2001 FORD FOCUS Complaints

I PURCHASED MY 2001 FORD FOCUS SE IN MARCH 2001. THE FIRST WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE IN 2004, LEAVING ONE REAR WINDOW IN THE DOWN POSITION AND UNABLE TO OPEN; IT JUST STOPPED WORKING. THE 2ND REGULATOR BROKE IN 2006, LEAVING THE OTHER REAR WINDOW IN THE DOWN POSITION AND UNABLE TO OPEN; ALSO JUST STOPPED WORKING ONE DAY. THE 3RD REGULATOR BROKE (FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE) ON 6/23/2010 ONLY THIS TIME, THE REGULATOR DIDN'T JUST FAIL AND STOP WORKING, THE WHOLE THING BURST INTO PIECES WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ROLL THE WINDOW UP AND SHATTERED THE WINDOW WHILE I WAS DRIVING. GLASS CAME RAINING DOWN INSIDE THE VEHICLE, LEAVING A MINOR CUT TO MY LEG (BECAUSE IT WAS VERY MINOR, I'M NOT CONSIDERING IT AN "INJURY" AND CHECKED THE "NO" FIELD BELOW). FORTUNATELY, I WAS DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT WHEN IT HAPPENED SO LOW SPEEDS DIDN'T ALLOW THE GLASS TO BLOW AROUND BUT IF I HAD BEEN ON THE FREEWAY DOING HIGH SPEEDS, I COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY EXPERIENCED SEVERE CUTS FROM THE SHATTERING GLASS FLYING INTO MY VEHICLE. THE FIRST TWO WINDOW REGULATORS THAT BROKE (BOTH REAR) HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED AS OF YET, I COULDN'T AFFORD THE PARTS (QUOTED AS $120 EACH AT THE TIME) SO VICE GRIPS ARE INSIDE THE DOOR HOLDING THE WINDOWS UP, BOTH FAULTY REGULATORS ARE STILL AVAILABLE. THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE HAD NEW GLASS PLACED IN IT ON 6/24/2010 AND COST $146.00. THEY DID NOT HAVE A REGULATOR AT THE REPAIR SHOP SO THAT WINDOW IS NOW ALSO BEING HELD UP BY OTHER MEANS AND THE FAULTY REGULATOR IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR THAT WINDOW AS WELL. I PLAN ON REPLACING ALL 4 OF THEM THIS WEEKEND, EVEN THOUGH ONLY 3 HAVE BROKEN AT THIS POINT, I'M SURE THE 4TH IS SOON COMING SO IT WILL BE REPLACED AS WELL. I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS ONLINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT REGULATORS BREAKING ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE SO IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT WHEN GLASS STARTS SHATTERING WHILE DRIVING, THAT SIGNIFICANTLY RAISES THE RISK/SAFETY FACTOR AND CAUSE FOR CONCERN. *TR

2001 FOCUS 112K MI. BOUGHT FROM LOCAL FORD DEALER, 1 YR OLD W, 21K ON IT. A RECENT INSPECTION BY MY OWN MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT THE REAR SUB FRAME IS ROTTED AND IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IT. ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE LOCAL DEALER LAUGHED WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT A NINE YEAR OLD CAR W/ RUSTED FRAME. *TR

I HAVE HAD A FORD FOCUS 2001 FOR TWO YEARS AND IN THOSE YEARS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND ENGINE MOUNTS. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS I COMMON PLACE IN ALMOST ALL FORD FOCUS'S. I FEAR THAT THIS CAR MIGHT LEAVE ME ANYWHERE, NOW ONE WEEK AGO THE IGNITION CYLINDER HAS BROKEN. THIS IS NOT WEAR AND TEAR. I DEMAND THAT THESE CARS OF 1998 THREW 2003 BE LABELED AS LEMONS AND HAVE FORD ISSUE A RECALL OR REIMBURSEMENTS ON THEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND WHEN HE RESTARTED IT, THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE DEALER, WHEN CONTACTED, STATED THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF SUCH A PROBLEM. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 129,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,275.

FIRST, I HEARD A NOISE IN MY REAR WHEEL WELL. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE NOISE GOT WORSE AND I COULD FEEL LIGHT SHIMMYING IN THE CAR. I BROUGHT IT IMMEDIATELY TO A MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED A BROKEN REAR WHEEL BEARING THAT MY WHEEL TO WOBBLE AND LOSE STABILITY. REPLACEMENT REQUIRES A WHOLE NEW DRUM, AT THE COST OF $300. *TR

FAILED IGNITION KEY LOCK CAUSED MY CAR TO STALL AND FREEZE IN PLACE. PREVENTING ME FROM RESTARTING MY CAR IN TRAFFIC. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL TO GUIDE THE CAR OFF THE ROAD TO A SAFE PLACE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONCE DURING MY OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, AND WAS REPAIRED USING FORD PARTS, AT A NON-FORD MECHANIC. COST APPROXIMATELY $350. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER A MINUTE IT WOULD NOT START UP. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE HOOD WHICH SOON BECAME A FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 93,000. UPDATED 6/21/10 *CN UPDATED 06/24/10.*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SITTING STATIONARY WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PREVENT THE STALLING IF KEEPING SLIGHT PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR BUT ONCE THE PRESSURE WAS RELEASED, THE ENGINE WOULD IDLE AND THEN STALL. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE FAILURE WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V482000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) BUT HAD NOT CONFIRMED IF HIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AS OF YET. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 129,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN WHEN SHE TRIED TO TURN ON THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHO 'SLAMMED' THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION TO START THE VEHICLE; THE KEY HAD TO BE 'SLAMMED' EVERYTIME TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 82,000.

I HAVE HAD MY FORD FOCUS WAGON FOR THREE YEARS NOW. I HAD TO REPAIR A ALOT OF THINGS ON THIS CAR! TRANNY, ALTERNATOR, FUEL PUMP, TIMING BELT, AND THE ONLY DOOR THAT OPENS FROM THE OUTSIDE IS THE PASSENGER RIGHT FRONT, WHICH MY KIDS HAVE TO CLIMB THROUGH TO GET TO THE BACK BECAUSE BOTH BACK DOORS BROKE NOT EVEN FOUR MONTHS FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. ALSO THE DRIVER DOOR ONLY OPENS FROM THE INSIDE BECAUSE OF THE COMPANIES DEFECTED CAR DOOR HANDLES. MY FRIEND HAS THE SAME CAR, AND ITS THE SAME WAY. NOT MENTIONING HOW EVERYTIME I STOP IT DIES OUT AND I HAVE TO TRY AND KEEP STARTING IT. IT SEEMS THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT. *TR