quick fix.
Hey Andrew, it turns out your quick fix did finally resolve the leak completely. For some reason I did get some water in the wheel well, but after that it's been bone dry.
Thanks for your help done my car this morning cant believe the amount of water in there hopefully the problem is solved now
Had this problem all the way up to the front passenger footwell and only found out recently as my 2013 model is fairly new to me.
Really appreciate you taking the time to put this up. Was daunted by your first video until I saw this one. I pulled the plugs out and wow. Was like turning a tap on!!! Thank you so much.
Well done! Hope you get it all sorted.
How did you tackle the wet foot wells?
@@jackbeasley2289 In mine I just put a load of cat litter in the rear footwells under the mats, alowed it to soak it up over a few weeks and then took it all out. It isn't perfect but it will get it to the point where the car will naturally dry out in the summer months.
@@jackbeasley2289mine was soaked all the way through to the driver’s football. I took it to a mechanic, they took up all the upholstery and seats and ran some dehumidifiers for days, which worked but…
…one year on my boot is full with water and the rear mats a little damp. this time I’m going to save myself £500 and just take the little bungs out. The car is getting on now and I don’t want to spend a day taking the bumper off.
I can’t help thinking that if there is a bung in the first place then this must have been an issue that Ford either knew or suspected. I’ve had two Fords now and both have put me off ever buying another (I had them at the same time).
I just sorted this problem out with your last video, I think this will be the last time a buy a ford... thanks for you help
Fantastic video, thank you for posting and highlighting the issues. My neighbours car has same problem so I thought it was coming in from the light cluster holes but as they’re now sealed and still leaking water, I am now ready to inspect and remedy like yours. 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽🙏
Good luck 👍
Just done mine today !! Unbelievable how much water came out 😮! Thank you very much !!! ❤
May I ask, did you put the bungs back in? Has the problem been solved? How did you dry the car after? And did you put the insulation back? Hope to hear back from you. Thanks
@@joebiggleywopper6110 I left both bungs out on mine, and left the insulation out. Can put the insulation back in once it is fully dry, with it in, it just reduces a bit of noise from the road
@R1GSTAR yeah I've done the same, everything I drive now I've just blasted the footwell heaters on with the windows slightly cracked every time I go out. When the condensation finally stops I'll spray the life out of the carpet with mould remover so it soaks in and try it again? What do you think?
Thanks for the video I've been having water ingress prblems for some while and was struggling to find out how it was getting in. Will have a look at taking the bungs out and do the bumper thing when the weather warms up a bit. My brother in law has the same problem as does my son in his Ford. Thanks again very useful information.
Firstly, Andrew a huge and massive thank you for both of these videos. For the last two weeks I have had towels in both of the rear footwells staunching the water. I have been underneath the car (Ford Focus 64 plate) and have found nothing. On Thursday I took the boot apart and found water exactly the same as yours in the spare wheel hold. I have also some mold but thankfully not as bad as yours. I have dried out the car - or at least I thought I had and went out this afternoon (roads all dry lovely sunny day) came back checked boot and the towels that I had put down each side (and underneath the rear wheel coverings) were really damp - not soaking wet - but like when you pull washing out of the machine when it has finished, wet. I could not for the life of me work this out because the towels although wet, were clean. The water was clean so I knew it had to be coming from above somehow because if underneath it would have logically been dirty. So, the bung problem - as I had watched your original tutorial I thought how the heck am i going to get the bumper off? This video hopefully will solve it without me having to do too much to it. Fact is the car is going and I probably will not get another Ford even though I did think about having a new ST. Sad really but I had this car from new, it has 35 thousand on the clock and the fact Ford knows about this problem really makes me mad. I have - as I type - put fresh dry towels in the boot again this evening. I have managed to dry out the rear footwells with the help of a hairdryer of all things as well. I am very grateful to you for this because I suspect i was staring down the precipice of a huge repair bill. This 'fix' will just allow the water to get away keep the boot and interior of the car dry until I can get the car traded in.
It's frustrating, isn't it? Glad to have helped. Removing the rear bumper isn't actually very difficult, it took me about 20 minutes. Even if you can't tackle if yourself, am independent repair place should be able to help you much more cheaply than Ford themselves, who seem to enjoy the opportunity of charging to fix a problem they have created.
@@adpsimpson I have got the bung removed and the water came out and I gradually got the white wadding out - just kept cutting away at it until it was clear. I have left it open exactly as yours. Do I need to do anything else now? I am not planning on keeping the car much beyond March next year, so if it is just a case of leaving it I will. Pretty furious really. The fact that Ford have known about this problem in excess of ten years is totally unacceptable on every level.
