Used 2005 Ford Focus Consumer Reviews
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An Often Overlooked Performer
Michael Mo, 05/17/2010
2005 Ford Focus ZX4 ST 4dr Sedan (2.3L 4cyl 5M)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
The ST is really a hidden gem in the Focus family. With 151 hp it's not exactly a "hot hatch" like the SVT but it's no slouch either. It's very well designed; I'm six feet tall and I have enough head/leg room, more than in some mid size cars. The front buckets are very comfortable and five years on it's been a model of reliability. In heavy city driving mileage has been about 22, not too bad given the car never feels short on power above 3000 rpm. The dash is pretty cheap, the lack of rear headrests annoys and one can't call this a quiet car. Every time I drive something else though I always miss my Focus's driving position and driver connectivity. For me that's worth the ST's minor faults.
not bad so far
Craig, 01/05/2010
2005 Ford Focus ZXW SE 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
I am the 3rd owner of this Focus wagon and bought it for mpg and interior space. Best mileage was 34 hwy and worst was 22 city mpg. I average about 27 mpg. Only problem was a rear door latch failed which was recalled and inspected long before I bought it. Ford refused to reimburse me and it cost me $350 to have it replaced. There are a few interior rattles, especially in winter.
2005 Ford Focus for sale near you
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- ZX4 S SedanMSRP: $5,550255 mi away
- ZX4 S SedanMSRP: $5,997322 mi away
- ZX4 SES SedanMSRP: $4,995466 mi away
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Ford Focus 2005 Automatic transmission
Veva, 03/12/2010
2005 Ford Focus ZX4 S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
17 of 18 people found this review helpful
Nothing but problems with the automatic transmission, I have put approx. $3000.00 in transmission, today the car will not go in drive over 10 mph. I can drive the car in 2nd gear not over 30 mph. I am today trying to find a garage to have my car towed to. This car is not paid off and I am constantly putting money into. And making a monthly payment, I have had this Ford for 4 years and it has made me a nervous wreck to drive. The throttle cable catches all the time, the worst part with the transmission is you are traveling at 50 mph and the transmission will go into low gear, or neutral when someone behind you is going 50 mph. Not safe on the interstate
Fifi
djd7241, 04/12/2011
2005 Ford Focus ZX4 SES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
21 of 23 people found this review helpful
I named her Fifi. It's short for Felicia Ford Focus. For a car that I am so often complimenting, she needed a name. Pushing 77000 miles and my only only problem EVER was an air bag light that came on and was fixed under warranty. I've gone through a couple sets of tires though. It's a respectable looking car but nothing exciting. It's a little louder than some other cars out there, but nothing unbearable. It's got some serious pep and corners amazingly. Took a 1200 mile trip this past may, cruise set at 90-95, A/C on full blast and pretty much everything I own in the back seat and trunk, I still got close to 29mpg. It may not seem great, but I was sure impressed. Great Auto Trans.
Believe
Believer, 10/17/2009
2005 Ford Focus ZXW SE 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
Bought this wagon used with 32000 miles. It has 52k now. Really a great car for the $$. Maintenance is a breeze, very accessable oil filter, I hand screw on and off. Get 32-34 mpg hwy and 24-26 city. Wagon is great for hauling stuff, I could sleep in if economy totaly folds ;-) It's like a mini minivan/suv that gets 30+ mpg on hwy. Around town easy to park. Don't understand the bad reviews from others but they had bad experiences....I had a 1991 escort before this.....got 200,000 miles on it, and it was still running great when I traded in on this Focus.....Ford is the leader in Europe and Brazil on Fuel effeciency and they sell tons in those countries. I'm a believer.
Great Car
colorsendinink, 06/03/2011
2005 Ford Focus ZX4 SE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
My family bought this car new in 2004, and its given us very few problems since then. After making the mistake of buying a 1996 cavalier ( died after 4 months of driving with 78000 total miles)...me and my dad made a deal where i would make the down payment on his new car, and i would get his 2005 focus. best descion i've made. since 2004, we've only replaced the brakes once, which was last year, replaced sway links, and we had a minor electrical problem with the windows. the car works great in our buffalo winters, and currently has 150,000 miles and still drives great.
220,000 Miles and still starts right up!
Shadow2450, 08/07/2018
2005 Ford Focus ZX3 S 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I bought this car back when i was in highschool my senior year used for a fairly good price, now since im looking into getting something else I thought I would share my experience with my focus and I want to start out by saying I loved it. I have the 5 speed manual transmission and while theres not much power under the hood its still very fun to change the gears and hear the little car go. reliability is nothing short of amazing. when I purchased the car It had close to about 80,000 miles on it. the only issue that left me stranded was an alternator that needed to be replaced at around 160,000 miles. small things such as the mass airflow sensor ar about 195,000 miles and the rear wiper motor at 215,000 miles. I live in the northeast so I have my fair share of terrible winters, but if you throw on a set of good snow tires the traction is nothing short of great! I would be on the highway on my way to work passing jeep wranglers and other AWD cars because of the confidence I had in my car. I am beyond happy with my focus and I think its nothing short of an excellent car to own.
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Great college car
no noburt, 08/20/2015
2005 Ford Focus ZX4 S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
20 of 22 people found this review helpful
Im in college. I was gifted this car. It was the bare bones model. It had an engine and tranny with the stock radio. The manual windows and locks were annoying but they worked. I replaced the radio and drove from 88K to 120K until i was rear ended and totaled. It gave me 0 mechanical problems. It ran and had A/C. It was great. It looked like shit(due to previous owner) but it got me everywhere with no problems. It was loud when going 80 on the turnpike but I didnt care. I had a radio to listen to. My passengers dealt with the the rear seats so I cant vouch for them. Comfortable, fun, great steering, great brakes, good mpg, good on tires. Would buy again
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Electrical system sucks
Terry, 01/08/2016
2005 Ford Focus ZX3 S 2dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
31 of 35 people found this review helpful
I bought the car used. The battery light came on intermittently. The dome lights and signals would go on for no reason in the middle of the night. I went through 3 batteries in less than 5 years. The electrical issues became worse as time progressed. It was determined that the "cluster" was bad. There was an unidentifiable drain on the battery that got to the point that a brand new battery was burnt out in a matter of months. When a new battery was installed, the car was dead the next morning. Getting rid of the ghost in the electrical system would be a costly repair -- more than the car is worth. My mechanic found that these cars are notorious for electrical/cluster problems.
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Bang for your buck
dumbblonde8, 08/21/2010
2005 Ford Focus ZX5 SE 4dr Hatchback (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
Bought this car because my family has always bought Fords, and I have been impressed with it 4 years later. It's a dream for maintenance. I've NEVER had to had anything major done to it, just the oil and filters changed. I rallied the crap out of it too and nothing has happened. I hadn't gotten a wheel alignment since I bought the thing and just recently got one (yeah, been kinda broke lol) and it was BARELY out of alignment. Doing home maintenance on it is so easy a caveman can do it. The Hatchback gives plenty of room. All in all a very sporty car. HIGHLY recommend.