Ford's Focus RS Head Gasket Failures Might Have Been Explained

Remember the Ford Focus RS saga where it was suggested that head gaskets were failing? An intriguing new plot twist has asked the question whether they’re failing because they are the wrong part.

There’s a growing head of steam, backed by evidence, that points to the problem being caused by the 2.3-litre RS block somehow having been fitted with the head gasket from the 2.3-litre EcoBoost Mustang, whose physical nature has several small but vitally important differences.

This new possible explanation comes from an initial Road & Track suggestion, which was followed up through various channels with owners and mechanics, eventually reaching Jalopnik.

The issue centres on a specific hole in the Mustang’s head gasket that shouldn’t be there on the Focus equivalent. In conjunction with a small V-shape depression between the tops of the cylinder bores, it’s allowing boiling coolant to stagnate and damage the cylinder head, hence why Ford is replacing those, too.

It’s a long article and you’ll need to set some time aside to read the whole thing – and all the supporting texts – but the evidence definitely seems to point towards a slight mishap on Ford’s part when it came to building the RS.

We agree with Jalopnik that it’s puzzling if Ford hasn’t yet realised that the wrong gaskets have been installed. It’s also surprising that the company hasn’t offered a simple gasket-replacement recall. There’s more to come in this story; we can feel it in our bones.

Source: Jalopnik