Is Ford liable for the clutch on my new Focus failing after 16,500 miles?
The clutch on my new Ford Focus failed after only 16,500 miles (20 months). Ford Customer Relationship Centre say "no defective part" and blame me for "riding the clutch". We may not be the best clutch users but got nearly 90,000 from previous Focus, same driving conditions. Is there a claim for being unfit for purpose? They refer to manufacturers warranty which is a measly 6000 miles or six months. When I asked for the old clutch I was told I would have to pay extra as Ford impose a surcharge on non-returned clutches. They want them back for refurbishment.
Take the Ford dealer to Small Claims for the full cost of the clutch. (Warn him beforehand that this is what you propose to do.) See: www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/overview/ This is an extremely common failure on the Ford Focus 1.0T EcoBoost due to poor design. For many more examples to make your case, see: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/ford/focus-2011/?sec.../ and: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/ford/focus-2014/?sec.../
Answered by Honest John on