Just another thank you! My arms were drenched twice after (as expected) finding the problem on both sides.
Maybe I’ll now have a chance of getting the carpets dry within a few months...
Haha yes I had same problem. Jumper was soaked
You get the carpets all dry? How'd you go about it?
Thanks pal, I think you just solved a massive headache for me.
The boot, rear footwells and front footwells held enough water to keep goldfish happy. It had already occurred to me that a full spare wheel well would slosh water into the rear of the cabin, and consequently forwards to cause what we're seeing. I hadn't quite got to the bungs but I'll be removing them in the morning.
Sounds like you might have a bit of stripping down and drying to do too. Good news is it's not that hard.
Thanks for this - I'll give it a try tomorrow. The Mk3 Focus (mine's an Ecoboost) might be a lovely car to drive, but it's beset with design faults that Ford refuse to help with (though they're happy to charge a fortune to fix them). Wetbelt cambelt, leaky heater matrix seals, perishing coolant pipes and door seals falling off! So this boot leak one doesn't surprise me at all.
Thank you for sharing - covered myself in water but after following your instructions boot now bone dry...all I have to do now is dry the rest of the car out and get rid of the dirty pond smell that my car has taken on! Thanks so much!
Been reading peoples issues as I've had same problem for 2 years seen yours. Some advice pop your back lights off and re seal them it's so easy it's a point water comes in.
Oh my! I've been sitting here going over videos of this problem! I'm going to do this soonest my wife gets home..
I'm with you mate, I'm NEVER buying a ford again. I was overall disappointed with the build quality of the mk3 focus, but I used to think at least it's solid on the inside. No. No it's not.
Totally in agreement, they are so stupid to refuse to acknowledge this issue when all it is doing for them is ensuring loss of future sales as none of us who are affected will buy Ford again. No integrity on their part. I tell everyone I meet with a Focus in this year range to watch out for the issue if not already affected, and direct them to this excellent video by Andrew.
At least somebody cares, unlike Ford.
Madness isn't it. I'm glad the video helps, but Ford owning and fixing the issue would be much better in the long run.
Thank you so much for this video …. We just done that and found like a litre of water on each side !!!!!! Great great advice !!
May I ask, did you put the bungs back in? Has the problem been solved? How did you dry the car after? And did you put the insulation back? Hope to hear back from you. Thanks
Thank you so much for this video, you've helped me so much, as was very stressed trying to figure out what was the cause, thank you, just need to dry everything now
Just done this. The amount of water coming out was staggering! Hopefully that's the end of my soggy boot. Thanks for the video
How’s it been Nathan since you did it?
@@bottletree33 absolutely fine
@@nathanlxxe Great. I wondered why the guy I bought it off used really strong air freshener. I found the water in boot today.
@@bottletree33 unbelievable!! Yeah, pull those little things out and the water will pour out. The tough part is getting the insulation out but once it's out it's fine. Just dry the boot mat/floor whatever you want to call it out and it's been fine ever since. As soon as I touched the little things under the car, the water started coming out before I even opened it properly.
@@nathanlxxe my arms and clothing got soaked. Also it’s freezing temperatures so that added to the fun. It’s done now so one less problem
Thanks for this video.. I did mine after watching this video.. and suffering from water in the drivers footwell. Wow, both arms soaked as the water came rushing out. Shocking. Now to dry the car floor with a dehumidifier and towels in the middle of winter ! Top video thanks
did you keep having the problem after pulling the bungs out and letting them out?
@@joviatesc hey no :-) I left the bungs out and spent about 2 months drying the car .. but problem is solved .. and that’s in a UK winter with lots of rain.
@@flambatious thanks mate
I'm a lone parent and I just discovered tonnes of damp and mould n the boot which covered my pram. I was scared at the thought of taking car to the garage in the current climate. I will try this today. I will not throw the plugs away as stated in the comments.
I was very lucky caught my water problem early on when I started getting a lot of condensation on inside windscreen.pulled out bungs about a litre came out each side .Pulled out padding each side best method twist and pull it will come out in the end .great video solved my problem no more fords for me
Good work, well done catching it before it became a major problem.
Andrew, thank you for this. I too have had water in my focus boot and i have done what you have done and removed the plug allowing the water to fall out in the future. Again a big thank you to yourself and certainly not to Ford who should know better.
