Can I tow with this?

nsmith_62
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nsmith_62
Edited Date/Time 4/10/2017 6:10pm
i got a new ford focus and i was woundering if i could tow a little utility trailer? all i would tow is a 110 so there isnt much weight, so i feel like i could do it.

thanks!
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Plugga
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Plugga 4/10/2017 1:22pm
4/10/2017 1:22pm
She should do 500kg un-braked. So yes absolutely.

Plenty of threads on here about this topic.
early
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early 4/10/2017 1:30pm
4/10/2017 1:30pm
I tow a 7'x8' open trailer with ramp with a Kia Soul with a 1.6 GDI engine and manual transmission. Im usually loaded with 1 or 2 bike or a riding lawnmower. Its definitely tough on the little car but i rarely go more than 1.5 hours at a time with it and top out in 5th gear not 6th. Manual helps a ton, i dont think i would tow anything with my car with auto trans. My trailer is a little more tham i need also, a lighter trailer would help alot.
SVT-Cobra
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SVT-Cobra 4/10/2017 1:58pm
4/10/2017 1:58pm
As long as your car isn't under warranty you'll be fine if you want to take the "risk". Risk being in quotations because I don't think it's very risky towing a small trailer and Motocross bike. The Cobras aren't rated for towing, but I've seen one pulling a Harley behind it and even asked him how long he had the setup for (it was the life of the car and it was at 80k).

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blusmbl
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blusmbl 4/10/2017 2:11pm
4/10/2017 2:11pm
The warranty question is the biggest one. I've seen people tow sportbikes with Focus ST's before. Several manufacturers make hitches as well. But, if you have a failure of a part on the vehicle that can be traced to towing with a hitch installed, you won't be covered.
philG
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philG 4/10/2017 2:11pm
4/10/2017 2:11pm
In the UK you can pull 1500kg with a Focus, and not have to change the oil for 20000 miles.


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xplane
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xplane 4/10/2017 2:19pm
4/10/2017 2:19pm
Can your car carry a couple fat ass passengers? There's your tow.
JustMX
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JustMX 4/10/2017 2:42pm
4/10/2017 2:42pm
I had a buddy that used a ford escort hatchback for years. I would think the focus is comparable.

Put a receiver hitch on it and if there are any warranty issues you can say you put it on to haul bicycles, or better yet a wheelchair platform.

If you are pulling a single bike trailer where the lights are still visible c from behind I wouldn't wire it up for lights unless you hide the plug.

But what do I know about towing limits.

I once pulled a broke down 2000 gallon international water truck from macon, GA to chattanooga, tn with a 4 cyl Toyota pick up and a 12' chain, on memorial day weekend.

ns503
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ns503 4/10/2017 2:54pm
4/10/2017 2:54pm
If you can buy a hitch manufacturer made hitch & wiring harness for it, I'd say go for it. That should be next to no load.
305FC250
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305FC250 4/10/2017 3:30pm
4/10/2017 3:30pm
Every single time I'm at a track at least one person shows up in a small car towing a small open utility trailer with 1 or 2 bikes on it. Putting a 110 on something like a 5x8 open trailer or similar would be an extremely minimal load. I'd say you're totally fine.
plowboy
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plowboy 4/10/2017 3:30pm
4/10/2017 3:30pm Edited Date/Time 4/10/2017 3:32pm
JustMX wrote:
I had a buddy that used a ford escort hatchback for years. I would think the focus is comparable. Put a receiver hitch on it and...
I had a buddy that used a ford escort hatchback for years. I would think the focus is comparable.

Put a receiver hitch on it and if there are any warranty issues you can say you put it on to haul bicycles, or better yet a wheelchair platform.

If you are pulling a single bike trailer where the lights are still visible c from behind I wouldn't wire it up for lights unless you hide the plug.

But what do I know about towing limits.

I once pulled a broke down 2000 gallon international water truck from macon, GA to chattanooga, tn with a 4 cyl Toyota pick up and a 12' chain, on memorial day weekend.

Lol, I towed an old Morris Minor 5 miles with a 1978 Kawasaki KE175...with .032 safety wire. Broke a lot of wire and burned up the clutch but got 'er done.
Acidreamer
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Acidreamer 4/10/2017 3:36pm
4/10/2017 3:36pm
i see people hauling their bikes on trailers to the tracks in tiny cars all the time. Dont see why it would be a big deal. Maybe trade your car for a ranger in the future.
APLMAN99
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APLMAN99 4/10/2017 3:51pm
4/10/2017 3:51pm
If it's a NEW Focus, this may not apply. If it's "new to you" and a 2012-14ish type of Focus, make sure it doesn't have the dual clutch transmission. If it does, I wouldn't even have extra passengers in that thing, let alone tow something. That transmission sucked so bad I ended up getting a lemon law ruling from Ford on it. The kept releasing new updates to the transmission software, but it never really fixed it's issues.
yak651
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yak651 4/10/2017 3:57pm
4/10/2017 3:57pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
If it's a NEW Focus, this may not apply. If it's "new to you" and a 2012-14ish type of Focus, make sure it doesn't have the...
If it's a NEW Focus, this may not apply. If it's "new to you" and a 2012-14ish type of Focus, make sure it doesn't have the dual clutch transmission. If it does, I wouldn't even have extra passengers in that thing, let alone tow something. That transmission sucked so bad I ended up getting a lemon law ruling from Ford on it. The kept releasing new updates to the transmission software, but it never really fixed it's issues.
What did they give you and what did you all have wrong with it. I have a '12 Focus and on the 2nd clutch, starting to make similar noises so I'm sure #3 is on the way...has around 70,000 miles, they extended the warranty to 100k but just means clutch #4 will be coming after that...
Falcon
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Falcon 4/10/2017 3:59pm
4/10/2017 3:59pm
If Ford says not to tow with it, you may run afoul of DOT regs by towing. Traffic tickets and legal exposure become much more harsh when towing.

