imported Focuses

VIN number can only tell you directly where it was made not which country it was built for. Characters 7 &8 GC =Germany, WP = Spain. A Ford dealer might have a breakdown of the individual serial numbers - last five digits.

HTH

Bob

steering wheel on the wrong side!!! :)

Most the time it is spec levels Uk one's are often higher spec than on mainland Europe

If its a parallel import don't worry as it will be UK spec

biggirlsblouse je napisao/la:

You do not say where you live but Ford does not import Focus' into the US, all Focus' sold in the US are currently made in the US. As an aside the first number of the VIN reveals the county or origin. '1' is the US, '2' is Canada, '3' is Mexico, '4' is US with more than 40%, but less than 70%, of total American content (not only parts.) '5' is US with less than 40% American content (not only parts.) 'J' is Japan. 'I'M is Korea. I do not recall at the moment the letter designation for the European counties however.

mike hunt

Sorry...it was the uk, and european specced vehicles aren't as well equiped as uk ones. Also spares are difficult to source in the uk which is the more imprtant issue. My vin no. begins *WF05XXWPDM4.....

As the original owner of a parallel import there are a couple of places to go looking:

1. In the original Log Book (if you have it). The supplying (foreign) dealer should complete that section and stamp the pre-delivery inspection section.
2. The certificate of conformity is often in the language of the supplying dealer (mine is in french)
3. Ask the DVLA or Revenue and Customs (from whom the VAT demand would have come from)

As several posters have already said, if it's a parallel import, the vehicle should be a UK spec car that was built for the UK market but was supplied via a foreign dealer rather than a UK dealer. Apart from how it got to the UK, it's identical. If, however, it is not a UK spec car, you may have issues with insurance and resale value later on. You can always check old spec sheets to find what your model should and should not have had and see whether there is a match.

Don't know where you got yours from, but mine came in via Spain and to a full UK Spec, RHD 16v 3 door Zetec, Climate and Reflex packs, all paperwork present and correct and a saving of 3500 UKP - the only difference was that the Service record was in Spanish, but the mechanic had been on holiday there so he could understand it OK! ;-)

Which spares do you reckon are different on European cars? - I can't honestly see Ford making different cars for European markets as opposed to ones for the UK (ignoring LHD/RHD issues)

Check this:

What do you mean with "european specced vehicles aren't as well equiped as uk ones"?

This should help.

Fixed the post(s).

BTW, aren't ALL of the hatchbacks assembled in Mexico not just the ZX3? The sedans and wagons are assembled in Detroit. My ZX5 was "born" in Mexico validated by the "3" in my VIN.