Glad to have helped. I'm amazed how many people these two videos are helping - it's obviously a very common problem.
did you keep having the problem after pulling the bungs out?
@@joviatesc No problem since leave the bung out
I'm going to give this a go at the weekend, thanks again for the videos and im sorry it didn't work the first time. I have had an ongoing battle with ford for nearly 3 years now and they haven't admitted fault or liability once. Apparently their covered under wear and tear. Terrible and ill never purchase another ford again - thanks again buddy
Thank you buddy. solve the biggest issue in my wifes car.. i am just about to follow your instructions and get the insulation out as well.
So really the quick fix is the answer, I like seeing the effort you put in on your previous fix and felt your pain on the update, so is bung out and be done
My conclusion exactly.
@@adpsimpson thank you, bung and insulation now gone, loads of water and luckily it hadn't travelled anywhere else.
Thank you so much for these two videos. I couldn't agree more with your comments on Fords. There's always some petty but irritating issue overlooked and under supported.
Thanks for your video 2011 ford focus same issue water has got up passengers side front and back boot full too pulled the two plugs alot of water flowed out just a matter now of getting the carpets all dried hopefully no more water top man cheers
Thank you for this. Found a load of water in rear footwell. After being quite £280 from the Ford dealer just to inspect the car I solved the problem myself due to your video. I agree with you, I will never buy a Ford again. Mine is a 63 reg, Ive had it for two years and it’s cost me a small fortune.cant wait to be in a position to get rid of it.
So it solved it for good?
Thanks for the video, very helpful. It's put me completely of Ford, I'm shocked how poor the design is. The interior of my car is soaked because Ford wanted to save a few quid. Pleased with the video but feel Ford have shafted me big time
Thank you for this! I've just found all my work equipment (District Nurse) in my boot soaked and headed to YT. Watched your first video and realised I had no hope of fixing it so needed an easy hack as I'll be tackling it on my own! I've already had a car filled with water thanks to the crap heater matrix.......... I did love my Focus.....
I agree mate thanks for doing the video I've had this problem with my focus.i can't understand why Ford have put bungs there. They should know better
totally agree mate and share your anger towards Ford. Rediculous issue especially as its their 3rd version of the same car. I have pulled the bungs out and the foam as a fix so hopefully it wont pool up again like that and soak the floor.
Had my 2013 focus 4 weeks and found this problem. Your fix was so helpful. Hoping it will solve the problem. Thanks for posting.
Totally agree, i just bought a 2014 and i have the same problem, previous owner said it was due to his power washer enthusiasm....
Something else that is beginning to show up is the heater box filing with water and weting the d/s floor mats it's the a/com drain pipe blocked so keep a eye on that one mk2 and mk3. Jeff
Just finished to do that. In my case was just one side wet, the other one dry. I remove the 2 bungs anyway and the 2 insulation pads as they are useless when the amount of water coming in is so much. I hope thats the end of the problem. Thanks a lot for the video mate
Just been under my car, omg the amount if water that came out., I'm am soaked. Haven't even tried the insulation yet. Have had the back seats down into the footwell to stop them getting soaked. Thank you. I can't afford not to have a car and cant afford new one right now
Thank you for the video. I watched the first one as well. I just finished mine today, I broke a few clips but it's done, hopefully no more water and dump smell in my car
Thanks for this video. My car's had a lot of condensation on the windows and I was wondering where it was coming from, I've now checked the boot and it's flooded so I'll be trying this out.
Same with mine,2012 iam very annoyed with Ford.
found the same problem, but the "service department" at my local Ford dealers, was quick to tell me that i was wrong and its not a common fault.. was passionate about my focus, always been a Ford guy, but cant wait to get rid of it now.
Yup. It seems to be a great car for the first couple of years.
Spot on diagnosis, been stumped for a couple of months. Quick fix and do a full cure in dry weather
Well done, glad to have helped.
Just had bumper off today and sealed the four vents. This is my third mk3 Focus so I guess i was lucky with first two. Ive seen other videos where water leaks in in multiple places around the boot. Ford really need bringing to justice for this absolute shambles.
I had this problem last year and again its starting now with the wet weather so I'm going to do this thank you
I have just found this issue - damp in the boot and water congregating in spare wheel well and sides of boot. I just went to my local Ford dealer, who quoted me £600 for 6 hours' work - to strip down the bumper, fix the vents, and check the floors in the rest of the car for water. I don't think water has penetrated past the boot - although that's only my gut-feeling. They had two other cars in their garage that they were looking at with the exact same problem.