Hell, you might even get charged with murder if one of your passengers used to know a thug who got capped when trying to rob somebody's house. (See what I did there?) Laughing

Seriously though. be careful when towing with a small vehicle. Check in the door sill for any kind of load limits.
APLMAN99
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APLMAN99 4/10/2017 4:07pm
4/10/2017 4:07pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
If it's a NEW Focus, this may not apply. If it's "new to you" and a 2012-14ish type of Focus, make sure it doesn't have the...
If it's a NEW Focus, this may not apply. If it's "new to you" and a 2012-14ish type of Focus, make sure it doesn't have the dual clutch transmission. If it does, I wouldn't even have extra passengers in that thing, let alone tow something. That transmission sucked so bad I ended up getting a lemon law ruling from Ford on it. The kept releasing new updates to the transmission software, but it never really fixed it's issues.
yak651 wrote:
What did they give you and what did you all have wrong with it. I have a '12 Focus and on the 2nd clutch, starting to...
What did they give you and what did you all have wrong with it. I have a '12 Focus and on the 2nd clutch, starting to make similar noises so I'm sure #3 is on the way...has around 70,000 miles, they extended the warranty to 100k but just means clutch #4 will be coming after that...
Basically we got our down payment back and they refunded about half of the payments we had made over the course of 2.5 years. Thankfully I have a very good friend who is a GM at our local Ford Dealership and he sort of smoothed the way with Ford Corporate.

One thing I can tell you that worked for me with this and an awful lot of other things is repeating my 5 favorite words over and over until people finally give you what you want just to shut you up. Just keep repeating "That doesn't work for me". Works more often than not.
ctbale
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ctbale 4/10/2017 4:11pm
4/10/2017 4:11pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
If it's a NEW Focus, this may not apply. If it's "new to you" and a 2012-14ish type of Focus, make sure it doesn't have the...
If it's a NEW Focus, this may not apply. If it's "new to you" and a 2012-14ish type of Focus, make sure it doesn't have the dual clutch transmission. If it does, I wouldn't even have extra passengers in that thing, let alone tow something. That transmission sucked so bad I ended up getting a lemon law ruling from Ford on it. The kept releasing new updates to the transmission software, but it never really fixed it's issues.
absolutely correct!!! I had a 2013 SE Focus with the 5 speed manual. rock solid and towed my 2003 yz250 EZ. Awesome little car!!!!!!!

BUT, if you have that gen focus 2012 to 15? with the 6 speed duel clutch transmission DCT: #1 I wouldnt tow and #2 I would sell it ASAP !! Those trannys were weak weak weak

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hvaughn88
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hvaughn88 4/10/2017 4:17pm
4/10/2017 4:17pm
APLMAN99 wrote:
If it's a NEW Focus, this may not apply. If it's "new to you" and a 2012-14ish type of Focus, make sure it doesn't have the...
If it's a NEW Focus, this may not apply. If it's "new to you" and a 2012-14ish type of Focus, make sure it doesn't have the dual clutch transmission. If it does, I wouldn't even have extra passengers in that thing, let alone tow something. That transmission sucked so bad I ended up getting a lemon law ruling from Ford on it. The kept releasing new updates to the transmission software, but it never really fixed it's issues.
Had the same problem. We had one we used for work and it was skeeeetchy. Multiple times I would be pulling out in traffic and it just would decide to stop moving. Ford fixed it at no charge, but we got rid of it.
APLMAN99
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APLMAN99 4/10/2017 6:05pm
4/10/2017 6:05pm
We had a really nice little 2013 SE for my wife that we bought new with the DCT that iI liked pretty much everything about except that transmission. I bought a 40K mile used 2012 for my 18yo daughter with the "regular" AT, and haven't had any issues at all.

We probably had the 2013 in the shop a dozen times in the first year. The worst experience was when my wife was visiting family in Seattle and the transmission overheating lights lit up. Late Friday night, no dealer open. By the time she got hold of me the light had went off so she drove to her sister's house for the night. Talked to the dealer the next day and they said not to worry about it because there wasn't an actual temp sensor in the transmission, but rather the light was triggered because the car's computer said that based on her current driving (hills around downtown Seattle) the transmission SHOULD have been overheating. Of course I asked them why I would want to simply ignore that, and they told me that the computer program is never "correct". That's about when I started exploring the Lemon Law angle to try to get rid of that thing.......
Bultaco
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Bultaco 4/10/2017 7:13pm
4/10/2017 7:13pm
I've towed motorcycle and utility trailers all the way across north america behind a Pinto, a Corolla, VW Rabbit, and Chevy LUV PU. You may not go 80 on the uphills, but the car will pull it just fine. Use the gear box so you don't lug the engine. Zoom, Zoom.

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