# My car of the day, Focus RS Mountune M400



## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

This is Montune's latest upgrade for the Focus RS in the M400 that puts out 394 BHP and 376 LB of torque. Nothing has changed with the engines internals and you still get the same turbo. What Mountune have actually done is added a new high flow induction kit, an upgraded re- circulating valve, a larger capacity cooler, a high flow charge pipe, a three inch exhaust system from the cat backwards and an ECU remap. 0-60 is now 4.2 seconds down from 4.7 seconds. No up grades were done to the chassis set up or the braking system but what Mountune have done is fit sport springs that lower the RS by 15 MM, higher performance brake pads are also fitted as well as 19 inch OZ Leggera wheels. However all of this has a detrimental effect as the lower ride height and wheels interfere with the steering. So the M400 pack including engine hardware and re-map would set you back nearly £3,500 and that's with out the labour costs. Worth it all? I'll let you decide.

Like it?


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

No warranty on an already fragile engine ?!


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

I always imagine that with performance cars like Ford RS's, the factory will have already caned many,many engines, clutches and gearboxs to destruction in the test mules and will then all sit down in a meeting and say " _OK, what is the best compromise between reliability and keeping up with the opposition, that we can offer a warranty with ? _"

So i am always wary about independent firms tuning them further, however good that firm is.


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## ah234 (Nov 10, 2015)

182_Blue said:


> No warranty on an already fragile engine ?!


Mountune work with Ford so you keep the warranty


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## LewisChadwick7 (Aug 22, 2014)

its a yes from me :thumb: 

as for warranty, mountune parts keep the ford warranty intact I believe?


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## gatecrasher3 (Jul 21, 2006)

182_Blue said:


> No warranty on an already fragile engine ?!


Isn't in just the initial batches of the Focus RS engines that have an issue?

I don't know this as gospel, just that a mate of mine bought one on launch and then got rid of it for a 17 plate so as to avoid an engine problem that had been identified with early production units.


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## Grommit (May 3, 2011)

no thanks.


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## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

Not for me


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Matt black nearly always looks tacky. No exception here. 

It'll be interesting to see how fast it really is. I've seen a couple of tuned ones running 420bhp and even their figures on the quarter mile were disappointing. Almost 100bhp more than me and recording the same times and speed. The standard one is miles behind. 

I wouldn't touch one with all the issues.


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## ffrs1444 (Jun 7, 2008)

Nice they could of made it Extra Special and had it Imperial Blue


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## ffrs1444 (Jun 7, 2008)

ah234 said:


> Mountune work with Ford so you keep the warranty


Your right but so many cases of the standard engine going wrong already


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

gatecrasher3 said:


> Isn't in just the initial batches of the Focus RS engines that have an issue?
> 
> I don't know this as gospel, just that a mate of mine bought one on launch and then got rid of it for a 17 plate so as to avoid an engine problem that had been identified with early production units.


17 plates have gone also, i know as i just rejected a late 2017 plate car that i put 800 miles on it before it dropped all its coolant !!


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

ah234 said:


> Mountune work with Ford so you keep the warranty


Not true unfortunately, currently the only mountune kit that keeps the original Ford warranty on the MK3 RS is the M375 kit and only if its fitted by a authorised mountune installer.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Is there any confirmed numbers of engine failures? 

I know a couple of people that have suffered failures and I'm reading it a lot on the internet. There was a blog the other week that was trying to keep tabs on failures and the list was getting long. Newer cars also suffered failures.

Surely the issue merits a recall?


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Kerr said:


> Is there any confirmed numbers of engine failures?
> 
> I know a couple of people that have suffered failures and I'm reading it a lot on the internet. There was a blog the other week that was trying to keep tabs on failures and the list was getting long. Newer cars also suffered failures.
> 
> Surely the issue merits a recall?


There is a hidden section on the Focus RS forum !!!, quite a few on there have gone, at least one member is on his third engine !.
I don't know the exact figures TBH, but something is wrong with the car and the most owners seem happy to bury they heads in the sand and hide the issue, kind of glad mine went so early as the fear of impending doom isn't a good one, that or it getting stolen if you didn't add enough security to it !!.

German forum have a few too http://www.focusrsforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=94&t=18983&start=120

Uk section showing lots and lots of chat !


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## Bill58 (Jul 5, 2010)

A no from me.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

182_Blue said:


> There is a hidden section on the Focus RS forum !!!, quite a few on there have gone, at least one member is on his third engine !.
> I don't know the exact figures TBH, but something is wrong with the car and the most owners seem happy to bury they heads in the sand and hide the issue, kind of glad mine went so early as the fear of impending doom isn't a good one, that or it getting stolen if you didn't add enough security to it !!.


