This is the insane story of a 2016 Ford Focus RS owner who had his engine lock up at only 20,000 miles. I cover the major defect with the Focus RS engine in detail and try to figure out how this horrible problem passed inspection at Ford. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to subscribe.
Big thanks to Stratified Auto for all the great info. Here is a link for them if you guys need performance work. They seem to really know their stuff.
http://stratifiedauto.com/blog/focus-rs-head-gasket-failure-mechanism/
Thanks to focusrs.org for a ton of good info as well. Here is that super long thread.
http://www.focusrs.org/forum/154-focus-rs-troubleshooting/49833-failed-leaking-head-gasket-resource-thread-260.html
Here a link for the diagnostic flow chart. http://www.focusrs.org/forum/16-focus-rs-performance/90673-ford-warranty-denial-guide-dealers-fyi-re-modifications.html
Big thanks to Stratified Auto for all the great info. Here is a link for them if you guys need performance work. They seem to really know their stuff.
http://stratifiedauto.com/blog/focus-rs-head-gasket-failure-mechanism/
Thanks to focusrs.org for a ton of good info as well. Here is that super long thread.
http://www.focusrs.org/forum/154-focus-rs-troubleshooting/49833-failed-leaking-head-gasket-resource-thread-260.html
Here a link for the diagnostic flow chart. http://www.focusrs.org/forum/16-focus-rs-performance/90673-ford-warranty-denial-guide-dealers-fyi-re-modifications.html
How disappointing. These cars look so cute.
Loved this format of presenting
Well at least they circled the problem.
Can someone please tell me what wheels are on this rs? I reverse image searched them but I still cant find them.
America's talk too much
This video harps on the negative. Though the vid is mostly speculation, the exact issue was identified. Ford did take care of the issue. They put out a full Field Service Action, (FSA) for the RSs in the specific build time-line for it. There was an identified issue that they used the wrong gasket (I believe for a very similar Mustang engine) and they identified the build time-line/which specific RSs were affected. At my free FSA check, the compression check was boarder-line but Ford didn't hesitate to offer the fix. Ford took responsibility and replaced HG at no cost to me, including free rental car.
Update: My 17 RS ran great but got an odd thing where the interior audio would cut out for a few moments when engine auto-stop at a red-light/stop sign. Ford took the car back and gave me a brand new 2018 RS. As said, the head gasket issue was on certain models/build time-lines; the 2018s did not have the HG issue as it was identified and addressed pre-build of the 18s.
My 2018 that I got brand new now (5 yrs later) has 45k miles on it and It’s been 100% reliable and runs as good as when I got it. I absolutely love it.
Also, I do get a bit of a Subaru fan boy/RS hater vibe with the vid host but who know ha. There's a portion of this vid that shows how exemplary a WRX head is, opposed to the RS head.. b/c we all know that Subarus never blow a head gasket 🤣.
The 18s are the ones to get if you get one. They're limited edition, have a limited slip differential that the prior years didn't have, and they didn't have the HG issue. I believe only 1,500 were built for the US for the 18s and they also put better shocks in to help improve the suspension from prior years. I've a buddy with an 18 RS with more miles than mine and we both have had no issues and they're running great.
Cheers! 😎
Fast forward to 2023. Wasn’t the issue just an incorrect head gasket installed at the engine plant? How complicated can it get. Wrong gasket…install correct gasket. Fixed.
It's amazing how all car manufactures release bad products.
I’ll tell you exactly what Ford was thinking how do we get more money into the executives pockets versus spending them on design development and engineering to build better cars?
I had a 2014 kia optima ex 2.4l and after 2 years the engine locked up and spent 3 months at the dealership under the lifetime powertrain warranty I picked it up early in the afternoon and by midnight I was the owner of a awesome looking brick that I sold to my neighbor for 500 bucks after spending 10k and months later kia emailed me saying the knock sensor that was installed by the used car dealership that I bought it from disqualified me from and money promised me by the lawsuit against kia not even to help pay for all the uber or nothing all they said was call Better Business Bureau I lost my job and now I stock shelves at Walmart across the street for 13hr my credit is trash now and over all life sucks lol
If only the ms3 came in and😒
The problem is the RS badge is missing the word….COSWORTH.
Years later it was just the wrong gasket that was put in from factory
5 years and nothings really changed that focus could have rolled off the assembly line today and fit right in.
In the end, what do you think Ford will do about this?