Used car guide

2016 Ford Focus: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2016 Ford Focuss, from 63,324 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

63,324MOT tests in 2025
77%pass first time (all 2016 cars: 75%)
7,700typical miles a year
4.1×the usual rate for side repeaters

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2016 Ford Focuss than on all cars registered in 2016.

  • Side repeaters4.1× usual
    Ford Focus
    2.9% All 2016 cars
    0.7%
    Rough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Tyre pressure monitoring system2.4× usual
    Ford Focus
    2.9% All 2016 cars
    1.2%
    Rough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges. Uneven wear can point to tracking or suspension problems.

  • Sub-frame2.3× usual
    Ford Focus
    2.1% All 2016 cars
    0.9%
    Rough price £300–£1,000

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

  • Position lamp1.8× usual
    Ford Focus
    2.5% All 2016 cars
    1.4%
    Rough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

Better than most

Shock absorbers: 1.6% here, against 4.3% of all 2016 cars. Coil springs: 1.8% here, against 4.1% of all 2016 cars.

By area

The share of 2016 Ford Focus MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    32% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    16% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    14% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Suspension
    14% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    5% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    2% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Known faults

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

  • Timing belt that runs in oil (1.0 EcoBoost)
    1.0 EcoBoost petrol

    The 1.0 EcoBoost’s timing belt sits in the engine oil. Missed or wrong-spec oil changes can make it break down and block the oil pickup, which can wreck the engine.

    At the viewing: Ask for a full service history with regular oil changes, and whether the timing belt has been changed when due.

    Source: Bumper: Ford Fiesta reliability guide

  • PowerShift automatic gearbox
    Automatic versions only

    Expert buying guides suggest avoiding the PowerShift automatic on this Focus. Early versions especially were troublesome.

    At the viewing: If it’s an automatic, ask for proof of gearbox fluid changes and test it in slow traffic for judder or hesitation.

    Source: Parkers: Ford Focus Mk3 buying guide

  • Broken front coil springs

    Front springs can snap. You may hear a clonk when turning the wheel.

    At the viewing: With the car stopped, turn the steering from lock to lock and listen for a clonk or twang. Springs should be replaced in pairs.

    Source: Parkers: Ford Focus Mk3 buying guide

  • Rattle from the flywheel

    A rattle as you switch the engine off can mean the dual-mass flywheel is failing, which is a big job alongside the clutch.

    At the viewing: Switch the engine off and listen for a rattle. Check the clutch doesn’t bite very high.

    Source: Parkers: Ford Focus Mk3 buying guide

Looking at a Ford Focus?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20218,521Tyres 27%
202030,344Tyres 30%
201953,319Tyres 30%
201847,246Tyres 31%
201763,270Tyres 32%
201574,174Tyres 35%
201472,213Tyres 36%
201370,325Tyres 36%
201264,331Suspension 40%
201159,423Suspension 44%
201049,593Suspension 49%
200948,664Suspension 51%
200839,015Suspension 54%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2016 Ford Focuss registered in 2016. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score