The Focus led the charge in Ford Motor Companys vehicle line overhaul that began in the late 1990s and well into 2010. Drawing many design and engineering cues from similar vehicles in the European automotive market, most specifically BMW and Mercedes Benz, the German influence in the Focus design is easy to discern. Unfortunately, due to the far lower price point, the Focus does not come with the standard features and warranty benefits that owners of the higher end vehicles enjoy.
Design
The Ford Focus brake system is modeled after the brake system found on the BMW 3 series. While BMW service technicians are required to inspect and replace (if needed) brake pads and rotors at the 15,000 mile service checkup, Ford Motor Company only warranties brake pads and rotors due to wear for the first 12,000 miles. In a nutshell, the brake pads on a Focus are not designed to last as long as similar parts on a larger Ford car, such as the Taurus, or any of their SUVs or trucks.
Consumer Awareness
Most car salesman are taught to build value in the mind of the consumer in order to achieve a sale. Enlightening a potential customer to the fact they may need to replace their brake pads and rotors, out of their own pocket, at some point between the 12,000 and 20,000 mile marks is often seen as counterproductive by salesmen.
By simply informing the consumer that this cost will come up at some time within the life of the vehicles factory bumper to bumper warranty, the illusion that Focus brakes have something wrong with them could easily be avoided.
Warranty
Pages eight and nine of the 2002 Ford Focus warranty manual clearly state that Focus brake linings and pads are not covered under warranty, but rather are considered to be wear items that fall under the owners maintenance responsibilities. When the pad condition is ignored long enough, damage to the rotors will occur and this will also not fall under the new vehicle warranty.
Solution
A Focus owners best strategy for this is to have the brakes inspected by a qualified service technician at or about 10,000 miles, and every 5,000 miles thereafter. If the owner is servicing the vehicle under severe duty conditions, requiring 3,000 mile oil change intervals, the brake inspection should be requested every other oil change, coinciding with tire rotations.
