Diesel Ford Focus

captainladypants

Oh no! Done one of those check things where you send a text and its come through as damage category D-this doesn't mean a thing to me but i'm not getting it. Never mind, plenty more fish in the sea!!

benham3160

captainladypants wrote: »

Oh no! Done one of those check things where you send a text and its come through as damage category D-this doesn't mean a thing to me but i'm not getting it. Never mind, plenty more fish in the sea!!

If it's cheap enough and looks straight, I wouldn't worry at all about cat-D. My own car could be made "Cat-D" if I claimed on the insurance for the cracked rear bumper. All it genenerally means is that it's a light repair, but the cost for a full OE compliant job outstrips the worth of the vehicle. £500 to repair a £500 Focus.... Easier for the insurers to declare total loss.

Put it this way, you can legally not repair a catagory D vehicle and just drive it happily for many years.

Regards,
Andy

Quinny_2

Someone with sense who's taken the trouble to do an HPI type check, therefore saving miles of potential grief later.

Well done.

Always remember, that if something appears to be to good to be true, it usually is.

benham3160

Quinny wrote: »

Someone with sense who's taken the trouble to do an HPI type check, therefore saving miles of potential grief later.

Well done.

Always remember, that if something appears to be to good to be true, it usually is.

But this is catagory D, it's not been in a "big" accident. Could just be a parking nudge. I should think a fair proportion of older vehicles with have a catagory D marker. It basically means a light repair, but cost of repair exceeds vehicle book worth.

For example, say this Focus had a claim for a new bumper.
Car worth £1000.
Cost to put a Ford bumper on, respray bumper, blend to body etc, £1900.

Insurer writes the vehicle off as total loss, catagory D.

Owner buys car back for £100, fits a £50 scrap yard bumper.

Has a VIC check carried out, and continues to legally drive it, and is free to transfer it.

Regards,
Andy

kolin_2

i've got an 03 ford focus Tddi, done 133,000 miles, was an old police car, it's been thrashed by them and even crashed into a building. I've never had any real problems with it, the police have taken pretty good care of it, and the dealers i bought it off re-habiltate them all the time. Except the annoying pollen filter water leak, thats annoying. damn annoying. dont park it on a kerb with the drivers side raised when it's raining hard.

unless you pack some swimming gear.

boam

Some Focus years 2000/2001 have a fuel pump problem. go on google and type

"fuel pump focus 2000" you will see lots of threads.

I have been looking for weeks for a diesel focus locally, not found a decent one yet

captainladypants

Thanks for the advice and replies everyone!
I called my insurance company today just out of curiosity to see what classes as a category D and if I could get insured. Well what a pain in the bum! Contradicting advice from them (I spoke to a few different people and they said different things!!). The main outcome was that I would need to get a certificate from an engineer to say that the car was road-worthy, this would cost £175 plus VAT. The car is lovely, but I don't want the hassle and also when I come to sell it on I don't think it's going to look very appealing.
Glad I did the check as the gent selling it didn't know anything was wrong, he's now found out that the passenger door was damaged. I genuinely believe that he didn't realise anything was wrong with the car as he has now reduced it by £900!
So back to square one for the hunt for a car!!
Hope you don't mind me asking but what is the pollen thing??:)

iceblue24

captainladypants wrote: »

Hope you don't mind me asking but what is the pollen thing??:)

its the pollen filter located just below the windscreen on the passenger side. The rubber seal on the housing that holds it in perishes over time and lets the rainwater in. The mondeos have the same problem. I didnt know it affects the focuses as well

bigjl

kolin wrote: »

i've got an 03 ford focus Tddi, done 133,000 miles, was an old police car, it's been thrashed by them and even crashed into a building. I've never had any real problems with it, the police have taken pretty good care of it, and the dealers i bought it off re-habiltate them all the time. Except the annoying pollen filter water leak, thats annoying. damn annoying. dont park it on a kerb with the drivers side raised when it's raining hard.

unless you pack some swimming gear.

I would assume the Police have a similiar attitude to major repais as the Ambulance Service, when it is hit hard they tend to just get it reshelled, we have had loads of Zafiras reshelled, if the engine and box is damaged they tend to write them off.

This makes Police cars strabgely safe in this respect, also if they do repair damaged cars, they always get them done to factory specs, I would have no problem owning and criving an ex Police car that had been in a bump. Even a hard one, for the above reason.

Good cheap motoring.

kolin_2

boam wrote: »

Some Focus years 2000/2001 have a fuel pump problem. go on google and type

"fuel pump focus 2000" you will see lots of threads.

I have been looking for weeks for a diesel focus locally, not found a decent one yet

seriously, check look for ex police cars. They're virtually all diesel, and theres plenty around.

if you dont mind a white car that is.