When should I service my Ford Focus Mk3?
The standard service interval for the Focus is 20,000 kilometres or one year, at which point the oil and filter will be changed (and the cabin pollen filter where applicable) and everything else checked over, including the air conditioning system if requested. The brake fluid should be changed every two years, regardless of mileage, and the engine coolant must be renewed at least once every 10 years.
It's worth bearing in mind that those recommendations were released when the Focus was new and we'd highly recommend that owners of older cars service them at least once a year, regardless of how low mileage they are doing.
Does the Ford Focus Mk3 have a timing belt?
It depends on the specific engine under the bonnet. All of the diesels use timing belts, though some confusion might arise from the fact that the 2.0-litre TDCi engine has a timing belt at the front of the engine and then a short timing chain at the back that joins the camshafts. For examples of the 1.6-litre TDCi engine made up to July 2011, the recommended interval is 140,000 kilometres or 10 years (as ever, whichever comes first). For 1.6 TDCi engines made after that date, the distance was upped to 180,000 kilometres (or 10 years, as before) and that's the interval that carries over to the newer 1.5-litre TDCi engine. Meanwhile, the 2.0-litre TDCi's timing belt should be changed at least every 200,000 kilometres or 10 years. That goes for the Focus ST TDCi as well.
All 2.0-litre and 2.3-litre petrol engines in the Focus use timing chains instead of belts, which covers the ST and RS variants. The remaining petrol engines all use timing belts. The three-cylinder 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine's belt change interval is a massive 240,000 kilometres or 10 years, the 1.6 EcoBoost's is 200,000 kilometres or 10 years (as is the newer 1.5 EcoBoost's) and the older 1.6 Ti-VCT engine's belt must be changed every 160,000 kilometres or eight years.
Next section: Can I fit child seats and a buggy in the Ford Focus Mk3?