I kept a look out on the Focus RS forum when they were coming out. I noticed that any negative thread quickly disappeared off the open forum. I knew they were hiding negative threads in a paid up member's area. I find that rather dirty to be honest. It did strike me they couldn't cope with negativity and didn't want people to know about any issues.

I guess the fear is part of the reason why so many end up for sale again so quickly. There's always plenty up for sale. WBAC were offering pathetic prices for them.

Were Ford ok with dealing with the rejection?

What do you drive now?


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Kerr said:


> I kept a look out on the Focus RS forum when they were coming out. I noticed that any negative thread quickly disappeared off the open forum. I knew they were hiding negative threads in a paid up member's area. I find that rather dirty to be honest. It did strike me they couldn't cope with negativity and didn't want people to know about any issues.
> 
> I guess the fear is part of the reason why so many end up for sale again so quickly. There's always plenty up for sale. WBAC were offering pathetic prices for them.
> 
> ...


WBAC were offering 19k for very very nearly new ones lol, not sure what they are at now, a lot of the usual dealers aren't touching them presently.

As for the forum i was posting questions etc and they would vanish , gone to the paid section!, guides created by users are (wrongly imo) moved to the paid section. When i first joined up looking for issues all appeared well on the RS front, no issues, it's only when you pay you find the actual issues and the 172 page thread !! (plus the others).

Ford didn't really get much choice, i had had it less than a month, and told them not to bring it back :lol:, it wasn't that easy TBH and quite stressful but we got there in the end, I'm currently driving a dull petrol 4x4 SUV


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## Philb1965 (Jun 29, 2010)

I'm on the RS forum and I had decided to buy an M2.....but I've ordered an Edition RS coming in Dec instead, it's just a great car. Money wasn't an issue as I'd have paid outright for either but in my opinion the RS is just more car. Pays your money and all that!

182_Blue, I don't blame you for getting rid and I don't know when yours was built but since sometime around June modded parts have been fitted, as you probably know, to all new builds so I've decided to take a chance. I'm reasonably confident the worst is behind us. Maybe not but a gamble worth taking for me. To be fair, the number of 2017 cars that have gone pop isn't that high but any number is too many and sh!te for the owner. The fact that mainly 2016 cars have gone in various states of tune isn't good either. The biggest problem is Ford are saying nothing so speculation is rife understandably. 

Only up to FPM375 is warranted as has been said.

Back to the M400 car, not for me, don't like the matt wrap, spoiler extension, or stickers. It's also wearing different wheels and tyres and lowering springs so another £2k+ to add on.
There are a lot cheaper ways to get to 400bhp such as using a Cobb accessport and tunes Circa £1k but not warranty friendly just like the M400.


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## gatecrasher3 (Jul 21, 2006)

182_Blue said:


> 17 plates have gone also, i know as i just rejected a late 2017 plate car that i put 800 miles on it before it dropped all its coolant !!


Bloody hell thats worrying. I hope he hasn't jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire thinking that only the 16 plates were affected.


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Instead of this, I'd find a completely mint Subaru STI hatch, and blow thousands tarting it up instead. Strip and mint the engine, then tune the ass off it.

And someone would give me more than I paid for it at the end, too.


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

After reading this thread I won't be touching one of these... It was down on my short list of potential next cars but not a chance now, wasn't aware the issue was quite as bad. Ford are doing a good job hiding this.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Seems everyone is hiding it !, it has appeared in a few websites but not the big ones, it had been on my list for a while and i found a dealer with a few new ones in stock (rumour has it some franchises had about 30 new ones in stock) so did a bit of digging on the RS forum and nothing came up (should have dug a little deeper as it turns out) so of i went and purchased it at a very good price.

They do handle very very well and do go fairly well and they do get lots attention !, deep down though it felt wrong somehow , maybe it was having a manual car again or maybe i was just too old for it, not sure, it didn't matter though as fate made my mind up for me instead !, luckily i came out of it with all my money back (minus little bits like road tax differences and insurance and the odd accessory i purchased for it).

I hope Ford sort the issue and later cars stop failing, sad times really.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Drivetribe covered it last month. There is some links and stories in the comments.

https://drivetribe.com/p/ford-focus...OsxOQbGrpJM6I2Q3-g?iid=FscQEmO8T6Sq-xMkBOCrzA

There was a database complied somewhere. I can't remember where is was. It's impossible to call it an isolated problem when there is so many failures.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

One of the well known RS youtubers engine went also , he's not the only youtuber who's engine has gone.


