10 things I HATE about my Focus ST

Here are 10 things I hate about my 2017 Ford Focus ST. Take all of this with a grain of salt, I love this car so much. Like any car, this one has its demerits. That's not to say that this isn't an amazingly fun car and is perfect for my situation right now! Hope you all enjoy!
My name is Riley Stewart and I am a college student In Fort Myers Florida. I want to show everyone how fun It is to drive and modify cars. No stock cars allowed here!
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HEADLIGHT VIDEO: • FOCUS ST HEADLIGHTS GU...
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[@Rambo-lf6py]

You are a natural on camera bro! Keep up the content! That part with the corvette guy looking at you had me rollin 🤣

[@rileypaynestewart]

THANK YOU!

[@GypsyGuyy420]

cool

[@freshstartpainting]

Totally agree with the seating position. I have a 17 st2. I’m constantly messing with the seat position. It always feels to high or to close lol. I’ve owned it for 4 years and I still think about it. I do like the car but I think I’ll really sit in the next car I get longer than 2 mins like I did this one before buying it!

[@SarcasticComments23]

100% why I went with the ST1 and then just upgraded the head unit and bought a heated massage seat backer 🤟🏼

[@FoST3boi]

yes definitely the turning radius is trash I always wondered what the deal was when I have to do like a 5 point turn to get out of somewhere lol. Also, from a fellow ST boi who owns a pre facelift '13 ST3, the interior lights are on the side just like you wish for lol No idea why they would change that

[@focusppl8426]

All you need to do is take the back head rest off before putting the seat down. Now you don't need to move the front seat at all.

[@cheesebutter8950]

turning radius is doodoobutter i do agree

[@rileypaynestewart]

Facts

[@rwoodS550]

Good video. I have a 13 st2, agreed with most of this video! You could remove the head rest from the back seat to give the passenger a couple extra inches. Keep posting!

[@derekgardin1512]

Take the rear headrest off, flip the bottom of the rear seat up and toward front of car, then flip the backrest down. Perfectly flat and the front passenger doesn't lose any space by pushing the seat forward. Owners manual.... they're useful. As for launching.... better tires. Your tires suck. Simple. Subbed because I like the ST. My sister just joined the ST family with a Fiesta. She's already ordered an exhaust lol

[@brycewatson4515]

Maaannnn I have one of these and to answer all your little q's - Its a Ford Focus dude... Its not a NSX or Skyline or Mercedes. They took their standard Focus hatch and turbo charged it on the same chasis and everything. For the price range it is exactly what you paid for. plus im 6'2 - thats why seats are adjustable

[@C.P.C3719]

Dude, I 100 agree. But the best thing about the Focus is all the available aftermarket parts. I have a 2016 Focus and after my first mod, I caught the bug and haven’t stopped nodding my car since.

[@xlr8jaeger]

That weird for the light! My 2015 st has it in the front by the microphone

[@stevansaunders18]

I have a 2018 I am with on turning radius 😂😂. Or take the headrests out instead pushing the seat up but both are a pain and yes RWD would be better

[@Simplicity.13]

so for first things first I have a ST3 with sunroof light is where the sunglass holder is. 2 for the backseat take the headrest off grab the very bottom of where the back rest and seat meet and pull the seat up. rest will come up giving you more room and a flatter surface 3 highly recommend a rmm (rear motor mount) I have a stage 2 cpe mount it reduces wheel hop and spin significantly at least for me. tires also play a huge roll in tc and spinning 4 honestly never had a problem with seat position then again I have the full leather recaros. id just say position your seat to how it works best for you. you def don't need to sit like a chair in these cars just whatever works for you. 5 definitely feel that with the shifter you cant shift casually at all 6 earned my sub btw make that money bro you can do this and make it big I believe! 7 agree with no defuser from fac and antenna get this its called the stubby off amazon! its $20 and so worth it makes it look so much better I'm not hating on your opinions or anything just trying to spread some knowledge on the ST and just my opinions and my knowledge! Love the car and what you've done to it. keep up the great work!!!

[@rileypaynestewart]

I appreciate it boss!

[@mikeschafer2474]

I've had a couple FOST and put a clear bra on the front for each within a week of purchasing to protect the paint because it is very thin... To put the back seat down you have to take off the head rest and lift up the bottom of the seat. Pull up from the back of the seat bottom and pull it up and forward and then fold down the seat so they will lay flat... I'm like you I love the FOST but no car is perfect. I had the ST1 at first and upgraded to the ST3 fully loaded when my local dealer had a $8000 rebate in 2018 and man it's amazing! Also the headlights on the ST3 are great and they turn when you turn the wheel. I sure hope my lights don't go out because the lights on the ST3 are like a thousand each! I also installed a catch can within days buying the car... Thanks for the videos I think you're doing a great job.

