Inspection and warranty
The inspection primarily checks the condition and function of the components that are important for the reliability and safety of your car. If necessary, worn parts are replaced.
Already after 20,000 km, under poor conditions, noticeable wear can appear in the brake system, wheel suspensions, tires and steering, which remains invisible to the driver. Thus, regular maintenance not only keeps your car running but above all serves your own safety.
Ford recommends checking the reliability of the Focus every 15,000 km with an oil change at the same time. You need to drive your Focus for inspection after 45,000 km of run.
Those who drive lightly should still schedule an annual oil change.
If you are driving a new Focus or have recently changed the engine, be sure to follow the prescribed maintenance intervals and avoid doing any work yourself. Ford will only honor valid warranty claims if the maintenance work is carried out in a contract workshop
Your Focus cannot be completely without a workshop - for example, with regular maintenance. At least in cases where the warranty period for a new or used car has not yet expired. Your Focus is covered by a 1-Year Unlimited Mileage Universal Car Warranty as if it were new. The warranty against through corrosion of the body is given by Ford for 12 years.
After the expiration of the new car warranty, a second year certificate of protection - up to a maximum of 50,000 km - provides assistance in case of damage to all important units. From the second to the fourth year, there is a commitment up to a maximum of 100,000 km. For the first twelve months of your Focus's life, Ford provides a mobility guarantee through its full range of services, including a customer service hotline, towing service, hotel and car rental.
Thereafter, the promise of mobility continues within Ford's service strongholds.
Do not forget to accurately formulate the order in the workshop
If you don't have time to work yourself, lack experience or expensive special tools, you can't do without a workshop. In order to avoid possible troubles, already at the next visit to the workshop, consider the rules of the game and the tips given in the following review.
Contract workshop and independent workshop
You can choose which workshop to take your Focus to. In addition to contract workshops, independent workshops are also a good option. Most types of repairs there are carried out just as competently. Changing oil, installing new brake linings, brake discs, tires and bumpers is often even cheaper there. Please note that in any case, the workshop was a model enterprise and belonged to the guild of automobile specialists.
Focus on warranty must always be delivered to a contract workshop. This also applies to vehicle inspections and most types of machine repairs. But despite the warranty, simple damage to the body or varnish can be repaired on your own or in an independent workshop. If problems occur later with the repaired surface area, then you lose the right to the manufacturer's warranty.
Repair order only in writing
Make a list of the symptoms and deficiencies you have noticed in the car. Speak this list point by point in the workshop with the master or with his representative. Ask questions if you are unclear about something. Demonstrate defects directly on the car.
Formulate repair orders precisely: for general orders, for example, «prepare for verification in T (jV» or «make for vacation» contradictions are simply programmed. For example, when you have to pay for work that, in your opinion, was not needed.
Always place repair orders in writing. The work to be performed should be as accurately outlined as possible in the order. Let the workshop give you a confirmation of the received order.
In order not to lose the gift of speech, find out in advance the cost of repairs
Find out the estimated cost of labor and material before ordering a repair. Set a limit on the cost of possible additional work required. If the amount of repairs and costs are not precisely predetermined, then you must tell the workshop your own limit on the cost of the repair.
Find out the estimated cost of diagnostics. For example, if your car uses too much gas, or if your engine is hard to start, if your engine runs rough, or if you hear strange noises in your tires, then diagnosing the problem is sometimes more expensive than repairing it. Therefore, set a price limit for fault diagnosis as well.
Leave your phone number in the workshop so that you can ask questions. The call may be in the event that the repair is more extensive or expensive than stipulated. Additional agreements should also be recorded in writing.
For extensive repairs, ask the workshop to give you a written estimate of the costs, which will show you what costs you have to take into account. As a rule, a reputable workshop makes a preliminary estimate only when you then make a repair order to the workshop. The workshop bill for unforeseen work should exceed the preliminary cost estimate by a maximum of 15-20%.
Up to 30% cheaper - special parts - service offers
If your Focus is getting old, it's worth checking out special offers on parts sales and service. Workshops, and not just those under contract with Ford, often offer service packages that include original parts at a reduced price, in which case you can easily save up to 30%. Ask your dealer, for example, about car demolition promotions.
If you need to replace the entire unit, then the first choice should not be a new part. Find out where prepared and certified exchange parts are available. They are cheaper for comparable quality. The parts to be exchanged are the engine, fuel injection system, gearbox, clutch, alternator, starter and water pump.
Changing the oil in a workshop or at a gas station is expensive, as they will fill you with the most expensive oil on the price list. Ask for cheaper grades of oil with the same specification - as a rule, Focus will work just as well in it.
Checking the account together with the master of the workshop
After a repair, check with your tradesman or customer service consultant the bill of your workshop. Let them explain misunderstood abbreviations and terms.
In the invoice, such items as payment for work, material and value added tax should be separately deciphered. You can file a claim for errors in the invoice within six weeks after the invoice has been issued.
Timely complaint of defective repairs
You must file a claim for defective repairs as soon as possible. The workshop must be responsible for its work for six months (guarantee). If damage occurs to your vehicle as a result of unprofessional repairs, you can claim damages from the workshop.
If you have already noticed the first flaws upon receipt of the car, the workshop, despite this, can issue an invoice for the repair in full. In this case, note on the invoice that your payment is only subject to reservation and on demand.
The complaint should be stated in a business conversation with the master. If disagreements are not resolved on the spot, then free arbitration of the Automobile Specialists' Guild will help - provided that your workshop is a member of the guild. You can obtain arbitration addresses, for example, from your car club or ZDK eV, Franz-Lohe-Str. 21, 53129 Bonn.
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