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## Philb1965 (Jun 29, 2010)

gatecrasher3 said:


> Bloody hell thats worrying. I hope he hasn't jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire thinking that only the 16 plates were affected.


No mate, I had cancelled my order due to the engine issues but I think (hope) the latest changes will have solved the problems so I put another order in. I've gone for a 5 year warranty as I plan to keep the car. My car will be one of the last built so will have all the latest shiney bits, what could go wrong :thumb:

Dreamscience have done some research and replicated the failure on two engines so we are all waiting to hear what they have found. Might shed a bit more light on the issue(s).

I'm planning to run it standard(ish) for the warranty period then drop a forged engine in so other than inconvenience factor if the engine goes it's no big issue for me.

Shame this is such a hot topic as its a great car.


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

It is sad because Ford could have turned a monumental ****up into a pure marketing dream.

If I was in the Ford top brass, I would have sat in the meetings and said: 'Nope, hands up, we admit there is a problem with our product, and get all the owners (who are mostly Ford fans anyway) to bring them in and get them sorted at our expense, _and before they all fail_, and give them another year or two warranty, for their grief.

Could have turned it into a Ford marketing bonanza. Instead, nope, keep quiet and hope it goes away. A couple of companies have done exactly the same and wonder why they manage to upset so many former owners.

It wouldn't even be that costly, how many RS are the on the road? Say a £1000 a car in labour and parts to retrofit the bits maybe? Just get it done, and seal up thousands of die hard and loyal Ford fans who will keep coming back for more. This is the biggest tragedy of the charade- Ford are deliberately going to upset the kinds of customers who are buying their product despite it's hefty price tag. You've engineered and marketed a top end car, with a presumably healthy profit margin, and gone on to attract people to your brand. Now you go and screw them for putting their faith in you?


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Philb1965 said:


> No mate, I had cancelled my order due to the engine issues but I think (hope) the latest changes will have solved the problems so I put another order in. I've gone for a 5 year warranty as I plan to keep the car. My car will be one of the last built so will have all the latest shiney bits, what could go wrong :thumb:
> 
> Dreamscience have done some research and replicated the failure on two engines so we are all waiting to hear what they have found. Might shed a bit more light on the issue(s).
> 
> ...


Just for reference mine was a July built car, i am told that this date meant the latest bits on it.


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## Philb1965 (Jun 29, 2010)

182_Blue said:


> Just for reference mine was a July built car, i am told that this date meant the latest bits on it.


Yep supposed to be the latest. Oh well, time will tell for me!


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## Bristle Hound (May 31, 2009)

Love it SB :thumb:

Yes please :argie::argie::argie:


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

182_Blue said:


> Seems everyone is hiding it !, it has appeared in a few websites but not the big ones, it had been on my list for a while and i found a dealer with a few new ones in stock (rumour has it some franchises had about 30 new ones in stock) so did a bit of digging on the RS forum and nothing came up (should have dug a little deeper as it turns out) so of i went and purchased it at a very good price.
> 
> They do handle very very well and do go fairly well and they do get lots attention !, deep down though it felt wrong somehow , maybe it was having a manual car again or maybe i was just too old for it, not sure, it didn't matter though as fate made my mind up for me instead !, luckily i came out of it with all my money back (minus little bits like road tax differences and insurance and the odd accessory i purchased for it).
> 
> I hope Ford sort the issue and later cars stop failing, sad times really.


That's Autocar running with the story now.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ford-focus-rs-engine-problem-confirmed-cause-white-smoke

Still not quite accurate. Early cars and 6000 miles?

I've seen quite a few more pop up on other forums and YouTube in recent weeks and they were all the latest models like your car.


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## Bristle Hound (May 31, 2009)

182_Blue said:


> No warranty on an already fragile engine ?!


^ This

A No from me SB


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## Skilzo (Jan 7, 2013)

I like it but don't overly like the matt look


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## Philb1965 (Jun 29, 2010)

Kerr said:


> That's Autocar running with the story now.
> 
> https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ford-focus-rs-engine-problem-confirmed-cause-white-smoke
> 
> ...


Allegedly there is going to be a recall of some sort for cars built pre June 2017. Not heard of any failed engines after this date. I was going to buy an RS edition but Ford have cancelled/delayed my order for the second time so I've given up and will put my money somewhere else which might be no bad thing. On the hunt for an M2 again.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Philb1965 said:


> Allegedly there is going to be a recall of some sort for cars built pre June 2017. Not heard of any failed engines after this date. I was going to buy an RS edition but Ford have cancelled/delayed my order for the second time so I've given up and will put my money somewhere else which might be no bad thing. On the hunt for an M2 again.