[@rileypaynestewart]

Thanks for the info Mike! Wish I was able to put a clear bra on it before the paint went bad😂 I got it used. That’s a great tip about taking the headrest off I never thought of that honestly

[@vVPho3niXVv]

Yes as stated, the bottom rear seats are on hinges...the fold up first then take the headrest out and fold the backrest down and it's fully flat rear hatch area. Second comment is don't drag race, it's not a dig car...its a highway pull, canyon run type of sporty. If you are doing dig pulls don't overrev on start, 2700 rpm and don't go wide open clutch drop, let the clutch grab and gradually go into the throttle to keep grip and let the boost gain without surging it...Rear motor mount helps with wheel hop as well.

[@motorhead16]

Big problem is that you don't properly adjust the seat, reaching gear knob and other stuff is hard. As for the light, you shouldn't eat in the first place when driving.

[@rileypaynestewart]

Cool thanks!

[@alexstromberg5865]

Change thet light to an led and only reason ur paint is thin is because you got a basic colour my ruby red focus has the thickest paint I've seen any colour like white or black will be thin as

[@marknoble980]

Welcome to front wheel drive

[@alexstromberg5865]

Also swap ur steering rack to a se rack has more angle

[@derekgardin1512]

Wish the interior was a bit nicer but meh the car is about driving dynamics and experience so... I did delete the spare tire and trimmed the formed foam under the trunk carpet and that dropped the trunk floor over 4". Much more room back there now. I did a few upgrades, catch can, intake , exhaust, RMM, shifter bushings, BOV, symposer delete, tune. Next is better intercooler and piping, a catted downpipe and a slightly bigger turbo. Should be around 370whp reliably, just like my brothers. Great cars and been way more reliable than the junk GTIs we had previously.... but hey they had nicer interiors 🙄

[@jessebudelman]

That’s weird it doesn’t have a light by the sunglass holder, maybe it’s a trim thing. Mine has two push button lights in that area but mines an ST2 so maybe that has something to do with it.

[@xlr8jaeger]

Something is weird with his. I had an st1 2016 and it was by the sunglasses holder. My st3 also has it by the sunglasses holder too

[@ChillKill19470]

i have a 2016 st1 and it’s looks exactly like this

[@jessebudelman]

Sunroof maybe?

[@h-disconnected6612]

4:30 fwd car, pull handbrake, crank to the side as far as she’ll go, dump clutch

[@randiwin6034]

Agree on the turning radius. I have a ‘16 now and had a ‘13 for 10 yrs

[@skybolton7560]

Take the head rest for the back seat

[@brycecranmore5078]

The interior lights on my ST are way different… must be different on the ST3 package.

[@nathanhedlund7189]

yep

[@ChillKill19470]

it is, st1 has halogen lights but the st3 has led

[@robertfreund7525]

Next time before you buy car try study concept of that vehicle. Every thing that you mention is there for reason. Ford's cars are for driver's not for one who buy car just because everybody talk about them.

[@rileypaynestewart]

Thanks for the expertise, hope you enjoyed.

[@KonaSTie]

haha i had to sub after watching this!! too funny xD Sick ST bro!! im a drummer as well lol

[@looneymocha582]

For me traction itself isn’t the issue. I have a nice set of grippy tires to the point that the wheel hop is insane. I’ve heard that stiffer motor mounts should help but will make the engine vibrations in the cabin slightly worse so I’m debating on trying it out

[@rileypaynestewart]

Motor mounts definitely help but they sure do make the vibrations worse. I would recommend it if it’s something you’re debating

[@thijsrooijakkers2153]

Yeah, I am part of the #TrueOG. Even the base model ST gives you so much joy, it is worth it. 10 things you hate is not exactly what the video is about, it's more 10 things you would have loved to see different. Keep up the quality videos, see you in the next video. Greetings from the Netherlands

[@WhiteblurrST]

When did you get your st? I ordered mine sep 2012, got it November 2012. Still have it and basically done it all since lol.

[@thijsrooijakkers2153]

@@WhiteblurrST my st was a show model at a ford dealership. Intended purpose was only to show which models Ford had in its lineup. Originally the car is build mid November 2015 and 2 days after delivered to the dealership, which owned and showcased it until I bought it October 2017, still like brand new with only a few miles on it. Ever since purchased I love the car and have a smile every drive

[@WhiteblurrST]

@thijsrooijakkers2153 that's awesome to hear. Im finishing up my stroker build on mine

[@thijsrooijakkers2153]

@@WhiteblurrST living in the Netherlands myself. Staying on stock block at roughly 300 hp at the crank. Going further with tuning, like building a block and go big turbo for bigger hp numbers means that the car needs to go through a process for a new vehicle type approval. When the car has more the 20% more power then stock, you are (officially) not allowed on the road again before you get a new vehicle type approval. This means the car must go through a very time and money consuming process to check if the car is safe to drive......

[@WhiteblurrST]

@thijsrooijakkers2153 Jesus sounds like your government has everyone by the balls, thats what happens when communist globalists take over thinking electric cars will save the planet. Your vehicle is plenty safe for the roads, do you got emission inspections? Only 16 states have safety inspections here and its a scam, i drive my car with no inspection. Fuck em, the roads arent suitable for my car is how i look at it.

