2003 Ford Focus consumer reviews

This is for the Station Wagon version. (2003 Ford Focus SE) Excellent room for driver and passenger. Back seat had decent legroom. The storage you get while folding the back seat down is perfect for hauling light bulky items. The roof racks (if equipped) are great for hauling hear as well. Light on the road, excellent handling in all weather conditions. Minimal blind spots. Prefect for someone beginning to drive or wanting a small car with substantial storage.

This vehicle has very low mileage. It also has a lot of room due to the hatchback and fold-down seats. Feels very secure on the road. Great for commuting to and from work, long road trips, and even family travel.

i love my car it is so great I love the feel of the drive and the roar of the engine perfect car for me!

I bought this car used when I was 17 for $700 and had 125,000 miles on it we put about $500 dollars into it, and I still love this car 6 years later! It has been smashed into a gaurdrail doing 80, she's banged up but still drives like nothing happened with a bit of body work. I have had some dumb things here and there that have needed fixing but nothing major. My husband drives this car 3 hours 5 days a week and it's super reliable! Only complaint is the door handles suck and break constantly but that's nothing big.

I got my first '03 in '07, with 50,000 miles on it as our family car. Since then, we've put 170,000 miles on it and recently blew the head gasket. 220,000 miles and everything else was working fine except some dead display pixels in the radio. The manual transmission was as solid as the day we got it. We replaced a set of shocks all the way around, a radiator, an alternator and a fan. Otherwise, it was just normal oil changes and TIRES. For whatever reason, this model eats through tires. But it's a trade-off we were willing to make for something that has been so solid. The second we bought two years ago with 106,000 on it. An automatic, it's not quite as much fun to drive, but it's still reliable and solid, just as expected. Im currently up to 146,000 on it with no repairs at all since we've owned it. I have really been impressed with the Focus. So much so that we just bought our *third* this week; a '13. :)

I bought my 2003 Focus ZTS sedan new over 11 years and 100,000 miles ago. It is still a fun, zippy, reliable car. The paint has held up well and all systems are working like new. . The downfall of this car has been tires. Make sure they are good tires inflated exactly right or you'll experience vibration problems. It handled horribly in snow but after investing in snow tires, it is a beast. I've been very careful about regular maintenance, I get the oil changed every 3000 miles with a synthetic blend oil. Throughout the years I have had to replace 1 motor mount, the battery, a shock, and repaired a minor oil leak. The coil springs broke just after the extended warranty on them, admittedly after my husband took my car way too fast over rough railroad tracks. The radio/CD player now has a mind of its own concerning volume control. My Focus gets about 25 mpg overall which is great considering my lead foot and nearly 2 dozen stoplights on my route to work. This has been a very reliable and zippy, fun to drive car. I bought it the year my first grandchild was born and it very well may be his 1st car *if* I can part with it.

I have 140000 on this car and only things wrong with it is a vibrating that some say is a motor mount and needs an idle air control valve. Other than that just the usual stuff.

When I first made the decision to purchase a used car, I went for dream car. Working with the family mechanic, boy did he open my eyes, I quickly changed my mind and adjusted my search criteria. My criteria for car purchase included cost of insurance, MPG and availability of car parts. I knew I wanted a station wagon type vehicle as I have a large dog. As someone recently separated, I was on a serious budget so having something with relatively low-cost insurance was a major plus (only $300 every six months). I happened to drive a different Ford Focus wagon and liked the feel. Figuring out when the various car auctions took place, I made sure to scope the various dealer inventories and lucked into a 2003 model. Best purchase I've made ever (ok, so far). This car had 120k+ miles on it. Despite having to do some repair work on it (wear and tear/age related), this car still gets 28 mpg. I have low insurance because it's a station wagon and not an SUV. Car parts are relatively easy to find as it's a Ford and not a particularly special model. And I haven't even gotten to the a/c, which for a model of this age, works fantastic. This is one of those vehicles that will be driven into the ground because it can be. It was a great purchase from a good dealer and there are at least two other family members also interested in a similar model. Like a TARDIS, while this car looks small, it IS bigger on the inside. I've managed to transport 5 people (2 of whom were more than 200 pounds) along with a fully loaded cargo space with minimal effort. The only thing I do wish is for a bit more leg room in the back. As someone with long legs, I have my front seats all the way back, which does make it difficult for the long-legged folks to sit in back.

This is actually the second Focus I've owned. The first was a Focus 4 door ZTS that I owned for almost a year before giving it to my wife before we split up. Comfortable, drove well, plenty of room. The only issue I had with it was it wasn't the best in inclement weather. Rain or snow. Even with new tires. The ZX3 that I own now so far has been the same. Comfortable, drives well, plenty of room even though it's a two door. With the rear seats folded down there was as much cargo space as I used to have in my Jeep Cherokee. Of course with the seats down only two people can ride in the vehicle at that point. So that's the trade off. Gas mileage is awesome. Right now I'm getting about 27 MPG and that's about 90 percent city driving.

Pluses- nice egonomics for teenage daughter, easy to park, room for 5 teenage girls, power windows/locks and remote. Great milage Negative-this model does not have anti lock brakes or automatic lights. Insurance went up. I have the 2.0 engine that might have a valve seat come loose and wreck engine (years 2000-04). Keeping fingers crossed on that.