There is great offers on the M2 just now. Guys were getting as much as 15% off. Also PCP deals were offered with low interest rates, high GFMV making them more affordable than ever.

The M2 is far superior to the RS.

It'll be interesting to see of they can find a solution. It's a very serious issue when so many engines are failing.


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

6month old M2's are going for £37.5K on BMW site without haggling.

or £500 a month with £5K down (probably better lease deals about tbh)


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

robertdon777 said:


> 6month old M2's are going for £37.5K on BMW site without haggling.
> 
> or £500 a month with £5K down (probably better lease deals about tbh)


If you're going down the finance route a dealer on the BMW site makes his offers public. It was £5k down and £440 per month for cars specced to over £51k.

He even offers the a deal zero deposit.

Obviously missing out on some of the £7k of options will make the monthly payments even less.


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Kerr said:


> If you're going down the finance route a dealer on the BMW site makes his offers public. It was £5k down and £440 per month for cars specced to over £51k.
> 
> He even offers the a deal zero deposit.
> 
> Obviously missing out on some of the £7k of options will make the monthly payments even less.


This is BMW dulling true M cars appeal down by putting them M badges on anything that moves. The general public think they are driving M cars when they are just a 118d (god save us), thus its killed the M2 prices compared to say the 1M.

I'm a BMW fan over Audi but BMW are just plain daft to try to do what Audi did. S-Line works because they have seperate branding against an RS model. BMW tried to do it but it has just made the M brand cheap.

Jag tried it to with S models and then went all Porsche with R, S, R-S, RS GTXYZ etc etc. Nobody knows which is which in the model range and which one is better than the other.

AMG are going that way too. c63 AMG, full AMG, c43 AMG... almost a full AMG but not so a lite AMG, c220d AMG Sport Plus...like an AMG but nothing like an AMG.

Audi will probably start doing RS-Lite models to compete with AMG Lite, and then realise they already do 'S' Models, but fit it in a niche that nobody thought of (Range Rover Velar anyone?):lol:


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

robertdon777 said:


> This is BMW dulling true M cars appeal down by putting them M badges on anything that moves. The general public think they are driving M cars when they are just a 118d (god save us), thus its killed the M2 prices compared to say the 1M.


The 1M is rare. Exclusivity is the most expensive thing a car can have.

I don't know what BMW are doing with the M2. They should be protecting the M brand more. Firing them out cheap isn't the way to go in my opinion.

There's been a few suggestions why this is happening, but it does appear dealers have plenty of stock. The engine will be getting replaced with the new updated engine soon too.

There's always been rumours of more hard-core CS and CSL versions that deter people looking for the top of the range model.


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## Philb1965 (Jun 29, 2010)

Biggest problem for me is I want a manual any colour except white. The DCTs are plentiful and there are some great deals to be had. Tried to haggle a good discount with my local dealer on an LBB car list just over £50k, apparently the last unregistered car in the UK. It had some options I wasn't interested in, value £900 so it was a £49k car to me. Looking at second hand prices and being year end I offered £43k and I'd take it, best they could do £47k. I would have moved a little but we were miles apart. I thanked them for their time. On Cutters forum others are having difficulty getting discounts as well so I don't think all dealers are dropping prices. Maybe second hand is the way to go as there are a few cars under £40k just need to find a manual car with the right spec. If anyone knows of any unregistered, pre reg deals don't be shy!


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Philb1965 said:


> Biggest problem for me is I want a manual any colour except white. The DCTs are plentiful and there are some great deals to be had. Tried to haggle a good discount with my local dealer on an LBB car list just over £50k, apparently the last unregistered car in the UK. It had some options I wasn't interested in, value £900 so it was a £49k car to me. Looking at second hand prices and being year end I offered £43k and I'd take it, best they could do £47k. I would have moved a little but we were miles apart. I thanked them for their time. On Cutters forum others are having difficulty getting discounts as well so I don't think all dealers are dropping prices. Maybe second hand is the way to go as there are a few cars under £40k just need to find a manual car with the right spec. If anyone knows of any unregistered, pre reg deals don't be shy!


You have to look at trade in Value. If you'd of taken it at £47K and driven it 1 mile the WBAC trade in value would be less than £37K!. 10K loss straight out the box.

You'd be able to run some great cars (2 year old and still in warranty M4 etc) for a year for £10K on its own, thats without any Finance etc to worry about. The hit on the M2 isn't how a small M car should be. M5 yes expect it because it is overpriced to start with.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Bristle Hound said:


> Love it SB :thumb:
> 
> Yes please :argie::argie::argie:





Bristle Hound said:


> ^ This
> 
> A No from me SB


Make your mind up ya big woman! :lol::lol::lol::lol:


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