I suggested this quick fix shown here to the mechanic there today - he said best not do this as these two reservoirs would then fill up with muck from road-spray. However my Focus is now 7 years old and I don't want to be spending hundreds of pounds on an ageing car.
Your quick fix - as well as wrenching those two plugs out, is it worth me pulling out the foam like you are doing, or just leave it there - the foam might help soak up the muddy water that will spray up into these reservoirs anyway shouldn't they?
Are you saying that water fills up these two reservoirs and then when the car is driven around corners/over speed humps etc, the water spills out from holes in the walls of the reservoir, and down into the boot area?
But I agree - Ford should be paying for fixing this issue on all their faulty cars. I will not buy another Ford I don't think.
Hi Rhodri, yes the cavities fill up slowly over time, then spill into the boot and slowly fill up the wheel well. When there is too much water in there, it can then spill forward under the rear seat, and then into the main floor pan of the car.
Taking out the bungs may allow a little dirt / grime in there, but I'm not worried about that. It's probably no worse than the dirt & grime everywhere else around the chassis and bottom of the car, and the inside of the cavities are painted, so it shouldn't rust any faster than anywhere else. I would recommend pulling out the white sound insulation though, otherwise it will sit wet forever, wicking moisture in and upwards.
For a 7 year old car (as mine is now too), that strikes me as a perfectly good solution.
@@adpsimpson Hello, since you removed them plugs your car is still damp ?
No more damp since removing them.
@@adpsimpson has this issue ever been reported in car-related media? I yesterday sent a message to Ford UK via Facebook. They replied to me this morning telling me to take the car to my local Ford dealership - which I had done yesterday, and where two other Focuses were being looked at with exactly the same problem. I'm just wondering if Ford are acknowledging this bad design?
Thanks for this. I've been going mad with the amount of condensation and the damp smell on my 2012 Focus over the winter and only recently found my spare wheel well full of water. I'll try this workaround while I wait for my new car (which isn't going to be a Ford) to come from the factory.
Edit: removed the bungs this morning, it was very easy to do, and water poured out immediately. Hopefully once I dry out the spare wheel well it'll be the last time I have to do it.
Did this work? My car is exactly the same???
@@HFHgreenshurricanesHFHFCU17 It helped, but did not solve the problem completely. Water still pooled in the spare wheel well, just a little bit less. I ended up selling the car in the end.
@@JohnMcLusky thanks for the reply. I'll give it a go.
@Halton Hornets Greens & Hurricanes / HFH U15's there's 2 bungs under the spare wheel in your boot ,if you take them out also it should solve the problem . Had exactly the same problem . If you take the wheel out of your boot so it's to the metal you'll see 2 round plugs that pop out with a bit of force ,hope it helps
@@Maw2025 thanks, I put it in the garage and got it sorted. £200 later but it's done now - and dry!! 🙏
Just opened the bungs on both sides of my 2011 focus. Loads of water came out. Hoping this will be the end to water in my car. Thanks for the video :D
Happy Christmas from Ford!
Lawson Baxter
3 minutes ago
Same problem but different cause. On your other video at 1min 36sec you will see a welding line between the roof/rear lid and the side. The welding had come apart slightly and much of the water pouring off the roof and onto the rear lid as you describe was then coming through this crack in the welding and into the car. I used all weather sealant to fix it.
Oh thank you so much for this fix. I opened my boot to tidy it today and found water in the wheel well just as you describe. Pulled both bungs and so much water came out.Now it's been a few months since you uploaded this brilliant video. In that time have you any more problems with the water. I am thinking of maybe making some kind of cover to go over the hole left by the bung to stop splashes going in as I drive but still allow drainage. Thanks again FDO....
I wouldn’t bother filling holes with anything. The amount of water you’ll get in there will be minimal unless you drive through rivers.
did you keep having the problem after pulling the bungs out?
@@joviatesc I did mine last Dec and it’s been dry ever since.
@@bottletree33 thanks for answering mate. i hope stays dry
Thanks mate , have spent pretty much every weekend scooping out the water with a sponge and cup . Weather in Surrey has been naughty.
Ford is out of order cutting cost , I’ve now had water overflow into the car and ruin the upholstery!
Need a recall on these models !