[@aaronbickerstaff8984]

I've got a fiesta st, and it's been a nightmare with the evap issues causing random stalling

[@lenxdiv]

I love that car, I’ve had one for about 4 months and I hope you haven’t sold it yet hahaha I love your videos

[@rileypaynestewart]

Have not sold it! More videos on it coming up!

[@lenxdiv]

That’s super great, I’ll be tuned in!!

[@WhiteblurrST]

Nice white st 👌

[@lenxdiv]

@@WhiteblurrST Thank you, in my opinion of the best colors that an ST can have

[@WhiteblurrST]

@lenxdiv yea I ordered mine in white so it wouldn't look fast, cops wont bother you, its cooler in the sun and looks like a sleeper. I have had mine since nov 2012

[@focusppl8426]

Also, I hated the antenna also. I ordered the stubby from Amazon and I think it looks so much better than that ugly stick

[@rileypaynestewart]

I was wondering about that. Do you have to take out the headboard and everything to install it?

[@focusppl8426]

@@rileypaynestewart nope, the antenna just screws off and you screw the new one in. Easy as that

[@rileypaynestewart]

@@focusppl8426 oh wow! Definitely going to do that

[@SoberBassHead]

Dude I ❤your headlights!!! What kind are they?

[@rileypaynestewart]

VLAND headlights

[@maciekapocaliptic]

Mica Shadow Black and Blazer Blue that`s the worst paints in Ford`s paint pallet (dealership seller here) All, I mean all Mica Shadow Black and some Agate Black cars that come to us, has to be polished. Sometimes most panels has to be corrected. Really shiet paints.

[@rileypaynestewart]

It’s so bad man. Definitely getting a wrap at some point

[@TheGhostlyDragonLP]

where did you get the gear shifter? loosk great!

[@rileypaynestewart]

It’s just a weighted shift knob. Idk where it was actually on the car from the previous owner. You can get them on pretty much any website that sells shift knobs though

[@bashfullJ88]

That knob is sold at Steeda.

[@MTHLOWKEY]

U need a gimbal too much movement

[@rileypaynestewart]

I know I just got something so that will be fixed

[@dham99]

for the seats...just remove the rear headrests... i think an adult has sat in the back of my car once or twice since buying it new..my kids seats are in the rear, dont need em. Gives plenty more room for the seat when folded down so the passenger can be pushed back a bit more. As far as running from a dig...I agree the car stock even has plenty of torque steer. But with proper tires and using launch control, it'll hook fairly decent. You have to learn how to feather the throttle..same thing in any high powered RWD car...it'll just spin if you romp on it... but you shouldnt dig race much anyways unless you want to break things..these cars are great in 3rd gear pulls..surprises plenty of higher powered cars to 100+. The rear valance is horrible on the 2015+.. i ended up putting in a Maxton Design valance and it changed the rear look completely...along with the spoiler..I dropped in an RS wing (with the "RS" filled in, made a huge upgrade aesthetically). The headlights are very cheap from Ford...as far as their habit to oxidize/fade...its planned...so just keep scouting for OEM headlights and just swap in like-new used ones. I paid $100 for a pair of stock headlights for my ST1 to replace my 2016 ones that faded within about 2 years. Ill recondition my original ones, and swap them back as the 'like-new' ones start to fade. For the car's quality..think about its price point...it was $23k new. Theres nothing available in recent years under $30k and half the 'sports cars' and 'performance hatch backs' (few that even exist anymore) are all WAY over priced and nowhere near the performance/smiles for how much you pay for this. The VW's and STis' and Evos were all way too over priced...have cheap interiors, and cost more to upgrade components. The FoST is good for what it is...its a performance model based off the economy hatch that already existed...I think Ford did a good job, i just wish the K03 was closer to the Garrett PowerMax stock, and the FMIC is terrible. It boils down to cost really....the FoST is cheap to own, cheap to mod, and even on stock turbo/motor/fueling you can get 300whp/400ftlbs+ with e30 tune and run it like that forever. Track, back roads, streets...it dominates everything but straight lines. If you want a little power, its pretty cheap to drop in a hybrid turbo and tune it, call it a day. If you want more power, even then its still relatively cheap to up the fueling, turbo, tune it, and go. Reliably you cant build another 420whp/420ftlb car for the money that still maintains is reliability..these cars like many others just SEEM unreliable because of HOW their owners drive them...The STis, GTIs, Evos, etc all cost way more base than even an ST fully modded.

[@MrSoulnether]

To be honest it sucks that you guys don't have the wagon version. i have a focus ST wagon and most of these things are not an issue like the seating its a lot lower to the ground and more back.

[@rileypaynestewart]

I definitely would’ve gotten it if it was available to me. Works much better for my lifestyle

[@MrTusk-em2qh]

Excuse me ?! The St has a wagon version??

[@Gooitt]

Don’t buy base model or don’t complain. 70% of your drama is because you have cheapest trim possible

[@rileypaynestewart]

I’m sorry if I offended you

[@Gooitt]

@@rileypaynestewart you are not, and Im not trying to offend you too, bro. Just need this remark for other to understand that a lot of this problems could be resolved with higher trim level

[@rileypaynestewart]

@@Gooitt no like I’m truly sorry.