Warranty ???

[mrpalerider]

Has anyone heard of what the warranty is going to be on these cars, particularly the battery/electric motor component? I'm sure the drive-train will hold a traditional mechanical warranty but what of the battery life? :?:

 

[klaus]

Wow, I thought the Ford Focus Electric warranty info was more widely available, but I had to do some digging to find it!

The Ford site doesn't seem to have any warranty info, just a disclaimer that says 'go to Ford.com for full warranty details' but that's on the Ford.com website...

According to Cars.com, this is what they say the warranty is:
Warranty
Basic (mths/miles): 36/36,000
Powertrain (mths/miles): 60/60,000
Corrosion Perforation (mths/miles): 60/unlimited
Roadside Assistance (mths/miles): 60/60,000

but that doesn't include anything about the battery warranty, which is the biggest concern. Nissan has a 10 year replacement warranty on their Leaf batteries, so I would guess that Ford will have a comparable warranty but I don't know for sure.

Edit: I did find a snippet from another site that said this "Ford will offer an 8 year/100000 mile warranty on the battery of the Focus Electric" but it was not an official press release from Ford.

 

[whitgallman]

look at the window sticker on the other page.
Warranty details on there.

 

[mrpalerider]

Maybe I`m the dull tool in the shed, but where is this view-able window sticker on the other page... I searched around and couldn`t find it.

Also, is the battery warranty going to be prorated like typical starting battery...or tires :?:

 

[dwf123]

Below is my hand typed copy of the warranty in my Ford Focus Electric's handbook. This answers the question, posed by some, about the warranty of the battery and the guarantee of a minimum capacity being maintained over the 8 year warranty period.

"Note: Lithium-Ion Battery Gradual Capacity Loss

The Lithium-ion battery (EV battery) will experience gradual capacity loss with time and use (similar to all lithium-ion batteries), which is considered normal wear and tear. Loss of battery capacity due to or resulting from gradual capacity loss is NOT covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. See your Owner's Manual for improtant tips on how to maximize the life and capacity of the Lithium-ion batttery."

The following was written by Tom Volek for King 5 News.

http://www.king5.com/on-tv/driving-nw/Ford-Focus-Electric-is-not-like-the-Volt-156397255.html

It came from an interview with Mike Tinskey, the Associate Director of Vehicle Electrification at Ford and he spoke directly about the life of the battery.

Worried About Battery Durability?
Ford isn’t. The pack has a 10-year warranty. They’ve been making hybrids for years now and monitoring the units in taxi fleets, they’ve found them to be much like new after significant use. Their belief is that after 10-12 years of normal use, the battery should still have 80 percent of its original capacity. Ford says that the pack is integral to the car and, much like a gas engine, is not easily replaceable. The thinking is after a dozen years you’ll be tired of the car and will sell it to a college student who just needs a reliable runabout for city use, just like any other 12-year-old car.

I can only assume he messed up his notes because the Ford Battery Warranty reads as follows:

"(4) Your vehicle's unique hybrid / electric components are covered during the Hybrid / Electric Unique Component Coverage, which lasts for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first."

 

[klaus]

Thanks dwf - I would definitely side with the Ford Focus Electric manual over what some reporter says. Having it in writing should make it easier to convince Ford to honor it!

 

[focusbev]

I found another news source reporting that the Ford Focus Electric has a 3 yr, 36,000 mile warranty on the whole vehicle, with a five-year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty and an 8-year, 100,000 mile warranty on the Focus Electric battery pack.