2008 FORD FOCUS Complaints

THE IGNITION KEY IS BINDING IN IGNITION CYLINDER WHEN TURNING TO START POSITION ONLY. TWICE IT HAS NOT STARTED ON THE FIRST TRY. TWICE I HEARD A METAL SOUND WHEN STARTING. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH FORD FOCUS 2008, AND HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY MY AUTO REPAIR SHOP. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO ME TO GO DIRECT TO A FORD DEALER SERVICE SHOP WHICH I DID. THE CAR WARRANTY EXPIRED 5/2011 SO I DON'T QUALIFY FOR FREE REPAIR ON THIS PROBLEM. AS FAR AS I CAN SEE IN RESEARCHING THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON IT. I THINK FORD SHOULD PAY. *KB

BOUGHT MY 2008 FORD FOCUS MARCH 14, 2009 WITH 15,000 MILES AS A FLEET RETURN. AT 36,000 MILES THE HANKOOK OPTIMO H725 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES ARE WORN OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. JUST AVERAGE DRIVING ON THE TIRES. THESE TIRES ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A 80,000 MILE TREAD LIFE GUARANTEE. HANKOOK'S WARRANTY DOES NOT APPLY TO ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES. TO SAY I AM DISAPPOINTED AND PERTURBED BY THE POOR PERFORMANCE OF THESE TIRES IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT TO THE HALF WAY POINT OF THEIR TREAD LIFE. *KB

VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER, ONLY CONTINUING TO RUN AT A ROUGH IDLE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY ACCELERATION. THE ONLY POSSIBLE RESPONSE WAS TO LIMP TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AFTER TURNING OFF THE IGNITION THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RAN AS NORMAL FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP. FOUR DAYS LATER THE SAME THING OCCURRED. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER AND HAVING THEM TELL ME TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT OCCURRED AGAIN AND THEN HAVE IT TOWED IN, I CONVINCED THEM TO LOOK FURTHER INTO IT. I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON LINE OF THE SAME TYPE. THE NECESSARY REPAIR WAS TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY. THE NEXT DAY THE DEALER CONTACTED ME AND SAID THE FORD HOTLINE STATED THEY HAD PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS AND ADVISED TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY. THIS WAS DONE AND THE VEHICLE HAS OPERATED CORRECTLY SINCE THE REPAIR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ALL OF THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE OIL FILTER DETACHED FROM THE ENGINE WHICH RESULTED IN INTERNAL DAMAGES. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK MANUALLY OR WITH THE DOOR UNLOCK BUTTONS. THIS PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. SOMETIMES ONE DOOR WON'T UNLOCK, SOMETIMES ALL DOORS WON'T UNLOCK.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS EQUIPPED WITH HANKOOK 395 TIRES, SIZE P195/60/R15, DOT BJCFPDFH3207. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SINCE HE NOTICED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE TIRES. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE INSIDE OF THE TIRES WERE WEARING EXCESSIVELY BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO PURCHASE A TIRE THAT SHOULD LAST UP TO 80,000 MILES; HOWEVER, INFORMED HIM THAT THE TIRES WOULD ONLY LAST 40,000 MILES AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000. UPDATED 08/24/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRE FAILURE HAPPENED ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND REAR. UPDATED 11/28/11*JB

I PURCHASED A '08 FORD FOCUS- 4DR SDN SE IN MARCH '08 FROM MARK MARTIN FORD IN BATESVILLE, AR. JULY '08, DOORS LOCKED & WOULDN'T OPEN. SINCE THE ORIGINAL DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE, IT'S BEEN RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP 14+ TIMES. VEHICLE HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR REPAIRS FOR A TOTAL OF 209 CALENDAR DAYS (JUST FROM MAY 14,'10-DEC. 31,'10). IT IS DOCUMENTED THAT THE CAR STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS BEFORE 12,000 MI. HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE AR ATTY. GEN'S OFF, FORD MOTOR COMPANY, FORD CREDIT, MARK MARTIN FORD. STARTED LEMON LAW PROCEEDINGS & HAD AN ARBITRATION MEETING SET IN JAN. '11. FORD CUSTOMER CARE WAS WORKING ON A BUYBACK/REPLACEMENT. FORD WANTED A SECOND OPINION. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. FORD MADE MANY ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. I SENT A DEMAND LETTER TO FORD. THEY DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO DO A FINAL FIX. INSTEAD THEY REPOSSESSED THE CAR. I WAS ONLY 2 MOS BEHIND & MADE ARRANGEMENTS W/FORD CREDIT TO MAKE A PAYMENT IN DEC. '10. I DID. I HAVE A LETTER FROM MARK MARTIN FORD STATING,"THEY HAVE DONE ALL THEY KNOW TO DO." I HAVE A LETTER FROM FORD STATING, "ALTHOUGH THEY ADMIT TO NO WRONG DOING ON THEIR PART, THEY WANT ME TO BE A SATISFIED CUSTOMER & ARE WILLING TO WAIVE THE BALANCE I OWE" (YET IT'S ON MY CREDIT REPORT). THE AR ATTY GEN'S OFF SAYS I HAVE A CASE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN MARK MARTIN FORD ON THESE DATES FOR REPAIRS/DEFECTS:7/30/08-RR DOOR STAYS LOCKED;7/30/08-RUMBLE SOUND WHEN DRIVING;10/08/08-DRS HARD TO OPEN W/OUTSIDE HANDLE;10/08/08-RR DR WONT UNLOCK;10/08/08-STARTER HUNG AFTER CAR STARTED;10/08/08-DUST LEAKING IN RR & LF;3/16/09-RR;3/16/09-RR DR WEATHER-STRIPPING FALLING DOWN;3/16/09-POPPING NOISE IN RF&LF;3/26/09-LR DR WONT UNLOCK;8/07/09-LR TIRE SENSOR OFF;06/09/10-LFRONT DR WONT OPEN FROM OUTSIDE;06/09/10-LR DR WONT OPEN;06/09/10-DR SEAL LEAKING DUST IN;8/21/10-LREAR DR WONT OPEN FROM;8/21/10-DUST COMING IN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS FOR THE SAME FAILURE, WHERE THE AIR BAG FUSE WAS REPLACED. RECENTLY, THE FAILURE OCCURRED A THE THIRD TIME; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,899.

MY TIRES WILL NOT LAST OVER 1000 TO 2000 MILES WITHOUT STARTING TO WHINE FROM CUFFING ON THE EDGES. FORD DID NOT PROVIDE ANY CHAMBER ADJUSTMENT IN FRONT OR BACK AND THE CAR WEARS OUT TIRES VERY QUICKLY. I HAVE A LITTLE OVER 61,000 MILES ON MY 2008 AND AM ON MY FIFTH SET OF TIRES. I HAVE ADDED REPLACEMENT ARMS TO THE REAR FOR CAMBER ADJUSTMENT AND CAMBER PLATES TO THE FRONT. DEALER AT FIRST TOLD ME TO ROTATE MY TIRES MORE OFTEN AND THEN ADMITTED THAT THE FOCUS MODEL HAS A PROBLEM WITH EATING TIRES. CONTACTED FORD TO NO AVAIL. *KB