Ford Focus 1.6 year 2000 auto - Cambelt damage

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 19:46
Ford Focus 1.6 year 2000 auto - Cambelt damage - name of road

I took my car to my reputable local Ford garage for a cambelt change. They fitted it incorrectly and destroyed a perfectly good engine. The garage admit liability and wants to replace the engine with a second hand engine. Admittedly, the car is 11 years old but has a new MOT and in very good condition, only 65,000 on the clock and has been in the family for 6 years.

What is a second hand engine? Is it a factory reconditioned one? or is there a difference? Should the automatic gearbox be renewed at the same time? What guarantee on work should be offered?

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 20:01
Ford Focus 1.6 year 2000 auto - Cambelt damage - Roly93

The term second had engine would usually apply to an engine removed from a car which was scrapped or written off, if these were the words they used I certainly wouldn't expect a reconditioned engine. Hit and miss really, you may get a better engine but you may also get an engine that is dieing. Unless the car it was taken from is known to have been running well or you know the mileage it is dodgy.

Crikey if a Ford dealer cannot manage a cam belt swap on their best selling car and an engine that has been around 10 years + what hope is there for the motor trade ?

Edited by Roly93 on 12/08/2011 at 20:03

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 20:11
Ford Focus 1.6 year 2000 auto - Cambelt damage - unthrottled

For a 11 year old car, a second hand engine is appropriate. Most engines outlive their cars. The days of reboring after 40,000 miles are long gone. The risk with a second hand engine is the labour involved; in this case it isn't your problem.

Let them fit the second hand engine. Check it for smoking, noisy valve train and lumpy running. If it isn't right, they'll have to do it again!

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 22:12
Ford Focus 1.6 year 2000 auto - Cambelt damage - name of road

Thanks for the advice unthrottled.

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 22:05
Ford Focus 1.6 year 2000 auto - Cambelt damage - name of road

Thank you Roly93, agree with your comments, a main ford dealer! If you can't trust your car to them, who can you trust!

It is a main ford dealer and they did not connect the bottom pulley correctly.

Are there still factory reconditioned engines being produced?

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