Matthew Smith

Ah right - a known problem then. Car feels fine - so far I hjave always had good service from my local Ford dealer (Evans Halshaw Hull East). They did this under warranty - no problem and very helpful all the way.

Yes - it was all sorted by the Ford dealer in half a day. The clutch feels just as good as it ever did. Does anyone think Ford should do a recall for this fault? The last thing you would want is for the clutch to stick during an emergency situation.

Maybe - just going what I've read on here as most people think that Spanish built Foci have the best paint match.

Magic 77 - spot on with that, Ford had a look this morning and have just rung to say its the master cylinder sticking. Got to order a part, so car is being taken back tomorrow.

Ford say that the Master Cylinder in the clutch is sticking and causing the fault. They are ordering the part and I have to take it back in tomorrow.

I'm sure I've read elsewhere in here that colour matching depends where your car was built. If your car is German then it will have a poor colour match as the factory is big and various parts of the car are painted at different times and in different points of the factory. Whereas if it is built in Spain then the colour match is spot on as the factory is smaller and is painted in one process. - apparently I've read in here that you can tell by looking at your VIN plate where its built - something to do with the letters. I checked mine and its Spanish built and the paint is fine. Its sti

It was an emergency stop that caused it. I was driving back and went past the studenty area and some BIG FAT BIRD decided she would stroll into my path (doing 30mph) and so I had to jam on. It was scary. The ABS kicked in and I stopped about an inch from her fat a*se. All I got for the trouble of braking and avoiding killing her or seriously maiming her for life was a load of abuse. I would have loved to have given some abuse back - but I couldn't speed off as I had no clutch and I was in a vulnerable spot - ie. I would have had a mob of people kicking me motor in! Yeah so next time la

Not too bad then - its booked in first thing tomorrow morning, so hopefully they will fix it rather than spending most of their time deciding what the problem is before they then tell me to book it in another day so they can fx it. Thanks for the reply.

Is it a big job to fix?

Top of my problems is the clutch pedal sticks when it has been pressed down.

No the clutch isn't stiff - it is just as free as it ever was. It just sticks in the down position and you have to pull it with your hand.

My clutch pedal sticks. When you have depressed the clutch is sticks and does not come back up. This I realised after having to brake to a halt quite suddenly - the clutch would not spring back up. I had to use brute force and pull it back up with my hand and it sprung back up (sounds a bit rude, but this is my clutch pedal). I can still drive it and depress it to its "natural" place, but if you exert just that little bit more force on it, the clutch moves down further and gets stuck. The clutch still feels ok and there is nothing obvious that is hindering it, ie. trapped on the carpet e

Its funny how the drivers side fits better than the passenger side. Its also strange how the dash fits better with the door at the passenger side than at the driver's side - ie. a much bigger gap between the dah and the door

Yes, paint match looks good IMO on the picture. I like the colour a lot. I'm sure you will be v pleased with it.

Says Saint Gobain on all windows.

No way will Haynes not bring out a new manual for Britain's most popular car - agree it will be coming out once the cars have been around a few years. It takes them time to take any new car apart and draw up a new book.

Yes, it's about halfway down. I think as well you can notice it on the front windscreen (mine is heated) along the edges. I think I will ignore it/live with it. I wouldn't want it replaced as I doubt they will ever be able to make it fit as good as the factory did.

A little niggle, but has anyone noticed that when looking through the rear window you can see a slight distortion in places caused by what must be a wobble in the glass? It's a bit like being in a hall of mirrors?!

Sounds good to me. For a limited time it looks like Ford are offering Diesels for the same price as the equivalent in petrol. Look at the Ford web site - make sure you get the free of charge connection pack which includes Advanced Bluetooth, Key free system and global close.

Agree with last comment. I can get into the high thirties and low forties if I drive it carefully. But thrash it and I get around 32 mpg. However, when the car is filled up and the computer reset I can get to about 50 mpg over the first 20 miles or so. I find that Shell petrol seems to give me a slightly better mpg.

I have just waxed my Machine Silver with Zymol wax (it's blue and smells of coconut). I was impressed by how easy it is to apply and buff off and I'm impressed with the shine. It is also good at hiding small surface marks and swirl marks.

Yes - there is a gap between the door and the dash on both sides, but it is certainly wider on the driver's side than the passenger side. It doesn't really bother me and I'm reassured this is a fairly common problem as opposed to just being my car.

I have a Focus 1.6 115 VCT Ghia due for its first 12,500 mile service. Have been quoted by an Evans Halshaw dealer for £169.95 + vat. I only used to pay about £110 on my old Mark 1.

I'd agree - the plastic does scratch, but hopefully not too much. I have to say that everyone remarks on how much they like the look of the car. Every passenger I take in the car comments on its smoothness and the comfort of the ride. It also drives really well. The harder you push it, the better it handles. True, there are faults on it. But they are insignificant compared to the many plus points.

How well do other people's swivel badges for unlocking the bonnet fit?