2008 FORD FOCUS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE DRIVER-SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE DOES NOT SECURE THE SEAT BELT AFTER INSERTION. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE SEATS BELT IS MORE LIKELY TO UNLATCH FROM THE BUCKLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000.THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

CONCERNING A '08 FOCUS, 4 DOOR SE. CAR IS APPROXIMATELY 18MONTHS OLD AND HAS COVERED 38,000 APPROX.. REAR PASSENGER DOOR FAILED TO OPEN. WHEN USING POWER LOCKS, THE DOOR BUTTON WOULD FAIL TO MOVE. ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS (LUCKY) THE DOOR COULD BE OPENED. THEN THE SAME HAPPENED TO THE OTHER REAR DOOR. SO NOW BOTH REAR DOORS WERE INOPERABLE. CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL MONTANA FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS EXPLAINED. CAR WAS KEPT IN SHOP FOR FOUR DAYS WHILST BITS WERE ORDERED, AND PROBLEM RECTIFIED. WAS CHARGED $100 AND TOLD THIS WASN'T COVERED BY THE WARRANTY (ALTHOUGH A RENTAL CAR WAS PROVIDED FOR THIS PERIOD). IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED BOTH DOORS, AS LATER I FOUND OUT THAT THE OTHER DOOR HADN'T BEEN FIXED. CAR NOW HAS TO GO INTO SHOP FOR FURTHER RECTIFICATION. I REALIZE THAT IN '05 FORD RECALLED APPROX 359,000 01-02 FOCUS FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH OTHER DOOR LATCHES ON VARIOUS VEHICLES. FOR THIS TO HAPPEN ON A 08 FOCUS, WHICH HAS BEEN DRIVEN CAREFULLY BY ONE OWNER, FAIL TO SEE HOW THE FORD DEALER CAN SAY IT'S NOT A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT? ARE THEY WORRIED THAT IT'LL COST MORE FOR A RECALL THAN ANY LAWSUITS? *TR

MY WIFE TOOK OUR 2008 FORD FOCUS IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. THE DEALER STATED THEY COULD NOT ROTATE THE TIRES BECAUSE THE REAR TIRES WERE BAD. THE "CORDS" IN THE REAR TIRES HAD BROKEN INSIDE THE TIRE AND NOW THEY ARE OUT OF ROUND. THEY SAID THEY ARE NOT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE RECORD OF ROTATING THE WHEELS (BECAUSE I HAD DONE IT AT HOME FOR FREE). I HAVE BEEN ON MANY INTERNET TIRE WEB SITES AND THE PIRELLI TIRES ARE KNOWN FOR THIS HAPPENING ON SMALLER VEHICLES. *TR

ON 4/9/09 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND I NOTICED SLIGHT VIBRATION COMING FROM THE LEFT REAR PIRELLI P6 TIRE ON MY 2008 FORD FOCUS. I CHECKED THE TIRE AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY VISIBLE SIGN OF DAMAGE. ON THE WAY HOME THE VIBRATION GOT MORE SEVERE. ON ARRIVING HOME I CHECKED THE TIRE AND FOUND ONE SPOT THAT WAS COMPLETELY BALD. FROM WHEN I CHECKED THE TIRE AT WORK TO WHEN I ARRIVED AT HOME I HAD DRIVEN A TOTAL OF LESS THAN 90 MILES FOR THE TIRE TO GO COMPLETELY BALD IN THAT SPOT. BOTH PIRELLI AND 2 FORD DEALERS CLAIM THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRE, THAT THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO A IMPROPER USE OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, IMPROPER ALIGNMENT OF THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE, THE TIRE NOT BEING BALANCED OR FAILURE TO ROTATE THE TIRES. I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC. *TR

THERE IS A THROTTLE BODY ISSUE WITH 08 AND NEW FORD FOCUS. THE THROTTLE BODY DEFECT, LEANS THE FUEL MIXTURE CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE ALL POWER, BUT IDOLS KEEPING YOUR POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. YOU THEN HAVE TO PULL OVER, TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART CAR ONLY TO HAPPEN EVERY 50 MILES OR SO, DEPENDING ON A/C, SPEED, ROAD GRADES. FORD DEALER IN KINGMAN ADMITTED LOTS OF FOCUS HAVE BEEN COMING IN WITH SAME ISSUE. HOWEVER, DESPITE THE WRENCH LIGHTING COMING UP ON THE DASH THERE WAS NO CODES FOR THE DEALER TO FIX THE CAR. AFTER THE 7TH TIME OF THE POWER LOSS AND WRENCH, WE LEFT THE CAR RUNNING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO TAKE VIDEO, AND A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON. WHICH ALLOWED THE DEALER IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM TO IMMEDIATELY REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY. THIS ISSUE IS VERY DANGEROUS AS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS YOU LOOSE ALL OR 90 PERCENT POWER AND HAVE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. BASED ON THE DEALERS COMMENTS IT APPEARS A RECALL SHOULD HAPPEN ON THE THROTTLE BODY ISSUE. *TR

HEAD RESTRAINT FOR DRIVER'S SEAT CAME OUT OF THE SEAT DURING A REAR-END COLLISION. *TR

TIRES WEAR UNEVEN ON 2008 FORD FOCUS WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD ESPECIALLY IN BAD WEATHER. SO FAR 2 SETS OF TIRES HAVE BEEN WORN OUT AND WHEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD I AM BEING BOUNCED ALL AROUND. THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED AND DESTROYED BY A HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. AN OCCUPANT IN HER VEHICLE SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK INJURIES. BOTH THE CONTACT AND OCCUPANT WERE WEARING THEIR SEAT BELTS AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONSUMERS SON LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND STRUCK A GUARDRAIL AND ROLLED ONCE. THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST IN A CREEK. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACTS SON SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE LOWER BACK AND ANKLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 17,000. UPDATED 6/4/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST ACCIDENT WHERE THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. UPDATED 06/09/09.*JB THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD STATING THE IMPACT WAS NOT SEVERE ENOUGH TO WARRANT AIR BAD DEPLOYMENT. UPDATED 06/02/11

TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM FAILED TO WARN OF LOW PRESSURE IN RIGHT REAR TIRE CAUSING THE TIRE TO FAIL, RESULTING IN INABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE AUTO HAS NO SPARE, ONLY AN INFLATION SYSTEM, WHICH DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. *TR