2014 Focus ST estate "catastrophic" engine failure

2014 Focus ST estate "catastrophic" engine failure

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Discussion

cradock

Original Poster:

35 posts

117 months

Saturday 17th December 2022
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Hello, I've owned a 2014 Focus ST estate since May, its on about 65k miles so not especially leggy and is (was) in generally decent condition.

However, I noticed an evil smell and lots of white smoke from the exhaust recently. Temperature all over the place, and an intermittent loss of power. Upon taking it home and filling up the coolant tank, it leaked straight out (though not onto the drive).

Initially I suspected it was a failed head gasket, but the specialist to whom I took it now tells me it is a "catastrophic failure of the block, probably between pistons 2 and 3". The upshot is a quote of around £6.5k for a new engine! not quite the xmas present I'd hoped for...

I'd always understood that the Ford 2L focus ST engine was pretty strong, so is this a known fault? and is £6.5k a fair ballpark? (Ford themselves were quoting nearer 9k for the new engine), and finally, is it worth replacing or am I better of selling it for scrapage and finding something else?

Any thoughts would be most welcome - I've never owned a Ford before, but sense that there may be a pretty big knowledge base on here so any advice would be awesome.

Thanks in advance

sherman

13,834 posts

222 months

Saturday 17th December 2022
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Google Ecoboom.

cradock

Original Poster:

35 posts

117 months

Saturday 17th December 2022
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Oh dear! that's not a fun read... thanks for the pointer. so not as bulletproof as I'd thought!


Zetec-S

6,260 posts

100 months

Monday 9th January 2023
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Probably a bit late with this, but if you're on Facebook get on the Mk3 ST/RS owners group, they'll probably have some good advice.

£6.5k seems a bit steep vs what others seem to have paid.

sherman

13,834 posts

222 months

Monday 9th January 2023
quotequote all
£2k for a new engine. 2nd hand probably cheaper
The rest will be labour. I supose its down to how much the garage wants the work.

BillyWhizz888

936 posts

160 months

Wednesday 11th January 2023
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Had one in past and looked at a mountune one that was for sale in Derby.

It had a 3.5k bill for engine rebuild been done for a melted no1 piston. Read up on it and turns out it's a very common problem if been overboosted ect can melt the pistons. One I looked at looked thrashed so walked gast away

Hub

6,573 posts

205 months

Friday 3rd March 2023
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Zetec-S said:
Probably a bit late with this, but if you're on Facebook get on the Mk3 ST/RS owners group, they'll probably have some good advice.
Even later here, but yes there is I think someone on there that rebuilds them.

Ecoboom refers to the 1.0 ecoboost.

The 2.0 is a very reliable engine. There's two things that seem to do this - one is modifying with too much power without uprating the engine internals/forging etc, and the second is flooring it at low speed & low revs, ie from say 30-40mph in 6th gear or something.