Ford Focus ST (Mk3)

A global hot hatch, honestly checked

The Ford Focus ST Mk3 was built from 2012 to 2018 and stood out as Ford's first truly global performance car. Our catalogue covers the 2012-2018 car with a 2.0L turbo (EcoBoost) inline-4 petrol, 247 bhp, 360 Nm, 0 to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds and a 248 km/h maximum, driven through the front wheels. We have not driven this model for this article. This is a desk-researched ownership guide drawing on the PistonHeads Mk3 ST used buying guide, Ford's technical specification material for the Focus ST and the DVSA recall service. One note on numbers before anything else. PistonHeads quotes 250 hp, 251 lb ft of torque, a 6.5 second 0-62 mph time and a 154 mph top speed. Those figures and ours describe the same basic car; the differences are mostly a mix of unit rounding, market specification and test conventions, but the torque is a real discrepancy: 251 lb ft is about 340 Nm, not the catalogue's 360 Nm. Treat 247 or 250 hp as one answer, and note that 154 mph converts to roughly 248 km/h.

The Mk3 replaced the characterful five-cylinder Mk2 with a smoother, more efficient 2.0 EcoBoost four. The estate body was added and the three-door dropped, with ST1, ST2 and ST3 trim levels. A facelifted car, often called the Mk3.5, arrived in late 2014, and factory-approved Mountune upgrades, most famously a 271 hp kit, were available from a well respected tuner. A 185 hp diesel joined the range in 2015, but this guide concentrates on the petrol car, which is the version our catalogue lists.

The EcoBoost engine and its known weak points

The 2.0 EcoBoost is tunable and generally robust, but the PistonHeads guide flags several patterns worth checking. Some early cars were recalled, in the United States at least, for an ignition loom fault. Poor splicing and the wrong wire gauge let the loom rub on the gearbox, causing erratic idling between roughly 400 and 1,300 rpm, stuttering on right-hand turns and, in the worst cases, the engine cutting out when the clutch was dipped. Check whether remedial work has been done on the car you are viewing, and do not assume every car received it. The pipe between the intercooler and the turbo has also been known to split, though that work was usually carried out under warranty.

There is a simple alternator test. With the engine running and the interior light switched on, watch whether the light flickers when you operate the headlights or the heated screen. Flicker points to a tired alternator. Ask about the cambelt; owners quote intervals of ten years or 125,000 miles, or alternatively 87,500 miles, and the sensible course is replacement before either figure arrives. Servicing is cheap for a car of this pace, with routine annual work reported at well under 300 pounds and even the dearest three-yearly major service under 370 pounds. The six-speed manual shifts well and the clutch is light. A limited-slip differential was never fitted, so the car relies on electronics to rein in wheelspin.

Traction, steering and suspension checks

Because there is no mechanical limited-slip differential, getting clean traction out of a bend can feel scrabbly, especially with a load on board. Pressing the traction control button once selects a Sport mode that helps, and the facelift cars received measures to reduce torque steer, but some wheel-hop is part of the deal in a near-250 hp front-driver. A stiffer rear engine mount is a well known, inexpensive fix that also tightens the gearchange, at the cost of a little extra vibration at idle.

The steering is very quick at two turns lock to lock, and the turning circle is poor, so low-speed manoeuvres deserve a proper test. Listen for a clonk or ping on full lock, which can indicate a broken front coil spring. Some early cars suffered steering racks that suddenly became very heavy at motorway speeds, a gearing issue specific to the ST that dealers rectified under warranty rather than through a full recall. Goodyear Eagle F1s were original fitment but many owners prefer Michelin Pilot Sport 3s. The ST is not tolerant of budget tyres, and rear noises that sound like wheel bearings are sometimes tyre-related. Out-of-true discs produce rumbling and juddering, cheap aftermarket brake parts abound, so inspect the brakes carefully and budget for quality replacements.

Bodywork, water and security

This type of car tends to be driven enthusiastically, so check hard for accident repair. Look at the panel gaps, the bonnet fit and the areas around the lights, all of which are excellent on an uncrashed car. Water ingress is the other recurring theme. It can appear in the boot around the wheel arch or in the spare wheel well, and in the non-sealed headlamps and high-level brake light. Ford issued a dealer bulletin on venting the headlights, which improved matters without fully curing them, and flickering daytime running lights are a known annoyance with software fixes that do not always resolve completely. Door seals can deteriorate over time and the air flaps in the front grille have been reported to stick.

Security matters more here than on many rivals. Keyless cars were targeted by relay theft, where criminals copied the key signal from outside the owner's house. A metal-lined signal-blocking pouch costs very little and removes that risk. There was a recall in September 2017 for side and knee airbags that might not deploy, so run the registration through the DVSA recall service and confirm any work against invoices rather than assurances.

Interior and the buying decision

Inside, the big Recaro seats are comfortable and supportive, though not everyone fits in them and only the ST3 had full leather and power adjustment. Trim quality improved over the Mk2 but was still short of German standards; the turbo gauges perched on top of the dash are the obvious ST flourish. Equipment depends heavily on trim, so two STs are rarely identical. ST1 covers the essentials, ST2 adds part-leather seats, automatic lights and wipers, a heated windscreen and a Sony hi-fi, and ST3 brings full leather, rear parking sensors, heated seats, bi-xenon headlamps and LED daytime running lights. Be aware that the premium Sony system puts a subwoofer in the boot and eats luggage space. The later Sync infotainment is a clear improvement over the crash-prone early unit, which could struggle with phones.

The Mk3 ST won more than one best hot hatch award, and it works best as a usable, characterful alternative to a Golf GTI rather than as a track weapon. Buy on evidence, not enthusiasm: a complete service history, documented recall work, dry carpets and a dry spare wheel well, an engine that is quiet hot and cold, honest tyres and brakes, and a security setup that suits where you park. With catalogue-consistent performance and sensible running costs, the right car is a genuinely satisfying fast Ford. The wrong one is a cheap car with expensive questions attached.