The generation game

I bought a focus ST on 31-03-06. On 16-10-09 the alternator failed after only 16,053 miles. Due to my health I can't walk far and when I reached seventy the Ford dealer could not lend me a loan car so I have had my serviced at a local garage who could. Since my car was a couple of months over warranty and not under the Ford dealer’s care he would not do anything to help me.

Asked on 16 January 2010 by J.M., Cleethorpes

Answered by Honest John

Low mileage takes far more out of an alternator than high mileage. The alternator’s job is to put back into the battery what starting the car takes out, so the more short runs from cold starts the car does, the more work the alternator has to do. If Ford won't cough up anything then you're going to have to pay.

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