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Hi Gavin,

I'm afraid the registration you gave us came back as a Hyundai on Cartell.ie, so we assume there's a typo there. However, looking at the 2008 Focus:

1.4/1.6 petrol: timing belt

1.6/2.0 TDCi diesel: timing belt, with small timing chain at back of engine joining the camshafts

1.8 TDCi diesel: timing belt, with separate belt or chain for high-pressure pump drive

1.8/2.0 petrol: timing chain

Hopefully that covers your car, but come back to us if not, with more details.

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Hi Andres,

Stop-start systems regularly stop working. So much so that we've written a guide on the subject: Why won't my car's stop-start system work?

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Hi Martin,

Not yet, it will be launched this summer and should be here in time for 202 sales in July.

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Hi Lee,

It's only the 1.8 TDCi diesel engine from Ford that used that wet belt set-up, none of the others. The 1.8-litre engine was never offered in the Kuga.

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Hi Paul,

You can, but as for insurance that’s a piece-of-string question — it depends as much on your own personal record and no-claims bonus than on the car. For tax, I’m assuming that this is a 1.8 TDCi model? If so, that’ll set you back €636 for a year’s tax as a private car. 

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Hi Keith,

You've not told us the model year, but if it's a 2010 car or older and it has never had its timing belt changed then it's likely to be a reminder to have it done. The belt in, for example, a 2010 Kuga 2.0 TDCi diesel, must be changed at least every 200,000 kilometres or 10 years, whichever comes first, so, even though yours has only done 106,000km, if it's 10 years or more old, the belt must be changed.

If you'v already had the belt changed, you'll need to bring the car to a garage with a good diagnostic computer so they can reset the computer for you.

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Hi Gino,

That Ford 1.6 TDCi diesel engine is one of the most common engines around, as it has also been used by Mazda, Volvo, Peugeot, Citroen and MINI. It has one major vulnerable spot and that is that sooty, gummy deposits can build up in areas that are supposed to be kept cool and lubricated by oil. If the deposits build up enough, they can block the oil passage and cause component failure — most commonly of the turbocharger. The best way to prevent that happening is with regular servicing (at least once a year depending on mileage) and making sure that you always use a high-quality grade of synthetic oil for the engine.

The 1.6 petrol engine, the 100hp version, is a much simpler unit and it’s pretty reliable, mostly because it’s a much older design. It won’t be as economical nor as punchy in its performance as the diesel, but if it’s reliability you’re looking for, it might be the better option. 

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Hi Daniel,

The new NOx charge is indeed in place now, and came into force on Jan 1st. It will depend very much on how old the Mondeo you’re looking at is. Assuming that it’s a 2017 model, then the NOx charge will be pretty small — €180 on an official NOx reading of 36mg/km. However, older versions have much high NOx levels so will be much more expensive. If you could give us a precise year for the car you’re looking at, we could get a more precise answer. Cartell.ie is probably your best source for accurate NOx figures — just put the reg number of the car in the search box. 

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Hi David,

It doesn't need to be changed until it has done 200,000km or it is 10 years old. The price will vary considerably depending on where you get the work done, but we can tell you that it should take no longer than three hours.

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Hi Steven,

Is that 90,000 kilometres (as opposed to miles)? If so then it’s actually slightly below average mileage for a car of that age. Anyway, the rule when buying is to not buy on mileage, but to buy on condition and history. If the Focus has a service book full of stamps and receipts, has a clear history check (we recommend Cartell.ie) and is in obviously good condition, then it should be fine. If you have any doubts, get an AA inspection done. The price seems absolutely fine for a nearly ten-year-old Focus.