Hard to start on Ford: causes by model and engine

Documented faults, from most to least important

Severity × frequency. Below each one, the Ford models it appears in.

- High severityFrequency: Very frequent1.6 HDiTiming belt failure and premature wearOn the 8-valve 1.6 HDi/e-HDi 112/115 built between October 2010 and September 2011 the belt could break and leave the car stranded. PSA covered the repair and in 2014 preventively replaced the belt and crankshaft sprocket on those that had passed 120,000 km.
In B-Max, C-Max I, C-Max II, Fiesta VII, Focus II and Focus III
- Medium severityFrequency: Very frequent1.4 HDiInjectors that lose their seal and let diesel escapeThe most cited weak point of the 1.4 HDi is its injectors: over time they can lose their seal and let diesel escape, which is usually noticed as a smell of diesel in the car. It appears in the two most common outputs (68 and 70 hp) and in both cases it is identified as the engine's main weakness.
In Fiesta V, Fiesta VII and Fusion
- High severityFrequency: Occasional1.3 MultijetInjector and high-pressure pump wear from contaminated fuelThe Bosch injectors and the high-pressure pump of the common rail system are sensitive to poor-quality fuel or fuel with condensed water. With contaminated diesel they can generate metal shavings that damage first the pump and then the injectors themselves.Repair (garage): €600–€1,200
In Ka II
- High severityFrequency: Occasional2.2 HDiPiezo injector wear and failureThe 2.2 HDi uses third-generation common-rail injection with piezo injectors at up to 1,800-2,000 bar. Fiches-auto documents injector cases across several power outputs, without it being the most repeated fault, with symptoms of hard starting, jerking or higher fuel consumption.
In Mondeo IV
- Medium severityFrequency: Common1.8 TDCiDelphi injector failure (leaks, cracks or poor spray pattern)The 1.8 TDCi's Delphi injectors can crack, drip or spray diesel poorly over time, causing hard starting, smoke and jerking. It is a recurring fault, documented from 45,000 km in the Focus and up to 130,000 km in the Mondeo.Appears at around 45,000 km
In C-Max I, Focus I, Focus II, Galaxy II, Mondeo III and Mondeo IV and 2 more models
- Medium severityFrequency: Occasional1.2 8v FireSensor failures: lambda sensor and crankshaft position sensor (TDC)The 1.2 8v Fire can suffer sensor faults: the lambda sensor (warning light, rough running) and, in the Fiat Punto, the crankshaft position sensor (TDC sensor), linked to misfires. These are minority issues, but they recur across several models with this engine.
In Ka II

By Ford model

Open yours to see only the faults that affect it, by engine and by year.

Engines and gearboxes involved

Frequently asked questions

Hard to start in a Ford: what could it be?

In 15 models from Ford there are 6 documented faults that cause this symptom (hard to start). The most important: timing belt failure and premature wear, injectors that lose their seal and let diesel escape and injector and high-pressure pump wear from contaminated fuel. Each fault has its own page with the affected years and versions, the cause and how to check for it.

Which Ford models have the most faults with this symptom?

Ford C-Max I (2 faults), Ford Focus II (2 faults), Ford Mondeo IV (2 faults) and Ford Fiesta VII (2 faults).

Which Ford engines cause it?

1.2 8v Fire (1 fault), 1.3 Multijet (1 fault), 1.4 HDi (1 fault), 1.6 HDi (1 fault) and 1.8 TDCi (1 fault).