sgtbarton

Hello

I am in desperate help for some info and help off anyone who may have had this issue before or knows there stuff.

I bought a 2006 Focus C-Max Ghia Auto petrol 2.0 for my partner as she is learning to drive and I thought it would be ideal as her first car, we have children so it seemed perfect, not to big but big enough for us.

I test drove the car and noticed a kind of wobble that occurred really bad around the 18 mph speed and dies out around 25/30 mph , its not really at the steering wheel but you can feel it a little, where its felt the most is if you rest you leg on the center console and the passenger seat is worse than the drivers.
I knew it felt more than just a wheel out of balance but the car drove so nice out of that speed zone that I decided to buy on the condition the fault was diagnosed and fixed.

2 WEEKS later after doing the deal I was told I could collect the car as they had fitted 2 new tires to the front and fitted 1 drive shaft.
I went to collect feeling good only to be asked if I would test drive it first to make sure I was happy, I was not, it was still there and I took the manager out who tried the ol "you knew it was there so maybe its in you mind" trick but I assured him I would notice that in any car I sat in.

He eventually agreed but I took the car as my partner was eager to drive it after waiting so long, I was told they would do the other drive shaft!

3 weeks later I took it back in (part had to come from Germany apparently via Ford Dealer) waited 3 days and was told the drive shaft had not made much difference so they wanted to fit an engine mount!
When I collected it this time it was was slightly better, it felt tighter , like the cause was still there but the engine mount had made it less wobbly! if that makes sense.

I took it to friend to put it up on his ramp and he could see that the track rod ends have been heated up (apparently this is a no go as they are made of cast) , the car does not drive totally in a straight line when the wheel is straight but not far off. I have bought new track rod ends and inner which I am going to have done and tracking done correct.

I have today swapped the back and front wheels to see if it was a balancing issue or a warped/buckled alloy (all look ok) and its made no real difference.

Its less when you drive on you own, the more in the car (weight) the worse it seems to be, and going up hill it seems to be worse (weight again) and its worse in the passenger seat but still not nice in the drivers.

Its annoying as the speed it happens at I did not realise how much we drive at that speed , up and down, up and down. I have put the car in manual and it does it in 1st or 2nd gear, you do not feel it coming back down through that speed when slowing.

I am kind of holding out on the tracking and the track rod ends etc but It does not seem a tracking issue as its more up the centre of the car.

Any help or thoughts would be appreciated so much right now.

Thank you in advance.