CarComplaints.com Notes: Even though the first model year of a major redesign should typically be avoided, Ford did a good job & the 2008 Ford Focus doesn't appear to have any major defects.
That said, the following model years of this 2nd generation Focus (2009-2011) do appear to be slightly better.
I was driving my mother & fathers 2008 Ford Focus that she purchased new in 2008. I don't drive it for very long that often. Generally drop it off to get fixed or get something for it.....or if she's in the car I'll drive.
So when I had previously seen people on this site complain about NECK PAIN on this car....I thought what a bunch Nancies. I am in my 20's and honestly can't think of a car I've been in that I've been really uncomfortable where it caused me pain until now. I mean a '95 Geo Metro even i was comfortable in on a long trip.
I BORROWED HER CAR THE OTHER NIGHT (Dec 2014) and was out for a couple hours (made stops here and there). By the end of it when i got home my neck was in such pain it caused me to get a pretty bad headache that i had to take a couple pills for. I do not have any medical issues, or severe aches or pains. And i realized that this always happens to a very slight degree when i am in that thing. I just never really noticed it as dumb as that may sound.
But that's the longest I'd driven it consistently and I was glad to return the car to her. Definitely Ford did not think ergonomics in that car.
I got this car at the end of June 2009, and hardly noticed a problem with the head rests; I moved in July and had to drive this car about 8 hours and by hour one I was in pain. I agree the head rests project too far outward, and the lack of ability to adjust them besides up and down is a major problem. The strain causes sharp pain that numbs my neck and shoots down my spine to my lower back. Had I noticed this problem before buying the car I would have thought twice.
I rented a Ford Focus last week. The seat has a curve that is uncomfortable to the back and a head rest that pushes the head forward in an awkward way, causing neck pain. I had to use a pillow behind my back to keep my back from curving inward and to help prevent the headrest from pushing my head forward. Other than that, I was happy with the gas mileage and overall performance of the car.
cbee has described this problem to a tee. I have the leather seats and head rest, but drove a demo with cloth inside it and didn't spend more than 15 minutes in the demo. I'm 6 ft tall and my wife is 5 ft, so this difference in height is a good example as to how bad these head rests are out of dimension with the contour of the back of the seat.
Anyone that drives more than one half hour or so will feel the pain in your neck, as your body is sitting against the back of the seat and your neck is being push forward from these poorly designs head rests. Just how safe are these head rest if you in a head on collision? I'm going to follow up the Ford chain and try to get some answers...Hopefully...
Who designed this? This headrest is angled forward at such an angle and is so overpadded in a firm way that you cannot sit normally and comfortably. Head rest moves up or down--two fixed positions--but neither offers any comfort. It creates severe discomfort to the point of muscle strain in the neck and back. It's awful. Just got this car, first weekend with it. Spent a lot of time driving. Thr rest is great. But I have no idea how to solve this problem, short of torching off the head rests, or bending them back with use of a torch--really--I don''t see any other solution.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I was driving my mother & fathers 2008 Ford Focus that she purchased new in 2008. I don't drive it for very long that often. Generally drop it off to get fixed or get something for it.....or if she's in the car I'll drive.
So when I had previously seen people on this site complain about NECK PAIN on this car....I thought what a bunch Nancies. I am in my 20's and honestly can't think of a car I've been in that I've been really uncomfortable where it caused me pain until now. I mean a '95 Geo Metro even i was comfortable in on a long trip.
I BORROWED HER CAR THE OTHER NIGHT (Dec 2014) and was out for a couple hours (made stops here and there). By the end of it when i got home my neck was in such pain it caused me to get a pretty bad headache that i had to take a couple pills for. I do not have any medical issues, or severe aches or pains. And i realized that this always happens to a very slight degree when i am in that thing. I just never really noticed it as dumb as that may sound.
But that's the longest I'd driven it consistently and I was glad to return the car to her. Definitely Ford did not think ergonomics in that car.
- anonymousautobeef, London, Ontario, Canada