2001 FORD FOCUS Complaints

I'VE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY FORD FOCUS AND DESPITE REGULAR MAINTENANCE I'VE BEEN STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY COUNTLESS TIMES.THUS FAR I'VE REPLACED THE ENGINE TWICE. TWICE I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR. MY THROTTLE DOES NOT RETURN TO IDLE AND HAS UNEXPECTED MOMENTS OF ACCELERATION AND I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE THROTTLE SENSOR. BOTH OF MY FRONT COIL SPRINGS HAVE BROKEN AND WERE VERY CLOSE TO PUNCTURING MY TIRES. AFTER TAKING MY VEHICLE TO NUMEROUS MECHANICS NONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE WHY MY CAR SHAKES SO BADLY. I HAVE VERY POOR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT WITH THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING WHICH IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS COMPARED TO OTHER VEHICLES. MY FAN HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED SINCE IT WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND MY CAR WAS HAVING PROBLEMS OVERHEATING AS WELL. DURING THE COURSE OF ALL OF THESE CAR MALFUNCTIONS, I'VE BEEN IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND IN RISKY NEIGHBORHOODS AT NIGHT. THIS CAR HAS PROVEN TO BE VERY UNRELIABLE AND UNSAFE. *TR

VEHICLE SURGES AND LACKS POWER OR ENGINE DIES. WHEN DOING ONLINE RESEARCH OF THESE SYMPTOMS. I FOUND A RECALL THAT IS EXPIRED FOR THE VEHICLE. (RECALL # 03V48200) I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED INDEFINITELY DO TO THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE IS RELIABLE OTHER THAN THAT AND CAN PROVIDE MANY MORE YEARS OF USE. ALSO, THESE ARE GENERALLY GOOD STARTER VEHICLE FOR YOUNG DRIVERS, AND COULD PROVE TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE FOR INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS, INCLUDING THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY IF THE VEHICLE LEAVES THEM STRANDED BESIDE THE ROAD. *TR

THIS VEHICLE HAS SUDDENLY DIED DOZENS OF TIMES SINCE APRIL OF 2011. IT DIES WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON THE INTERSTATE, IT DIES WHEN BRAKING IN A PARKING AREA. THERE IS NO SPECIFIC SPEED WHEN THIS OCCURS. THE VEHICLE STARTS BACK UP AFTER TWO OR THREE TIMES WHILE GIVING IT GAS. IT HAPPENS WHEN THE GAS TANK IS FULL OR LOW AND OUR VERY REPUTABLE MECHANIC CAN FIND NO CAUSE. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS AND I HAVE SEEN WHERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED ONLINE AND I HOPE REPORTING THIS WILL SHOW A PATTERN WITH THESE VEHICLES. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. HE THEN INFORMED THE CONTACT OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V482000 (FUEL DELIVERY MODULE) AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE RECALL AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL DELIVERY MODULE. THE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE FOLLOWING REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,400. UPDATED 10/04/11 *BF UPDATED 10/05/11

COIL SPRING ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BROKE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. UNABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE A METAL OBJECT FROM BROKEN SPRING JAMMED INTO THE FRONT TIRE. THE CAR IS OLD, BUT HAS BEEN KEPT INSIDE A GARAGE AND HAS LOW MILEAGE.

WHILE PASSING A CAR WHILE DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE ROAD, MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL CONTINUED GOING DOWN TO THE FLOOR ON ITS OWN. I TAPPED THE BRAKES, CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY OBSTRUCTIONS BY THE PEDAL, TRIED EVERYTHING I COULD TO FREE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT NOTHING WORKED. BY THIS TIME THE CAR WAS TRAVELING IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES WERE NOT SLOWING THE CAR DOWN AT ALL. FINALLY I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND WHILE THE ENGINE KEPT RACING AT FULL THROTTLE, I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. MY HUSBAND RETURNED TO LOOK AT THE CAR AND FOUND THE ACCELERATOR CABLE DISCONNECTED AND LODGED BETWEEN THE MOUNTING BRACKET AND THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR, JAMMING THE THROTTLE AT FULL THROTTLE. FORTUNATELY THIS HAPPENED ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE HOUSE. HE WAS ABLE TO RECONNECT THE CABLE AND DRIVE THE CAR HOME, BUT HE SAID THAT WHILE DRIVING BACK, THE THROTTLE WAS SLOW TO THROTTLE DOWN WHEN HE RELEASED THE PEDAL. ONCE BACK HOME HE FOUND THE CABLE HAD DISCONNECTED AGAIN. WE ARE GOING TO CONTACT FORD TO SEE IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY RECALLS ON THIS FOR THE 2001. WE FOUND RECALLS ON THE 2000 MODEL BUT NONE ON THE 2001. WE ALSO FOUND ONE COMPLAINT THAT WAS DESCRIBED EXACTLY AS OURS WITH THE CABLE DISCONNECTING AND HANGING UP ON THE BRACKET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, HOWEVER THEY DID NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 129,000.

I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION TO START THE CAR AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. I SPOKE A FRIEND ABOUT IT AND SHE STATED SHE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM SHE HAS A FORD FOCUS PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TO DO IF IT WAS AN EMERGENCY I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LEAVE OR PULL OFF IN THE EVENT OF SOMETHING HAPPENING. *KB

THE LATCHES ON THREE OF THE DOORS EITHER DO NOT LATCH WHICH MAKES THE DOOR FLY OPEN OR IT LATCHES AND DOESN'T OPEN, AFTER INSPECTION THE LATCHES ARE SO CORRODED WITH RUST THAT THEY DO NOT WORK AT ALL. BEFORE I REALIZED THAT THE DOOR WASN'T LATCHING I HAD A PROPANE TANK FOR A GRILL IN THE BACK SEAT WHEN I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND IT HIT THE DOOR AND THE DOOR FLEW OPEN AND THE TANK WENT FLYING DOWN THE STREET AND ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON THIS BUT MY VIN # ISN'T ON THE RECALL BUT SHOULD BE! I WAS QUOTED OVER $800 TO FIX THE DOORS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS SE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V030000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES: DOORS: LATCH) BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED AND THE RECALL HAD SINCE EXPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO STATED OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.