AT YOUR SERVICE

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, May 11, 2008 | by QUENTIN WILLSON

ALAN Taylor bought a brand-new Focus ST-2 in November 2006. In March this year, at 42,000 miles, Alan's Focus broke down and was taken to a Ford dealership for repair. They diagnosed a failed piston and crankshaft damage, which meant a new engine at a cost of pounds 5,700. Ford are refusing to replace the engine under warranty, because the Focus was serviced at 13,000 miles rather than 12,500, and 33,000 instead of 25,000. Is this fair?

QUENTIN SAYS: As far as the warranty is concerned, you are on thin ice. Going over the recommended interval by 8,000 miles means your guarantee is toast. But you did have the car serviced at a Ford dealership and, in my opinion, this kind of engine damage should not have happened, even though you stretched the service interval a bit. Ford understandably don't want to cough up the lot, but they should offer a goodwill gesture. I'd say 50 per cent sounds about right.