Ford Focus vs Chevy Cobalt

[crazy steve]

My son has an '03 small Ford, dunno what model.
It recently started making nasty noises from a rear wheel.
Turns out the hub bearings had died.
No f**king way would that hub come apart.
Had to buy a complete replacement from a wrecker's yard.
No f**king way to re-grease the bearings neither.

Yeah, that's the new reality on late-model vehicles. The car makers (and bike makers) all love sealed bearings now (zero maintainence, no adjustments) but replacement costs can be a bit steep. A guy I know had a late Dodge 4X4 of some sort and one of the front hub bearings went bad. Dodge wanted over $800 for a new hub ('not serviced with individual parts') and the boneyards weren't that much less. He figured out a way to get the 'sealed' hub apart and took the dead bearings to a bearing store. Less than $100 later, he had a rebuilt hub. I think he had to buy a few tools, but still ended up money ahead. His home-brew rebuild went 60k with no problems right until he sold the truck.

One interesting thing I found when I rebuilt the wheels on my '86 Sportster was that HD used a 'standard' roller bearing that's the same as what Ford used for the outer front wheel bearing on just about everything from the 50s all the way up until they went sealed. I can pick them up at any auto parts store. Of course, HD went sealed too (in '00) so that's out now.

'78E original owner

[XSokieSPECIAL]

I have a Honda with 296,000 on it

That Honda is just broke in!

Those things will go forever........................................... .....

[DGXSER]

Interestingly enough my work car is a Honda CRV, it needed a new right rear wheel bearing at 20k miles, and another at 40k, I am closing in on 60k so I will see if it repeats again.

[Shuriken]

That Honda is just broke in!

Those things will go forever........................................... .....

Yes - from personal experience - I can agree. Especially when well taken care of. It's real hard for me to even look at Ford and Chevy for cars after having so far gotten 296k out of a 1984 car that I purchased used 16 years ago. I have no idea how many miles are on the several Honda motorcycles that I have but they just keep going. You can't argue with proof and my Honda's have proven their dependability.

[Shuriken]

Thanks for the replies. I'd like to keep this discussion alive for awhile to get more input. The more research I have done on both vehicles, the more problems I have uncovered. I like to check forums so that actual owners can provide a "real world" sample of experiences. This is a good forum to check on the Focus:

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=125090

I've also been to Edmunds.com to check reviews. Granted, there are many really good reviews on both vehicles. But the sample size I am looking at is very small, so I assume I'll get a small number of negative AND a small number of positive reviews. What I am focusing on (no pun intended) are the negative reviews because I am looking for failure patterns. Even if the sample size is small, it may be useful if I see patterns.

What I have found so far in a week's worth of research is that both cars have a set of pattern problems, both cars are cheap, and it becomes a pick your poison scenario with them. For example, I have researched and found:

Ford Focus problems:
ignition system - faulty key cylinders / stuck keys
brake system - warped rotors, sticking brake calipers, brake noise/squealing, excessive brake pad wear, etc.
transmission - complete failures, loss of individual gears, fluid leakage, shift linkage/cable problems, etc.
electrical - blown fuses, lighting failures, control module failures, etc.
fuel - fuel pump issues
chassis - water leaking from somewhere and onto the floor mats
cooling system - plastic thermostat housing cracking and breaking, A/C compressor failures, A/C compressor cut-out during acceleration, etc.
engine - stalling, surging, rough idle, vibration
fit and finish - interior parts breaking, cheap build
safety recalls - numerous for the 2000 model

Chevy Cobalt problems:
ignition system - faulty key cylinders / stuck keys
brake system - warped rotors, sticking brake calipers, brake noise/squealing, excessive brake pad wear, etc.
transmission - complete failures, loss of individual gears
electrical - blown fuses, lighting failures, control module failures, CD player/radio failures, trip computer faulty MPG readings, cruise control failures, faulty fuel guages, fuel tank sending units, electric power steering failures
fuel system - faulty fuel tanks
chassis - water leaking from somewhere and onto the floor mats
cooling system - mold in A/C system
engine - stalling, surging, rough idle, plastic timing gears
fit and finish - cheap plastic everywhere, breaking plastic parts, broken knobs and buttons, cheap fabric apholstery, fading paint and door panels, clear coat breakdown

Both cars have disappointed me so badly that I've stopped my research of the two vehicles at this point. Unfortunately, since all vehicles have some issues, so this process of looking for a vehicle may turn into choosing the lesser of two evils - or in this case, the car with the fewest pattern failures.

My own experience tells me that you can't go wrong with a Honda but it is really hard to find one in the same price range that isn't cancered or beat on and I don't really want to have to go as far back as 2001-2002 years to get a Honda sedan in the $5-6k range in my area.

Nonetheless, it's off to look at some other sedans and I will post back with what I find.

The basic criteria I am looking for is:
1. reliable - few if any serious failures (my CRX is an example of this - still on the road since 1984)
2. economical - 30+ mpg (my CRX is an example of this - still getting 35-42mpg)
3. reasonably safe - airbags, ABS
4. enough room for adults or kids in the back seat
5. $5-6k starting point

[Shuriken]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm moving on from the Cobalt and Focus. Have enough info. Will probably choose neither.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

I find it extremely distressing that an american can't buy an american car built in this country that is as dependable and has as much longevity as a foreign car ALSO built in this country.

It doesn't seem to make sense.

That said, the Honda/Accura or Toyota vehicles are, in my opinion, the most prudent choices out there right now.

Another tech I work with who is quite a staunch Ford fan bought a new truck a couple of years ago.

He drove the Ford F150 and the Toyota Tundra which are basically the same truck if you park them side by side except for some engineering differences.

He wanted the Ford, but he bought the Toyota.