Thanks for your help and advice
Just done this now to my new 63 plate focus. Thought the damp smell was the dealer having just cleaned seats. But the amount of water in the tyre well was crazy. Just removed the bungs and insulation, loads of water came out. Was b*****D getting out as so wet but hopefully it works, cheers for the vid 👍
Thank you for this video it help me solve the problem in wifes car.henry ford would be ashamed off this if he was still alive today.
Thanks for the video, very helpful. I have now pulled out the rubber plug and lots of water, but I also used some black silicon seal around the top of the rear light fitting which now stops the water going down to the air vent but straight down and out via the rear bumper. Admit its only good until I need to change a bulb in the rear light and will then need to re seal but hey ho!
Thank you, I will check it out. It was driving me crazy why water leaks on the boot when ever it rains.
they should recall them come on ford sort it out
Top man thanks - just found this fault on the Mrs’s 2014 Focus, boot carpet so so bad had to bin it but have dried out and saved the rest. Bungs and insulation removed to dry out 👍
Glad to hear you found it. Your profile pic looks more exciting than a focus though!
@@adpsimpson lol sadly the old D1 has long gone, did me proud for a decade, now replaced with a (rebuilt) ‘99 Jeep XJ.
Nice. If you dig into my channel you'll see my history with two '93 hiluxes in Africa 😁
If your gonna overland then it’s got to be in a Toyota! 😉 (maybe followed by a 110 😂). The Cherokee has been the biggest pain of any truck I have had, luckily it’s a dedicated UK green laner only. I mean who the hell would have put 4 VM heads on a diesel Jeep 🤣
Apparently the saying in the Army is if you want to get there, you take a Landover. If you want to get back again too, you take a Toyota. They never mentioned taking a Jeep though!
Thank you so much. I spent the whole morning taking the boot apart to work out where the water is coming in. I should have looked here first! Ford, this is disgraceful. My Focus is 8 years old and I'm looking at replacing it - but after this it won't be with a Ford!
Mine has been to two garages who couldn't fix this. Mine is a MK2 focus and I don't want t take the bumper off as it is likely to be brittle with age so this was very handy. The left bung popped up inside as soon as a got a screwdriver under it and yes the wadding was soaked. On the right the bung had a cable going through it to the fog light, and this was split bit the wadding was bone dry, so fingers crossed this has fixed it.
I've got exactly that problem. Thankyou for explaining it. You are right. Ford should be ashamed.
Thanks - very helpful. Totally agree with your comments about Ford. I also have a problem with my car alarm going off randomly - and it can't be fixed / disabled / turned off easily! Poor
dead right mate, absolute botch up engineering. I would expect this on a 1970s escort, and i had two that leaked, but not with the technology today. Used japanese cars for years and never leaked a drop anywhere in the car, but buy a ford focus for a change and here we go again with a torch and a twenty towels. fkn disgusting. this should never happen in this day and age. good on you for showing it up
I had a Toyota Hilux a while ago, fantastic truck. So well designed, maintainable, and well constructed. Japanese for me too from here on.
Great video. Just came across my water filled boot. Google search and found your videos. Great help thank you 👍🏻
Good work. At least you've got the good weather to fix it now 👍
Great video, just sorted my 2014, fortunately water only got to spare wheel well fabric before I found this video, pulled plugs out and waited for a nice day! Only bottom parts of sound mat was wet so got lucky! The car only has 20K on it :-(
Having previously worked in automotive OEM I will add this, Ford don't have the monopoly in FFF ups like this, all manufacturers have the same issues. My BMW (2017), paint rubbing off in door shuts, weak radiator fin protection, leaking rear light clusters etc Let me shed a little light; Development cars are very expensive, CAD / CAM systems reduced the need to make development vehicles, if the manufacturers could only CAD / CAM they would however they can't. CAD / CAM does not allow for design FFF ups like this however there is then the immortal term 'cost benefit'. IF you can get the cars out of the warranty period happy days, yes social media will allow us to rant but do they really listen? Because high mileage test cars complete the 'mileage' note mileage NOT age test quickly they will not show age wear, for the older people reading this Metro front wing rusting. They all did it from launch to 1990 facelift, without the mud of 4 years rammed up in there no high mileage test car would show it however when I discussed this with the engineer responsible the term cost benefit was raised. Guess what, the cost of putting arch liners in was undercut by the potential corrosion claims, normally second owner, no full service history etc, harsh but true.
So nothing has really changed in many years!!!
did you keep having the problem after pulling the bungs out?
Thanks for that Andrew. BTW, very helpful vid. And I agree with you... how can a company as big as Ford allow this to continue with no recompense for owners? I'll steer clear in future.