Focus ST170 - things to look out for

One thing that's prone to break is the Dual Stage inlet manifold that's expensive to fix. A plastic lug which snaps off resulting in a metalic grinding noise that comes from the solenoid that is bolted to the bulkhead. You have to replace the whole manifold assembly IIRC.

But a quick google and there appears to be a cheaper fix :)

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56157

It has a cable running to it, that lifts above 6k revs a tamer VTEC system.

Lambda sensors have a habit of breaking.

Don't expect a consistent 170BHP from each car. Get him to test drive a couple.

I believe engine code AL was the latest that fixes a couple of niggly issues from cold.

Only thing that went wrong with mine in two years of ownership was the ICV.
 
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dannyjo22 said:
Every single ST170 I drove when we were looking for one a few years ago had an absolute shocking gearbox. You might as well have been booting the gear changes into place with your foot.

One dealer that tried to fob me off with this being how the car was supposed to be said don't change gear under 3000 rpm because the cars not built for low rev gear changes. How I laughed.

I liked the car other than that. A guy I used to work with took his new one back after a couple of months because of the crap gear change and took a massive hit just to get rid.
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Strange. I think the st170 has a fantasticly precise gearbox. Never had a missed gear or even a grind in 2 years of use. Clutch can be a little heavy but not overly so
 
Just an update, thanks for all the help, noticed a few of the faults on some we looked at but managed to find one that seems to be free from all the common faults.

IMG_2497.jpg


2004 04 with 45k on the clock
Climate Control/Xenons/Heated front screen
Full Ford Service History

Could do with a little more power, but for the price he paid it was a bargain.
 
I actually quite like these, and that is a gorgeous colour. Pity about the insurance and fuel consumption - they're way off my radar.

Will you be allowed to drive it or are you relegated to your own Focus? Wouldn't mind seeing it at a meet (if I ever make it to one). :)
 
Just watch for the clutch pedal getting liquid on it. Common fault with the master cylinder leaking down the clutch pedal from what I remember from the ffoc forums (I have a standard 2.0 and am in the owners club to help with some problems I had when I first bought it)

Imperial blue is the best colour and it looks in great nick. Another niggle is the boot can start to rattle. Just wrap some electrical tape round the pin for the latch and replace when neccesary! :)
 
Looks can be deceiving, or maybe i just picked up a bad egg.....

I purchased a 02 plate ST170 2 years ago, has to have been the worst purchase i have ever made, owned it for a year and ended up trading it in for something else.

All was ok for the first few months, then things just started going wrong, apart from the need to own shares in your local petrol station, and expect it to eat through the front tyres twice in a year, quite a number of things went wrong on it, running into hundreds of pounds.

As someone else has mentioned the intake system on it needed replacing, the cat stuffed itself, replacement carb, injectors, i could go on......and dispute it being a ford everything you needed to do to it cost a fortune.

Hope that your old man has picked a good one, but from my own experience i would never buy one again.
 
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